|
|
Books by and about 2024 presidential candidates |
|
Hillbilly Elegy,
by JD Vance (2017) |
Crippled America,
by Donald J. Trump (2015) |
Fire and Fury,
by Michael Wolff (2018) |
Trump Revealed,
by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher (2016) |
The Making of Donald Trump,
by David Cay Johnston (2016) |
Promise Me, Dad ,
by Joe Biden (2017) |
The Book of Joe ,
by Jeff Wilser (2019; biography of Joe Biden) |
The Truths We Hold,
by Kamala Harris (2019) |
Smart on Crime,
by Kamala Harris (2010) |
Becoming,
by Michelle Obama (2018) |
Higher Loyalty,
by James Comey (2018) |
The Making of Donald Trump,
by David Cay Johnston (2017) |
|
|
Book Reviews |
(from Amazon.com) |
(click a book cover for a review or other books by or about the presidency from Amazon.com)
|
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
|
Abortion
Alan Keyes: Withdraws; job done since GOP & V.P. are both pro-life.
Angus King: Favors abortion rights; keep Planned Parenthood funding.
JoAnn Sprague: Pro-choice.
John Kerry: Kerry staunchly resists restrictions on abortions.
John Paul Stevens: Favors abortion rights.
Joseph Lieberman: Parental consent with judicial override; Gore agrees.
Kerry Healey: $1B for stem cell research is irresponsible.
Mitt Romney: Endorsed legalization of RU-486.
Orrin Hatch: Appoint conservative judges without litmus tests.
Sarah Palin: Rejected sympathy for Down's Syndrome son, as gift from God.
Sarah Palin: Opposes embryonic stem cell research.
Steve Forbes: Dialogue to persuade instead of impose.
Steve Lynch: Pro-life.
Tom Reilly: Supports abortion rights.
|
Budget & Economy
Donald Trump: One-time 14.25% tax on wealth, to erase national debt.
George W. Bush: Claim of Gore's 20,000 new bureaucrats is unlikely.
George W. Bush: Claim of 1/4 for important projects is overestimate.
George W. Bush: Claims of Gore's spending are based on inflated figures.
Wesley Clark: Short-term deficit ok in recession, but not long-term.
|
Civil Rights
Angus King: Supports gay marriage.
Anthony Kennedy: Can’t outlaw flag burning.
Bill Bradley: Racial unity is a defining moral issue.
Bill Bradley: NY shooting as error; 1992 King verdict denounced.
Bill Bradley: Supports affirmative action.
Gary Bauer: If not prayer, recite Declaration.
George W. Bush: Withholding info from Congress OK on national security issue.
George W. Bush: Equal protection supercedes recruiting women & minorities.
John Kerry: Defense of Marriage Act is fundamentally ugly.
John Kerry: Questions the ultimate practicality of affirmative action.
John Paul Stevens: Favors affirmative action.
Joseph Lieberman: For gay equal employment; against gay marriage.
Pat Buchanan: AIDS is retribution; women can't compete.
Rev. Jesse Jackson: Blacks were disproportionately disenfranchised in Florida.
Stephen Breyer: Disabled people can sue states under federal ADA law.
Seth Moulton: Voted NO on banning transgender athletes as too extreme.
|
Crime
Alan Khazei: Opposes death penalty in all cases.
Howard Dean: Even terrorists deserve a fair trial.
John Ashcroft: Opposes any further delays in McVeigh's execution.
John Kerry: Death penalty for Osama bin Laden.
John Paul Stevens: Favors defendants' rights.
Martha Coakley: Limit Supreme Court review of state death penalty conviction.
Martha Coakley: Signed death penalty brief with 15 death penalty states.
Martha Coakley: Supported death penalty for cop killers, but now opposes it.
Michael Capuano: Voted for terrorist death penalty as part of larger bill.
Michael Capuano: Death penalty is out of step with progressive Massachusetts.
Mitt Romney: Favored mandatory sentencing and three strikes.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: States have broad powers to limit jury awards.
Stephen Pagliuca: Opposes death penalty in all cases.
Tom Reilly: Supports death penalty, but once opposed it.
|
Drugs
Al Gore: Clinton-Gore drug policy: spending up; drug use down.
