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	Date: 01/29/08 The 2008 Democratic and Republican Presidential Candidates' Positions on the Issues By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) The stands of these 2008 presidential candidates on a selection of issues: Democrats: New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Republicans: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. ——— ABORTION: Support abortion rights? Clinton: Yes. Edwards: Yes. Obama: Yes. Giuliani: Yes. Huckabee: No. McCain: No. Romney: No. (Previously supported abortion rights.) ——— ECONOMIC STIMULUS: President Bush and House leaders worked out an agreement for a $150 billion package with $50 billion in corporate aid as well as tax rebates of up to $600 a worker or $1,200 a working couple, plus $300 a child. Clinton: $110 billion stimulus, including $40 billion in tax rebates of $250 for low- and middle-income taxpayers. Edwards: Early advocate of stimulus package. Called in December for up to $100 billion in spending to boost job creation, expand unemployment insurance to 500,000 more people, give more money to states for Medicaid and property tax stability, and assist homeowners facing foreclosure. Obama: $250 rebates to low and middle-income earners and $250 bonuses to Social Security recipients. Giuliani: Endorses Washington stimulus plan but says it should cut taxes more deeply. Early advocate of cutting corporate tax to 25 percent from 35 percent. Huckabee: Supports Washington stimulus plan but questions "whose economy is going to be stimulated the most" if package is financed by foreign lenders and used to buy products made in China. McCain: Cut corporate tax to 25 percent, let companies expense investments in equipment and technology in year of purchase instead of spread out. Romney: $233 billion stimulus package includes $400 individual income tax rebates, cutting 10 percent income bracket to 7.5 percent. No rebates for low-income workers who pay no income tax. Cut corporate tax rate to 20 percent, provide tax incentives for investment in technology and equipment. EDUCATION: Clinton: $10 billion for universal preschool. Replace No Child Left Behind law. $10,000 higher-education scholarships per year of national service. Edwards: Universal preschool for 4 year olds. Change or replace No Child Left Behind. Obama: $18 billion plan for preschool, teacher pay, $4,000 college tax credit for community service. Giuliani: Vouchers for school choice. Huckabee: Give states more authority to run education. McCain: Vouchers for school choice, more community-college aid. Romney: Supports school choice and No Child Left Behind law. GAY MARRIAGE: Prohibit it with constitutional amendment? Clinton: No. Edwards: No. Obama: No. Giuliani: No. Huckabee: Yes. McCain: No. Romney: Yes. GLOBAL WARMING: Clinton: $150 billion, 10-year energy package for new fuel sources; backed stringent caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Edwards: $13 billion annual fund to double budget for efficiency and renewable energy, favors stringent caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Obama: $150 billion, 10-year program for "climate friendly" energy supplies, favors stringent caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Giuliani: Agrees humans contribute to global warming, opposes mandatory caps on greenhouse gases. Consider expanding nuclear power and alternative energy to free nation's dependence on foreign oil. Huckabee: Supports increase to 35 mpg fuel efficiency standard by 2020, and emission caps. McCain: Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher fuel efficiency. Romney: Says tougher mileage standards are a burden on automakers. Opposes mandatory caps on greenhouse gases unless other countries take similar steps. Says answer is to free the country from dependence on foreign oil. ——— GUN CONTROL: Clinton: Supports gun control. Edwards: Supports gun control. Obama: Supports gun control. Giuliani: Backed federal gun control as mayor, now says states should decide. Huckabee: Opposes gun controls; backs federal "right to carry" law requiring states to recognize other states' concealed weapons permits. McCain: Opposed ban on assault-type weapons; favored background-check law for gun shows. Romney: As governor, favored strict state gun control. ——— HEALTH INSURANCE: Clinton: $110 billion a year for mandatory universal coverage in first term. Tax credits to make insurance more affordable. Raise taxes on wealthy. Edwards: Up to $120 billion a year