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BARACK OBAMA SAYS:
TOP PRIORITIES:
My top priority as president will be ending this war
in Iraq, a war that should have never been authorized
and never been waged. In doing so, I will work to keep
our country safe from terrorists and to restore
American credibility around the world. Providing
universal health care to the 47 million Americans who
currently do not have it will be another top priority
of my administration, as will combating global warming
and putting our country on the path toward energy
independence. But all of the issues that I have
focused on in this campaign -- whether it's creating a
21st century education system and fighting poverty or
achieving comprehensive immigration reform and
strengthening our economy -- are vitally important and
must be prioritized by the next president. And all of
these issues share one thing in common: in order to
fully address them, we have to do more than change
political parties. We have to fundamentally change our
politics and transform the way business is done in
Washington.
IRAQ WAR:
I opposed this war from the beginning, when it was
unpopular to do so, in part because I believed it was
a diversion from the real threat of al Qaeda and that
giving this President the authority would lead to the
open-ended occupation we find ourselves in today. Now
our soldiers find themselves in the crossfire of a
civil war and our military is stretched thin. I
support beginning the withdrawal of our troops from
Iraq immediately, and under the plan I introduced in
January 2007, we would have begun withdrawing forces
engaged in combat operations on May 1, 2007. A
withdrawal of our troops is the best leverage we have
to press the Iraqi political leaders to make the
political compromises necessary to end their civil
war.
IRAQ WAR 2:
What distinguishes my plan from nearly all the other
candidates is that I was among the few with the good
judgment to have opposed the war from the beginning.
Now that we must correct the mistake of authorizing
and waging this war, there are only bad options and
worse options. Under my plan, we would begin
withdrawing troops immediately. I would maintain a
follow on force in and around Iraq to protect ongoing
U.S. interests there, including counter-terrorism
operations, training and force protection. Since
success in stopping this civil war requires a
political solution among Iraq's leaders, I have
proposed a diplomatic surge in Iraq and in the
neighboring countries. My plan to end the war also
seeks to use policy measures now to ensure that our
troops are not confronted with destabilizing ethnic
strife that undercuts regional stability later. To
that end, I have proposed that we condition any future
assistance to Iraq on human rights performance, that
we aggressively seek to assist Iraq's internally
displaced now, that we increase funding for refugees
in neighboring countries, and that we declare the
international community's intention to hold the
perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity,
and genocide accountable for their crimes.
SECURITY:
My first priority would be to end the war in Iraq. It
has cost America dearly in terms of blood and
treasure, been a diversion from the fight against al
Qaeda, stretched our military, and undermined the view
of the United States the world wide. Ending the war in
Iraq will permit us to develop a comprehensive
strategy against terrorism, which will be another
chief national security priority of my administration.
I will ensure that we are taking sufficient action
against the terrorists on the right battlefield in
Afghanistan and Pakistan; that we develop the
capabilities and partnerships we need to counter the
terrorist threat in other parts of the world; that we
engage the world to dry up support for terrorism and
extremism; that we restore for the rule of law and our
values; and that we secure a resilient homeland. My
administration will also make it a priority to marshal
a global effort to meet a threat that rises above all
others in urgency -- securing, destroying, and
stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction. As
president, I will lead a global effort to secure all
nuclear weapons and material at vulnerable sites
within four years -- the most effective way to prevent
terrorists from acquiring a bomb. We should fully
implement the law I passed with Senator Dick Lugar
that would help the United States and our allies
detect and stop the smuggling of weapons of mass
destruction throughout the world. While we work to
secure existing stockpiles of nuclear material, we
should also negotiate a verifiable global ban on the
production of new nuclear weapons material. As
starting points, the world must prevent Iran from
acquiring nuclear weapons and work to eliminate North
Korea's nuclear weapons program. We must also dissuade
other countries from joining the nuclear club.
