2012 Virginia Senate Debate

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     George Allen: Define that life begins at conception, but contraception ok.     Tim Kaine: If life begins at conception, we must outlaw contraception.

Budget & Economy     Tim Kaine: Tea Party's reckless economic policies create uncertainty.     Jamie Radtke: Congress should have reformed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.     Jamie Radtke: Focus on cutting spending; Allen voted to spend trillions.     Jamie Radtke: We need someone who is going to focus on cutting spending.     George Allen: No future debt-limit increases until spending is restrained.     George Allen: Stimulus spending failed to create promised jobs.     Jamie Radtke: If we do not deal with spending, nothing else matters.     Tim Kaine: I cut state spending $5B while investing in infrastructure.

Civil Rights     George Allen: Gay judges ok; activist judges not ok.     Bob Marshall: Blocked gay judge's nomination.     Tim Kaine: No discrimination against nominating gay judges.     Tim Kaine: GOP agenda on gay marriage is divisive social legislation.

Corporations     George Allen: Encourage corporations to repatriate their foreign earnings.     George Allen: Focus on small business and job creation.

Education     Jamie Radtke: Would vote against No Child Left Behind as too expensive.     George Allen: Lower student loan rates; freeze tuition rates.     Jamie Radtke: Feds should not be in the student loan business.     Tim Kaine: More student loan interest cuts; more tuition assistance.

Energy & Oil     George Allen: If you use electricity, you should vote for me.     Tim Kaine: Cut subsidies to big oil companies.     George Allen: Energy independence instead of cap-and-trade.     George Allen: Use the blessings of our plentiful American energy.     George Allen: We are blessed to be #1 in energy resources: so use them.     Tim Kaine: We are producing more energy than ever; find alternatives.

Foreign Policy     George Allen: End foreign aid to Egypt until they join War on Terror.

Government Reform     Jamie Radtke: Country's biggest problem is activist judges.     George Allen: Sexual orientation not a factor in judges' qualifications.     George Allen: Judges shouldn't invent law or impose their political views.     Jamie Radtke: Line-item veto to get rid of earmark spending.     Jamie Radtke: No more blank checks for Congress.

Gun Control     George Allen: Instant criminal records check on all gun purchases.     George Allen: Endorsed by NRA for record of defending Second Amendment.     Jamie Radtke: Oppose the Clinton-Feinstein gun ban.     Jamie Radtke: Second Amendment avoids infringement on civil liberties.

Health Care     George Allen: ObamaCare hurts seniors by taking $700B from Medicare.     Tim Kaine: Let Medicare negotiate rates for prescription drug prices.     George Allen: I want to be the deciding vote to repeal ObamaCare.     Tim Kaine: Inaction was not a solution for healthcare.     Jamie Radtke: Repeal Obama's health care overhaul.

Homeland Security     Tim Kaine: Budget cuts made us vulnerable to Libya embassy attack.     Tim Kaine: Let Bush tax cuts expire instead of automatic defense cuts.     Bob Marshall: Against "don't ask, don't tell" as Navy officer in 1990s.     George Allen: Military readiness more important than congressional consent.     George Allen: More concerned with army's readiness than war authorization.     George Allen: Spending necessary to bolster the military, post-9-11.     Tim Kaine: All-cuts approach leaves TRICARE & nat'l defense vulnerable.     George Allen: 52,000 earmarks, but mostly for defense & security.     Jamie Radtke: Creating Department of Homeland Defense was not necessary.

Immigration     Tim Kaine: Make it easier for foreign students to get green cards.

Principles & Values     Tim Kaine: Smash-mouth partisanship is yesterday's politics.     Tim Kaine: Served as a missionary in Honduras.     Jamie Radtke: Career politicians are part of the problem.

Social Security     George Allen: Raise retirement age, plus options for younger people.     Tim Kaine: Fight against any privatization proposals.     George Allen: Raise retirement age & end benefits to wealthy.     Tim Kaine: Lift the payroll tax cap.     George Allen: Raise retirement age; more retirement security options.     Jamie Radtke: Raise retirement age; private retirement security options.     Tim Kaine: No dangerous privatization schemes for Social Security.

Tax Reform     George Allen: Letting Bush tax cuts expire is a tax hike.     Tim Kaine: Keep Bush tax cuts except for the wealthy.     George Allen: No tax increases; no defense cuts; no bargaining.     Tim Kaine: Open to some minimum income tax level for everyone.     George Allen: Freedom-to-choose flat tax: present tax code or flat rate.     Tim Kaine: Balance taxes: let Bush tax cuts expire at the top end.     Tim Kaine: No need for millionaire's tax: just let Bush cuts expire.

Technology     George Allen: Keep taxes off Internet.     George Allen: No online sales tax for out-of-state websites.     Tim Kaine: Force online retailers to collect sales taxes.

War & Peace     George Allen: Iran is a threat; prevent getting nuclear weapons.     Bob Marshall: No US military in Libyan war without congressional consent.     Jamie Radtke: No US military in Libyan war without congressional consent.     Bob Marshall: Opposes sending troops overseas without declaration of war.     Jamie Radtke: Opposes sending troops overseas without declaration of war.     Tim Kaine: Supported Obama's stopping the Iraq War.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Bob Marshall George Allen Jamie Radtke Tim Kaine