David Souter on VoteMatch

VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Parental notification is lower priority than maternal health: Favors topic 1 Stewardship of Constitution means don't overturn Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 By rule of stare decisis, we uphold Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 Constitutional analysis of Roe: abortion is a right: Strongly Favors topic 1 Uphold Roe v. Wade: woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	All-male military schools like VMI must admit women: Favors topic 2 Race-based college preference ok only if individualized: Strongly Favors topic 2 College affirmative action ok to achieve racial diversity: Strongly Favors topic 2 Hate crime sentencing without a jury is unconstitutional: Opposes topic 2 Let rape victims sue alleged attackers as gender-bias crime: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Recognize GLBT as a constitutionally-protected class: Strongly Favors topic 3 Disallow all sodomy laws against same-sex activity: Favors topic 3 State laws can protect gay rights: Strongly Favors topic 3 Boy Scouts should be required to accept gay scoutmasters: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+5 points on Social scale)	Ok to deny scholarships to divinity students: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Allow states to restrict cigarette ads beyond federal rules: Strongly Favors topic 5 States have authority to protect patient rights: Strongly Favors topic 5 Federal government decides insurance issues, not states: Favors topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Parochial school vouchers violate church-state separation: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Disallow taxpayer funding for parochial school materials: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+2 points on Social scale)	Congress, not EPA, determines when cost-benefit applies: Favors topic 8 Migratory birds should extend CWA to isolated waters: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Eminent domain applies to public economic development: Opposes topic 8 Clean Water Act applies to tributaries & wetlands: Strongly Opposes topic 8 OK to sue polluters for past pollution: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Fleeing police is not in itself sufficient to allow search: Opposes topic 9 No death penalty without considering mitigating evidence: Opposes topic 9 Can't lengthen prison sentences retroactively: Opposes topic 9 Uphold "Miranda", informing people being arrested of rights: Opposes topic 9 Life-sentence alternative should affect death sentence: Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Felons may possess guns unless state explicitly prohibits it: Favors topic 10 Congress can regulate guns in school under Commerce clause: Opposes topic 10 Right to gun ownership is collective, not individual: Opposes topic 10
No opinion on topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	6-month limit on detaining illegal immigrants: Favors topic 12 No automatic deportation for aliens convicted of crimes: Strongly Favors topic 12 Award back pay to illegal alien fired for union organizing: Strongly Favors topic 12 INS may not hold deportation suspects indefinitely: Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Sovereign immunity only applies to foreign-owned companies: Opposes topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	Congress authorized detaining US citizens as enemy soldiers: Strongly Favors topic 14 Guantanamo detainees allowed habeas writ in US courts: Opposes topic 14 Treaty giving individual rights should bind US courts: No opin. on topic 14
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Uphold campaign contribution limits despite free speech: Strongly Favors topic 16
No opinion on topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Full disclosure needed by Cheney energy task force: Strongly Favors topic 18 States can request that EPA regulate CO2 greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18 Extend CWA restrictions to isolated water bodies: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	No tactile inspection by police for drugs: Opposes topic 19 No roadblocks with drug-sniffing dogs: Opposes topic 19
No opinion on topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)

David Souter is a Libertarian-Leaning Progressive
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