For the Record, Where I Stand on the Candidates…

Hillary Clinton:

Hillary is true believer in wealth redistribution and big government. From healthcare to energy, she fundamentally believes that it is the government’s role; in fact job, to handle these businesses. Her economic plan is all about taking more from higher earners so she can fund her government programs. Her record consists of pushing government healthcare programs. It is true she was force behind the scenes with Ted Kennedy in making the S-CHIP a priority for the Clinton administration. Her entire healthcare plan is a big government program dressed up as consumer driven reform. Unfortunately, the truth is that it is a big move toward federal control of healthcare:

• Standardizing (regulation) of insurance companies targeting excessive profits
• Mandates employers provide heath care (a relic of wage controls) from a pool of federally approved benefit plans, which will limit competition due to mandates on said benefit plans
• Drug companies will be forced to offer fair prices; I don’t know what fair is but Hillary believes the government will.

This is Hillary’s key issue and one that she does have the most experience with. It provides an insight on what she believes government’s role is in our society.

Nothing But Truth:

Hillary is an avowed socialist with a record of targeting political enemies and any one entity that is economically successful. She is also someone who will say and do anything to assure her political ascendancy; her flip-flop and subsequent revisionist history on Iraq should give pause to her most adamant supporters. She is an amalgam of the worst of Nixon, Lenin (Marxist Foundation) and Carter.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama is liberal with a capital L but you wouldn’t know it because he has mastered the art of sloganeering and feel good clichés. When it comes to specifics Barack his adamantly pro choice 100% NARAL rating, a believer in universal healthcare mandating employers pay for health insurance with a play or pay system; if employers don’t play, they pay a payroll tax that goes to fund government health care. He also has the elements of Hillary’s plan too. On taxes, he would let the Bush tax cuts expire (tax increase) and though he does provide a targeted tax credit and elimination of taxes for seniors earning less than 50,000 dollars a year; his record shows that he believes raising taxes and government regulation which is supported by his elimination of corporate tax breaks and raising the minimum wage. On the war, Obama would have voted against the authorization to use military force in Iraq. Despite the latest statements from the Clinton camp, he has been true to that position making the statement that the case was not made for war in Iraq. This has been his key issue and raises some questions about what would be a solid case, if Iraq was not. Let us return to what we knew at the time about Iraq:

• Saddam had violated the cease-fire and 17 UN resolutions making him an international outlaw.
• He had a history of producing and using biological and chemical weapons as well as invading his neighbors.
• Every intelligence agency in the world said that Saddam Hussein was in possession of Biological and Chemical weapons and had or was developing WMD.
• Saddam failed to meet the terms and cooperate with UN resolution 1441.
• Saddam had a history of supporting, cooperating and meeting with terrorists including Abu Nidal, Yassin and Al Queda.

Yet this was not enough of a case for Barack Obama to use force, if not this; what would be?

Nothing But Truth:

Barack Obama is a foreign policy lightweight and fundamentally does not understand the war we are in. I am also given pause to his Islamic background. For more on that: http://www.danielpipes.org/article/5354 . Domestically, Barack is a hard-core liberal dressed up in warm and fuzzy clichés. He’ll be great on the $100,000 a speech circuit, but not at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

John Edwards

Edwards fashions himself as the anti-corporate candidate expressing extreme distrust of the free market. He has charted a course replete with protectionism, regulation and higher taxes. He exceeds (going beyond repealing of Bush tax cut) Obama and Hillary with the implementation of raising marginal tax rates (going beyond repealing of Bush tax cut) on the wealthiest Americans as well as getting rid of the cuts in capital gains on dividends. On foreign policy, he has referred to Iraq a “bleeding sore” and believes that President Bush has exceeded his authority and the only way to end the war is for to cap the funding for the troops; this will force the President to withdrawal troops. Edwards voted for the war but has since called it a mistake. On health care, he supports government health care with mandates (by law) on individuals to receive preventive care as well as everyone to have health insurance with elements employer mandates and Play or Pay. The key issue for John Edwards is poverty remedied with economic nationalism which has connected well on an emotional level. A review of the impact of this feel good sentiment needs airing:
Edwards believes that free trade hurts American workers by pressuring wages downward. This sentiment is refuted by results of the economic boom in the last decade, which includes 11 million new jobs, wages increasing and manufacturing output increasing by 50%. Specifically, in the much maligned and misunderstood manufacturing sector: all time highs in output and profits. Couple that with the average manufacturing job wage including benefits being 66,000 a year according to Bureau of Census and the National Association of Manufacturers, respectively.