Charlie Baker: Don't legalize marijuana: it's unsafe & lowers IQ in kids.
Elizabeth Warren: Opposes the outright legalization of marijuana.
George W. Bush: Parents make up for past by warning kids against drugs.
George W. Bush: $2.8B more for Drug War, for state treatment & abroad.
George W. Bush: Clinton-Gore drug policy is inconsistent and has failed.
George W. Bush: Congressional limit on troops in Colombia is "advisory" only.
Marty Walsh: Don't legalize marijuana: it's unsafe & lowers IQ in kids.
|
Education
Al Gore: Education is best anti-poverty, anti-discrimination program.
Al Gore: $10K “Teacher Corps” bonus; hire & test teachers.
Al Gore: Agrees with unions against vouchers; disagrees on testing.
Al Gore: More choice, more local control, within public schools.
Al Gore: Yes, poor parents in failing schools might like vouchers.
Elizabeth Dole: Merit pay to retain teachers.
Elizabeth Dole: More ed. savings accounts; tax credit for ed. charity.
Elizabeth Dole: Web of rules makes system fail; empower states & districts.
Elizabeth Dole: Search students' lockers & backpacks for drugs & guns.
Gary Bauer: If not prayer, recite Declaration.
George W. Bush: Signing statement: No independent research on education.
Jim Jeffords: Individuals With Disabilities Education Act revived.
Mitt Romney: Supported abolishing the federal Department of Education.
Mitt Romney: Supported means-tested vouchers for public & private schools.
Sarah Palin: Teach creationism alongside evolution in schools.
|
Energy & Oil
Dan Quayle: Fervor on global warming is an attack on capitalism.
Dick Cheney: Fuel cells from propane are “a tremendous development”.
George W. Bush: Abandons campaign pledge to reduce CO2 emissions.
George W. Bush: Signing statement: No whistleblower law for nuclear agencies.
|
Environment
Al Gore: Control clean air in National Parks.
Al Gore: Gore proposes $2B to counter suburban sprawl.
|
Families & Children
Dick Cheney: Voted against WIC welfare nuttrition programs.
Gary Bauer: Juvenile violence based on mass media & abortion.
|
Foreign Policy
Colin Powell: State Dept shakeup: More funds; more career officers.
Dick Cheney: Cuba: replace sanctions with free trade enclave.
John McCain: $1M political donations by Chinese Army should not be legal.
|
Free Trade
Al Gore: Open markets with safeguards for labor and environment.
Pat Buchanan: China trade pact is a complete sellout.
Jack Reed: Tariffs are going to hurt our economy tremendously.
|
Government Reform
Anthony Kennedy: Favors states’ rights, usually.
Antonin Scalia: For states’ rights; limit court role.
Barack Obama: Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United.
Clarence Thomas: Limited role for courts; narrow Constitional interpretation.
David Souter: Backs federal powers over states’ rights.
John McCain: Influence peddling helps the Chinese Army.
John McCain: Veto any pork-barrel bill.
John Paul Stevens: Against state term limits on candidates for congress.
John Paul Stevens: Votes with liberal bloc against states' rights.
Mitt Romney: Balanced budget amendment and line-item veto.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Votes with liberal bloc against states' rights.
Sandra Day O`Connor: Limit federal courts on state powers.
Stephen Breyer: Votes with liberal bloc against states' rights.
Steve Grossman: Low voter participation is a "national disgrace".
Steve Grossman: Use mail-in voting, and vote over several days.
William Rehnquist: States' rights over federal power.
|
Gun Control
Angus King: Supports gun rights.
Elizabeth Warren: Supports gun control.
Gary Bauer: Focus on our hearts, not "instruments".
Mike Bloomberg: 2006: Created Mayors Against Illegal Guns; now 600 mayors.
Steve Lynch: Voted against assault weapons ban.
Steve Lynch: Supports some gun rights, some gun control.
Tom Menino: 2006: Created Mayors Against Illegal Guns; now 600 mayors.
|
Health Care
Al Gore: “Outrageous scare tactics” on Medicare’s HIV treatment?
Al Gore: Require insurance coverage of experimental cancer trials.
Al Gore: Claims of Bush’s choices & benefits are underestimated.