Countries should not be able to build a weapons
program under the auspices of developing peaceful
nuclear power. That's why we should create an
international fuel bank to back up commercial fuel
supplies so there's an assured supply and no more
excuses for nations like Iran to build their own
enrichment plants. And if we want the world to
deemphasize the role of nuclear weapons, the United
States and Russia must lead by example. President Bush
once said, 'The United States should remove as many
weapons as possible from high-alert, hair-trigger
status -- another unnecessary vestige of Cold War
confrontation.' Six years later, President Bush has
not acted on this promise. I will. We cannot and
should not accept the threat of accidental or
unauthorized nuclear launch. We can maintain a strong
nuclear deterrent to protect our security without
rushing to produce a new generation of warheads.
HEALTH CARE
Every American has the right to affordable,
comprehensive and portable health coverage. My plan
will ensure that all Americans have health care
coverage through their employers, private health
plans, the federal government, or the states. My plan
builds on and improves our current insurance system,
which most Americans continue to rely upon, and
creates a new public health plan for those currently
without coverage. Under my plan, Americans will be
able to choose to maintain their current coverage if
they choose to. For those without health insurance I
will establish a new public insurance program, and
provide subsides to afford care for those who need
them. My plan includes a mandate that all children
have health care coverage and I will expand
eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs to
help ensure we cover all kids. My plan requires all
employers to contribute towards health coverage for
their employees or towards the cost of the public
plan. Under my plan a typical family will save $2,500
each year. We will realize tremendous savings within
the health care system from improving efficiency and
quality and reducing wasted expenditures system-wide.
Specifically, these savings will result from
investments in health information technology,
improvements in prevention and management of chronic
conditions, increased insurance industry competition
and reduced industry overhead, the provision of
federal reinsurance for catastrophic coverage, and
reduced spending on uncompensated care.
EDUCATION:
The goal of the No Child Left Behind Act is the right
one -- ensuring that all children can meet high
standards -- but the law has significant flaws that
need to be addressed. However, unfulfilled funding
promises, inadequate implementation by the Department
of Education, and shortcomings in the design of the
law itself have limited its effectiveness and undercut
its support among many people who care deeply about
our schools and our students. The shortcomings of
NCLB, however, shouldn't end the conversation. They
should be the start of a conversation about how we can
do better. One of the greatest troubles of No Child
Left Behind is that we have spent too much time
preparing students for tests that do not provide any
valuable, timely feedback on how to improve a
student's learning. We need tests and measurements,
but we should ensure that they are useful to improve
student learning. As president, I will support the
creation of testing models that will: provide
educators and students with timely feedback about how
to improve student performance instead of arriving
with too little too late; measure readiness for
college and success in an information-age workplace by
testing reading comprehension, writing skills, and
other critical thinking skills; and indicate whether
individual students are actually making progress
toward reaching high standards. Good teachers with the
tools to do their jobs should not have to teach to the
test. They should be able to teach a rich curriculum.
CHANGES IN EDUCATION:
As President, I'd launch a campaign to recruit and
support hundreds of thousands of newteachers across
the country, because the single most important factor
inside the school building for a student's achievement
is the person standing in front of the classroom. I
will treat teachers like the professionals they are,
making sure they get the pay they deserve, while
working with them to develop the high standards we
need. We need to create real career opportunities that
reward successful teachers, motivate them to stay in
the profession, and take advantage of their skills to
help mentor new teachers. Teachers and educators need
time to plan lessons and learn. That time should be
made available each week and in the summer time. And
teachers and principals should be paid for this
additional work. We can't ignore that the achievement
gap is a problem across the country. To tackle this
problem, the first thing we have to do is close the
gap that exists between children before they enter
kindergarten by providing high-quality preschool
opportunities to all children. Far too few Latino and
African-American children are enrolled in early
childhood education programs, despite the proven
successes of such programs. As president, I will
increase funding for Head Start and expand access to
Pre-K. My plan to attract and retain high-quality
teachers in high-needs districts will also go a long
way toward closing this achievement gap. I have
proposed grant funding for prospective teachers to
serve residencies with school districts similar to
training in other professional fields like medicine.