Nothing But Truth:

John Edward is a trial lawyer, class warfare opportunist who has record of channeling dead children in order to cases. I bring that up because absurd notions on trade, poverty and foreign policy appeal to the basest of our human condition and with a sixth grade understanding of history, economics and research are refuted. He is pathetic.

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani is a strong fiscal conservative, outstanding executive and possesses the best foreign policy team. His economic record included lowering taxes, shrinking government, cutting unemployment in half and cutting the growth in government spending. His outstanding response to 911 shows that he, as an executive, can prioritize and manage the largest city in the United States while under a terrorist attack. He has a record of social liberalism including state funding of abortions and support for gay marriage. Ted Olson (whose wife, Barbara, was killed in the 9/11 attacks) was solicitor general and social conservative and supports Rudy. Rudy also has stated he would nominate strict constructionist judges along with an outstanding record of increasing adoptions and lowering the amount of abortions in his city. His position on immigration includes providing welfare benefits to illegals as well a path to citizenship (amnesty). He also embraces border enforcement with the National Guard augmenting the border patrol in the short while having a fence electronic, drones and actual fence. Guiliani’s key issue is the War on Islamofacism and he fundamentally understands the war kinetically, judicially (prosecuted terrorist) and ideologically. He has supported doubling the US forces in Afghanistan and again, possesses the best war policy team assembled including Michael Rubin and Tom Jocelyn.

Nothing But Truth:

I am deeply troubled by Rudy’s social record (abortion and marriage) and resent the notion I have to play the candidate buffet before the convention has taken place especially when there is a candidate that holds conservative record on social, economic and foreign policy. Nonetheless, Rudy is a great candidate on the issue of the economy and War.

Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee is the best communicator of all candidates both Republican and Democrat. He has crafted a message of compassion, conviction and integrity that has connected with a broad spectrum of Americans. This message has populist sentiment with elements of class warfare. He has mixed record on taxes increasing the tax burden on the people of Arkansas as well a cutting taxes 93 times. He has made a pledge not to increase taxes and supports the FairTax (consumption tax). On healthcare, he stressed prevention with a mixed bag of consumer driven reforms including HSA’s. On immigration, his position or positions have been ambiguous: a record of supporting scholarships for illegals, supporting paths to citizenship (amnesty) to strong support for border enforcement. He went as far as to compare illegal immigrants with slavery and Jim Crow. The issue of foreign policy, Huckabee has been caught flat footed on the NIE and location of Cuba but has stated that he supports a strong foreign policy with a well funded, superior military that will engage in the model (Colin Powell) of overwhelming force.

Nothing But Truth:

Mike Huckabee is the most likable candidate but I differ with him on many issues, strongly. His rhetoric on immigration and trade gives me pause especially the idea of branding amnesty rejectionists as racists and demonizing CEO’s. Couple this with his union support and seeming advocacy of fair trade, not free trade; I see economic populism which leads to less business, more regulation and a slower economy. The FairTax is good for debate but not implementation as it taxes consumption, the total tax rate would be 30%, not 23% and the rebate portion on purchases up to the poverty level don’t seem to be an efficient way to change/simplify tax code. I support a flat tax, but that debate is for another piece. On foreign policy, I reject the movement of closing/moving Guantanemo for a manifold of reasons: rights of detainees, signal to the world that we have done wrong and the fact they (Soldiers) are doing an great job, system working. Lastly, I totally reject the notion of President Bush bunker mentality. In fact, I think the President has allowed the world to hamstring our foreign policy by recognizing the United Nations despite the President’s successes in the Container Security Initiative with support of 70 countries and NATO’s support in Afghanistan.

