With all of the noise generated by the presidential campaign, it can be hard to keep track of the real issues. With less than one week to go until Election Day, here’s a look at where Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama stand on the issues.
TRIBUNE, AP
THE ECONOMY
Both backed the just passed $700 billion financial bailout plan as a necessary evil, but assume more traditional party lines when it comes to economic management. The Democrat is a more enthusiastic advocate of government intervention, while the Republican would take a lighter touch.
Trade
Obama: Wants the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade pacts renegotiated to impose tougher environmental and labor standards.
McCain: Strong advocate of eliminating trade barriers. Would eliminate tariffs that prop up domestic ethanol prices by restricting imports of cheap Brazilian ethanol.
Mortgage crisis
Obama: Wants 90-day freeze on foreclosures, and elimination of rules that bar bankruptcy judges from revamping the terms of most home mortgage loans. Also wants more government guarantees to stressed financial institutions to free up credit.
McCain: Would dedicate nearly half of financial bailout proceeds to the purchase by the government of bad mortgages, which would then be renegotiated at easier terms for distressed homeowners.
Pump priming
Obama: $60 billion stimulus plan includes business tax credit of $3,000 for each new domestic job created, $5 billion in additional small business loans and renewal of tax breaks for small business investment.
McCain: $52 billion stimulus plan centered on tax relief measures that would lower the capital gains tax, ease penalties on seniors withdrawing money from retirement accounts, increase write-offs for stock losses and eliminate taxes on unemployment benefits.
FOREIGN POLICY
The war hero vs. the globalist. McCain believes the U.S. needs to project its power for good in the world. Obama puts a premium on diplomacy.
Iraq
Obama: Opposed war from the first, and opposed last year’s surge as well. Pledges to complete withdrawal of combat troops within 16 months.
McCain: Backed invasion and surge, but was initially critical of the way the Bush Administration conducted the occupation. Has said he would “never surrender” in Iraq even if it meant keeping American troops in that country for decades, but envisions victory and a return of most U.S. troops by January 2013.
Afghanistan
Obama: Wants to shift 7,000 troops from Iraq to Afghanistan and has threatened to launch cross-border attacks against terrorist hideouts in neighboring Pakistan if the government there does not act itself.
McCain: Favors unspecified boost in U.S. forces.
Iran
Obama: Would stress diplomacy to pressure Tehran to stand down from its nuclear ambitions. Believes U.S. leverage to rally international support would be enhanced by direct contact with Tehran leaders, though has backed off an earlier pledge to personally meet Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions.
McCain: Opposes contact with Ahmadinejad while pushing for tougher international sanctions against Iran.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Obama and McCain both rate energy conservation and domestic production a top priority, but the agreement largely ends there. “Drill, baby, drill” is the unofficial slogan of McCain’s campaign, while Obama is a cheerleader for ethanol, a bonanza for Illinois farmers.
Alternatives
Obama: Proposes a 10-year, $150 billion program to develop alternative power sources such as wind, solar and fuel cells.
McCain: Would stoke innovation with a $300 million prize for the entrepreneur who can develop the most efficient and cheapest battery for electric and hybrid cars.
Greenhouse gas emissions
Obama: Mandatory reductions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. Would force industry to cut air pollutants but favors steeper cuts than McCain. Wants to double mileage standards in two decades, requiring passenger car fleets to average 55 m.p.g.
McCain: Mandatory reductions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 60 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. Also wants to toughen mileage standards for vehicles, but has not specified a target.
Nuclear power
Obama: Lukewarm about building new nuclear power plants, though doesn’t rule it out.
McCain: Favors subsidies to build nuclear power plants.
Oil drilling
Obama: Opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Favors limited new drilling along coastlines in the Lower 48 states.
McCain: Opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Strongly backs removal of drilling restrictions in coastal waters off the East, West and Gulf Coasts.
Clean coal
Obama: Strong support for perfecting clean-coal technologies, but might ban new coal plants unless outfitted to block greenhouse gas emissions.
McCain: Clean coal technologies also high on his to-do list, but says construction of new coal-fired plants should not be put on hold until the technologies are proven.
HEALTH CARE
A sharp divide exists over how to fix the nation’s ailing health-care system. Obama wants the government to be more involved in lowering medical costs and extending insurance coverage. McCain favors market-driven solutions and wants consumers to take more responsibility for health-care choices.
Alternatives
Obama: Aims for universal coverage by requiring larger employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Gives subsidies to low-income citizens who buy insurance. Estimated 10-year cost: $1.6 trillion.
McCain: Would give families a yearly $5,000 tax credit ($2,500 for an individual) for health-care coverage. Requires people to pay income tax on the value of employer-provided health insurance. Allows consumers to purchase coverage across state lines. Estimated 10-year cost: $1.3 trillion.
The uninsured
Obama: Would require that all children be covered and expand Medicaid.
McCain: Opposes expansions of public programs. Directs more money to state programs that let people without insurance purchase coverage.
OTHER ISSUES
TAX CUTS
Obama: The nation’s wealthiest with incomes over $250,000 would be in for tax hikes, but most Bush-era tax cuts set to expire in 2010 would be left in place for everybody else. Nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates tax break of $1,118 for the middle 20 percent of taxpayers — those making $37,600 to $66,400.
McCain: Make permanent virtually all Bush-era tax cuts, halve capital gains rate from 15 percent to 7.5 percent and reduce corporate tax rate over time from 35 percent to 25 percent. Tax Policy Center estimates tax break of $325 for the middle 20 percent of taxpayers.
EDUCATION
Obama: $18 billion plan to expand early childhood education, recruit and financially reward better teachers, after-school programs and charter schools. Revamp No Child Left Behind to offer more help to poorly performing schools and encourage subjects like music and art. Financial incentives for districts that tie pay increases to teacher performance.
McCain: Believes federal school support should be linked to school choice, giving parents the flexibility to move their children from failing to better schools. Would increase spending for after-school tutoring programs and community colleges. Wants better coordination of existing federal early childhood programs, not an expansion.
ABORTION
Obama: Favors abortion rights, but says support for preserving Roe vs. Wade would not be a litmus test for Supreme Court picks.
McCain: Would seek to overturn Roe but not back a constitutional amendment to ban abortion. Rejects abortion litmus test for Supreme Court picks, but also vows to pick judges who would not “legislate from the bench.”
IMMIGRATION
Obama: Supported McCain-sponsored legislation that would have allowed many illegal immigrants to legally remain in the U.S. after paying fines and back taxes and learning English. Backed border fence.
McCain: Now says he would not have voted for the immigration package he sponsored and insists the border must be secured before other reforms are put in place.
GUN CONTROL
Obama: Supported tighter gun laws and ban on assault weapons as Illinois lawmaker. In U.S. Senate, opposed shielding gun-makers and dealers from civil liability for firearm violence. Backs mandatory gun locks and restrictions on purchases of weapons and ammunition at gun shows.
McCain: Says he opposes gun control. Voted against assault weapons ban and for granting a shield from civil suits to gun-makers and dealers. Favored background checks at gun shows.
GAY MARRIAGE
Obama: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Supports civil unions, says states should decide about marriage. Switched positions in 2004 and now supports repeal of Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and gives states the right to refuse to recognize such marriages.
McCain: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and similar benefits, and states should decide about marriage. Supports the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