Prospective teachers will learn from mentor teachers,
with stipends provided to teachers-in-training in
exchange for a commitment to teach in that district
once they complete the program. This will provide
effective training of new teachers in high-needs
districts.
GAY MARRIAGE:
I oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment.
CIVIL UNIONS:
I support civil unions.
ABORTION:
I have been a consistent champion of reproductive
choice and will make preserving women's rights under
Roe v. Wade a priority as president. I oppose any
constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme
Court's decision in that case.
POOR:
The federal government has a critical role to play in
eradicating poverty. It's a moral outrage that in the
richest nation on earth, 37 million Americans are
living in poverty. I will increase federal funding for
anti-poverty programs. In addition to passing my
universal health care plan, I will fully fund the
Community Development Block Grant program and create
an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. I will increase
funding for transitional jobs and career pathways
programs and I'll provide greater supports for
exoffenders and their families. I will ensure that
minimum wage is indexed for inflation. And I will
expand eligibility and increase the Earned Income Tax
Credit to benefit 12 million Americans. Additionally,
I have called for the creation of a new program that
replicates the success of the Harlem Children's Zone
-- an all-encompassing, all-hands-on-deck anti-poverty
effort that is literally saving a generation of
children in a neighborhood where they were never
supposed to have a chance. As president, an important
part of my plan to combat poverty will be to replicate
the Harlem Children's Zone in twenty cities across the
country. These 'Promise Neighborhoods' will focus on
addressing concentrated, intergenerational poverty in
our cities. We'll train staff, we'll have them draw up
detailed plans with attainable goals, and the federal
government will provide half of the funding for each
city, with the rest coming from philanthropies and
businesses. I will also create a White House Office of
Urban Policy and have the Director of that Office
report directly to me. Finally, I will provide
families the support they need to raise their
children. I will provide more financial support to
fathers who make the responsible choice to help raise
their children and crack down on the fathers who
don't. And I'll help new mothers with their new
responsibilities by expanding a pioneering program
known as the Nurse-Family Partnership that offers home
visits by trained registered nurses to low-income
mothers and mothers-to-be. My plan will assist
approximately 570,000 first-time mothers each year.
GUNS:
Yes, I do think that reasonable gun control measures
reduces violent crime and saves lives. I respect the
constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. But
we can't deny that gun violence has taken the lives of
too many Americans. I believe that through
common-sense measures, we can keep guns from those who
may pose a threat, while also protecting the rights of
legitimate hunters and sportsmen.
GUN CONTROL:
I support reasonable, common-sense measures to limit
such occurrences. I would close the gun-show loophole
and require mandatory background checks on purchasers
at gun shows. That loophole has been exploited by
everyone from foreign terrorists to the Columbine High
School shooters. Closing it would not impair the
rights of hunters and other lawful gun owners. I also
believe that we should make the expired federal
Assault Weapons Ban permanent. Those weapons belong on
a foreign battlefield, not on our streets. Finally, I
support making guns in this country child proof. This
is, again, a common-sense solution: guns and kids
don't mix.
STEM CELL RESEARCH:
No. Each year, 100,000 Americans will develop
Alzheimer's disease, with impaired memory, ability to
understand, and judgment. Over 1 million adults will
be diagnosed with diabetes this year, and risk
complications that include blindness, damaged nerves
and loss of kidney function. We all know or have met
individuals with spinal cord injuries, including
national celebrities, local war heroes and loved ones
from our own families and circles of friends, who are
struggling to maintain mobility and independence. For
most of our history, medicine has offered little hope
of recovery to the 100 million individuals affected by
these and other devastating illnesses and injuries.
Until now. Recent developments in stem cell research
may hold the key to improved treatments, if not cures,
for those affected by Alzheimer's disease, diabetes,
spinal cord injury and countless other conditions. For
this reason, I am a proud supporter of the Stem Cell
Research Enhancement Act. The president was wrong to
veto it, and I will make sure that it is finally
signed into law when I'm president.