Mitt Romney

He is an eminently qualified candidate on paper and has done some extraordinary work with the Olympics. He has outlined a strong economic plan consistent with conservative approach of lower taxes, less regulation and free trade. His immigration stance of no amnesty is laudable. He has some troubles with foreign policy with remarks on a timeline in Iraq and before the report of surge success called Iraq a mess. He considers Iran to be a threat and has recommended diplomatic, economic and regional isolation. He has also embraced the pro-life platform as well as strong supporter of traditional marriage. The economic record of Mitt’s is suspect considering he raised taxes on corporation and fees on marriage and gun licenses. He has also raised taxes on SUV’s in order to encourage more environmentally friendly vehicles. As a candidate, I love his tax plan of lowering marginal rates, cutting corporate tax and eliminating the estate tax. My trouble is with his record and his vaunted healthcare plan, which is closer to Hillary’s plan replete with mandates and already over budget.

Nothing But Truth:

I respect the endorsement of great men like Sen. Jim Talent and publications like the National Review but I fundamentality can’t dismiss the record of Romney and his inability to communicate his message during debates. On the life issue, I believe he is sincere but again, late to the game. The problem is that he looks like he is trying to find the answer/policy that the audience wants to hear. I feel he does not have a core and in crisis; human beings are stripped to their core beliefs. I don’t want to have questions about the candidate I support.

John McCain

He has been a good politician in deal making and moving legislation forward. The legislation that he has moved forward is not conservative and certainly not in the theme of the Republican Party. Senator McCain is responsible for the greatest attack on free speech since the fairness doctrine. The passage of McCain Feigngold was a limit on the most vital type of speech (political). It regulated speech before elections in the name of fairness, and has limited groups from all over the political spectrum to raise issues important to the electorate. On taxes, he opposed the Bush tax cuts but now will vote to make them permanent. On the issue of life, he is a vocal supporter of embryonic stem cell research. In the War on Islamofacism, he was a supporter of the surge and deserves credit for that stand. He also is a strong advocate of ending water boarding (despite the attacks it has prevented), closing Guantanemo and ascribing constitutional protections to detainees On the issue of immigration, he supports a path to citizenship (amnesty) and now has stressed border enforcement first.

Nothing But Truth

John McCain is a hero and God Bless him for his service. Unfortunately the policies he has forwarded and compromises he has made (Gang of 14 to avoid the Nuclear Option on Judicial Nominations) are absolutely unacceptable for me. He has enacted the most dangerous threat to our liberties though McCain Feigngold and quite frankly, I am troubled greatly with his platform and record.

Fred Thompson

He is a strong conservative right down the line. He supports making the Bush tax cuts permenant, ending the death tax and simplifying the tax code. His record is of tax cuts, shrinking government and support for free trade with restrictions on harmful technologies. On the issues of life and marriage he supports federalism with caveats. First life, his record on life issue is 100% pro-life earning him the endorsement of National Right To Life. He also hopes that Roe V. Wade is overturned, but the issue should be left to the states, which would be the result of Roe V. Wade overturned. On the issue of marriage he supports an amendment the defense of marriage against activist judges, but again leaves the issue to the state legislatures. On the war and national security, he has laid out a platform of stronger military, missile defense, investment into intelligence and a judicial system that can deal with the current threat.

Nothing But Truth

I think Fred Thompson is the most conservative candidate running. He is most congruent with my beliefs and the attacks on his positions (life) have been remedied with a strong voting record, endorsements and context (big law firm). His non-support for a constitutional amendment on abortion seems to be more practical than ideological but I do support the Republican platform on the amendment so I do have my disagreements. His campaign style is…his campaign style; I am frustrated by his seeming inability to gain traction. I think he is the best man for the nomination and the best person to be the next President.

Ron Paul

Nothing But Truth:

I think h is foreign policy position disqualifies him as a candidate for office; I did not write about Kucinich earlier. While I appreciate some of his views on the economy as well as the passion of some of his supporters, I think he is, at best; a protest candidate, and a deeply flawed one at that. I say that with deep respect for people to make their own judgments.