for mandatory universal coverage in first term. Tax credits for affordability. Raise taxes on wealthy. Obama: No universal coverage mandate for adults but one for children. More than $65 billion a year to make universal coverage affordable. Raise taxes on wealthy. Giuliani: Income tax deduction of $7,500 per taxpayer to defray insurance costs. Huckabee: Spend more on prevention, let market and states expand insurance. McCain: $2,500 tax credit per taxpayer to help pay for insurance. Romney: Incentives for states to expand affordable coverage. As governor, signed law aimed at ensuring universal coverage. ——— IMMIGRATION: Clinton: Voted for 2006 bill that proposed conditional path to citizenship for illegal aliens; backed border fence. Edwards: Supports path to citizenship for illegal aliens who speak English and meet other conditions. Obama: Voted for 2006 bill that proposed conditional path to citizenship for illegal aliens; backed border fence. Giuliani: Open to legal status for illegal aliens who speak English and meet other conditions. Favors tamperproof immigrant ID cards. Huckabee: Has favored allowing illegal aliens to apply for legal status if they pay penalties, get work permits, register. As governor, opposed banning state services for illegal aliens. McCain: Sponsored 2006 bill that proposed conditional path to citizenship for illegal aliens. Now says he would secure border first. Romney: Opposes conditional path to citizenship for illegal aliens; once called that step reasonable. Backs fence and National Guard at border, and ID cards. IRAQ: Clinton: Opposed troop increase. No timetable for completing withdrawal. Voted for war. Edwards: Take out 50,000 troops now; all combat troops out in 10 months. Said his vote for war was wrong. Obama: Combat troops out in 16 months. Spoke against war at start. Giuliani: Supported troop increase and prosecution of the war. Huckabee: Now faults President Bush for not sending enough troops at the start. McCain: Early critic of how the war was fought, backed troop increase, opposes scheduled pullout. Romney: Supported troop increase and prosecution of the war. SOCIAL SECURITY: Clinton: Noncommittal on raising $97,500 income cap on payroll taxes. Proposes a federal match of up to $1,000 to help set up 401(k) plans. Edwards: Subject the portion of income over about $200,000 to Social Security taxes. Obama: Raising cap with unspecified "small adjustment" that would subject a portion of higher incomes to Social Security taxes. Giuliani: Rules out tax increase to save Social Security. McCain: Would consider "almost anything" in a compromise to save Social Security, yet rules out higher payroll taxes for now. Huckabee: Higher benefits for people who delay retirement past 70. Let retirees choose to get benefits or a payment at death for heirs. Romney: Higher taxes are "wrong way to go." STEM CELL RESEARCH: Relax restrictions on federal financing: Clinton: Yes. Edwards: Yes. Obama: Yes. Giuliani: Yes. Huckabee: No. McCain: Yes. Romney: Apparently, no. As governor, tried to stop legislation that encouraged expanded embryonic stem cell research of the kind opposed by Bush. TAXES: Republican candidates all favor making Bush's tax cuts, expiring in 2010, permanent. Democrats would let the tax cuts for the richest taxpayers expire. Clinton: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and keep estate tax on them. Higher tax breaks for college. Edwards: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains tax. $25 billion a year in tax cuts for non-wealthy, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for singles and $500 tax credit for families making up to $75,000. Obama: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains and dividends taxes. Raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks mainly for poor workers and elderly, including tripling Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credit for larger families. Giuliani: Cut corporate tax rate to 25 percent, eliminate estate tax, establish a permanent child tax credit. Huckabee: Replace income and investment taxes with national sales tax, sheltering purchases up to poverty line. McCain: Opposed some of Bush's tax cuts because they were not tied to spending cuts, now says the tax cuts should be permanent. Cut corporate tax rate to 25 percent. Romney: Tax breaks to those earning less than $200,000, eliminating capital gains, interest and dividend taxes for most. Cut corporate tax to 20 percent. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.