ENERGY:
Global warming is not just the greatest environmental
challenge facing our planet -- it is one of our
greatest challenges of any kind. Combating global
warming will be a top priority of my presidency, and I
will attend to it personally. Putting a price on
carbon is the most important step we can take to
reduce emissions. I will enact an economy-wide
market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce U.S.
carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. I will devote
significant resources from a permit auction toward
accelerating the development and deployment of low
carbon technologies and addressing the economic
challenges imposed on key industrial sectors. Another
top priority for my energy and global warming agenda
will be changing the cars we drive and the fossil
fuels we burn. I will increase fuel efficiency
standards by 4% per year, lift the
60,000-per-manufacturer cap on buyer tax credits to
encourage more Americans to buy ultra-efficient
vehicles, and encourage automakers to make fuel
efficient hybrid vehicles. Domestic automakers will
get either assistance shouldering their health care
legacy costs in exchange for investing 50 percent of
the savings into technology to produce more
fuel-efficient vehicles or generous tax incentives for
retooling assembly plants. I proposed a National Low
Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the lifecycle
greenhouse gas emissions of passenger vehicle fuels
sold in the U.S. by 10 percent in 2020 and require
additional reductions of 1% annually thereafter.
ENERGY 2:
Yes, I will dramatically increase federal investment
in advanced clean-energy technologies and energy
efficiency. I believe that the U.S. can and should be
a global leader in the development of alternative
energy sources, such as ethanol and other biofuels, as
well as wind and solar. We should set benchmarks for
production so that more companies will invest in
production and create distribution facilities where
the average consumer can access biofuels for cars
designed to run on them. And I believe nationally we
must get more energy from renewable sources and
support a goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020. We
have vast potential in this country to produce clean
renewable energy and reduce our reliance on dwindling
domestic natural gas reserves. The investment
certainty provided by a significant RPS will encourage
innovation, bring down the costs of renewable power,
encourage necessary investment in new transmission,
inspire new domestic industries, and strengthen rural
economies. I will also create the 5-E (Energy
Efficiency, Environmental Education and Employment)
Disconnected Youth Service Corps. This program will
directly engage disconnected and disadvantaged youth
in energy efficiency and environmental service
opportunities to strengthen their communities while
also providing them with practical skills and
experience in important career fields of expected
high-growth employment. The program will engage
private sector employers and unions to provide
apprenticeship opportunities.
IMMIGRATION:
I was very disappointed by the Congress's failure to
pass comprehensive immigration reform. This crisis
demands that we take action. Holes remain in our
borders. Millions of undocumented immigrants persist
in the shadows. I will work to pass comprehensive
reform that protects our security, bolsters our
economy, and preserves America's tradition as a nation
of immigrants who are welcomed as long as they work
hard and play by the rules.
IMMIGRATION 2:
We need to work in a bipartisan way to achieve
comprehensive immigration reform. First, on security,
comprehensive reform has to mean gaining operational
control of our borders by using better technology,
improving infrastructure, and making smart choices
about where we deploy resources on the Southern and
Northern borders. These actions can strengthen our
security while discouraging people from taking the
risk of crossing the border illegally. Second, at the
workplace, we need a simple, but mandatory electronic
system that enables employers to verify the legal
status of the people they hire. Third, we need to
bring the 12 million undocumented people out of the
shadows. We need to be realistic about the fact that
they are here, we can't deport them, and they have
become an integral part of our society. We need to
give this population a chance to pay a fine, to have
provisional status in the country, and to get into the
back of the line for citizenship.
AFFIRMIATIVE ACTION:
I support affirmative action. When there is strong
evidence of prolonged and systemic discrimination by
organizations, affirmative action may be the only
meaningful remedy available. Affirmative action
programs, when properly structured, can open up
opportunities otherwise closed to qualified minorities
without having an adverse impact on the opportunities
for whites. And while I support affirmative action for
minorities, I also support efforts to increase
opportunities for qualified students from low-income
college to attend colleges and universities --
regardless of their race.
BUDGET ISSUES 1
I am committed to restoring fiscal discipline and
reforming our current budget and tax system. The most
important first step we can take on that path is to
restore pay-as-you-go spending rules so that we do not
dig ourselves into deeper debt. My priorities will not
increase the deficit. I will pay for each of the
investments I call for by either cutting other
spending or finding new revenue sources. If in the end
I can't find enough offsets to fund all of my
priorities, I will prioritize them. I will protect the
tax cuts for the middle class, but I will repeal the
unnecessary tax cuts for oil and gas companies and for
the wealthiest Americans.
BUDGET ISSUES 2
Yes. I support the tax cuts for low and middle income
families and will work to make them permanent in a
fiscally responsible way. These are the families
facing the greatest economic challenges and anxiety,
and they are the ones who should benefit first. I do
not support making permanent Bush's tax cuts for the
wealthy. Rather than providing expensive,
deficit-financed tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest
Americans, we should be working to fix our tax system
to help the middle-class. Extending the Bush tax cuts
for the wealthy simply does not do that.
ECONOMY:
Today's economic growth and federal economic policies
disproportionately benefit the wealthiest of
Americans, many of whom have armies of lobbyists and
political fundraisers at their disposal. Special
interests that have spent billions of dollars lobbying
Washington have received preferential tax treatment,
scores of congressional earmarks and favorable
regulatory decisions at the expense of low and
middle-income Americans. My top priority in Washington
is to put America's interests before the special
interests and ensure that the benefits of
globalization and economic growth are distributed more
fairly in our society.
ECONOMY 2:
First, I will make strategic, long-term investments
into American infrastructure to create more high-wage
jobs. I will expand federal funding for basic
research, make the tax credit for research and
development permanent, and expand the deployment of
broadband technology, so that businesses can invest in
innovation and create high-paying, secure jobs. And I
will make investments in education, training, and
workforce development so that Americans can leverage
our strengths -- our ingenuity and entrepreneurialism
-- to create new high-wage jobs and prosper in a world
economy. Second, I will fight against trade agreements
that undermine American competitiveness and use trade
as a tool to grow American jobs. I will use trade
agreements to spread good labor and environmental
standards around the world and stand firm against
agreements like the Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) that fail to live up to those
important benchmarks. Third, I will promote digital
inclusion. Getting broadband Internet access into
every home and business in urban America at an
affordable rate could give low-income people increased
opportunities to start businesses and engage actively
in our communities.
SOCIAL SECUIRTY:
No, I do not support the privatization of Social
Security. I opposed President Bush s privatization
scheme because it would have undermined -- not
strengthened - Social Security. We should not add
greater risk or debt to the system. Otherwise, workers
who contribute to the Social Security System may face
the prospect of inadequate benefits when they retire
or if they become disabled if their investments go
sour. Workers have lived up to their end of the
bargain. Surely, the federal government can do the
same. Social Security is one of the most important
government programs ever created; it provides a vital
safety net to millions of seniors and Americans with
disabilities. The long-term problem with this program
is real but manageable. With a little genuine
bipartisan leadership, we can make the necessary
adjustments without gutting the system with
privatization, as President Bush has proposed.
SOCIAL SECURITY 2:
Social Security is indispensable to our workers and
seniors. It is a great reflection of our values and
commitments, and I want to make sure it is solvent and
viable for the American people, now and in the future.
The focus of reform options should be on protecting
the basic integrity and fairness of Social Security. I
will work in a bipartisan way to maintain Social
Security's solvency for future generations. I believe
everything has to be on the table that is genuinely
intended to strengthen the program. We can close the
gap with an equitable mix of benefit and tax changes
similar to those recommended by the bipartisan
Greenspan Commission in 1983.
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