George W. Bush: $7.4B for nursing home insurance via tax deductions.
George W. Bush: Affordable long-term care instead of financial ruin.
George W. Bush: Claims of immediate help are only true for poorer families.
George W. Bush: Claims that he supported patient rights in Texas is false.
John Kerry: Key issue: Does government control reduce cost?
Mitt Romney: Subsidies for health coverage for low-income individuals.
Mitt Romney: Voluntary purchasing pools.
Mitt Romney: On choosing providers: "I like being able to fire people".
Wesley Clark: Does not support single-payer healthcare.
|
Homeland Security
Al Gore: $1.2 billion in new education money for veterans.
Dick Cheney: US military is best in world, but trend is wrong direction.
Dick Cheney: Swift retaliation for USS Cole terrorist attack.
George W. Bush: Bush's stated military service record is incorrect.
George W. Bush: AWOL in Air Guard? Maybe not, but didn't meet obligations.
George W. Bush: OK to waive torture ban if terrorist attack prevented.
George W. Bush: Military lawyers subject to White House legal conclusions.
George W. Bush: Signing statement: Only president decides which intel to use.
|
Immigration
Bill Weld: More H-1B visas; keep more foreign grads & entrepreneurs.
Bill Weld: Current system is "de facto legalization" for 11 million.
Dianne Feinstein: $127M for INS to reduce immigrant visa backlog.
George W. Bush: $500M to cut INS application time to 6 months.
Kerry Healey: A nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws.
Kerry Healey: Illegal immigrants are breaking law and have no entitlements.
Kerry Healey: Called for deportation in'05; now says can't deport them all.
|
Jobs
George W. Bush: Flex-time & family-oriented work rules via tax code.
Mitt Romney: Tax incentives for employee training.
|
Principles & Values
Alan Khazei: Citizen-led, citizen-energized, & citizen-financed campaign.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Needs no money; so will represent ordinary citizens.
Bill Simon: Exits race to avoid splitting GOP vote.
Bill Simon: Exits California recall race to avoid splitting GOP vote.
Christy Mihos: Ran for State Senate on South Shore in early 1990s.
Christy Mihos: Supported Romney to create viable two-party system.
Cruz Bustamante: Campaign strategy: No on recall, yes on Bustamante.
Cruz Bustamante: Dems strategy: No on recall, yes on Bustamante.
Donald Trump: Mocks opponent as "Pocahontas" at Native American event.
Ed O`Reilly: Formally announced at the Democratic State Convention.
Gary Bauer: Something is wrong, despite good economy.
Harry Browne: Little difference between Dems & Reps; hopes to be spoiler.
Howard Dean: Appeals $76 late fee on property tax; known as a tightwad.
JoAnn Sprague: Socially liberal yet fiscally conservative.
John Kerry: Clear separation of church and state.
Katherine Clark: Kitchen Table Tour: informal Q&A at voters' homes.
Katherine Clark: Elected to School Committee, State House, then State Senate.
Sarah Palin: Miss Congeniality in statewide beauty pageant in 1984.
Sarah Palin: Star high school athlete in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Sarah Palin: Gained political prominence as a whistleblower.
Seth Moulton: Democrats need to ask what they can do differently.
|
Social Security
Al Gore: Open questions: future surplus & future discipline.
George W. Bush: Open questions: transition costs & bad investors bailouts.
Rick Santorum: Raise retirement age? Maybe. Private investment? Yes.
Rick Santorum: Social Security needs reform sooner rather than later.
Ron Klink: Social Security bridges the generations; keep it as is.
|
Tax Reform
Al Gore: $792B tax cut is a “risky tax scheme”.
Al Gore: Claim that every family is eligible for tax cut is unlikely.
Al Gore: Claim that Bush benefits “top 1%” only true with estate tax.
Deval Patrick: Allow cities to raise local meals tax-trust local officials.
Robert Reich: Avoid raising taxes, but a pledge is irresponsible.
Sarah Palin: Elected mayor based on tax cut promise.
Tom Reilly: Disallow cities to raise local meals taxes-no more burden.
|
Technology
Al Gore: Tighten privacy protections over medical information.
Steve Grossman: Supports Internet voting, to encourage youth participation.
|
War & Peace
Bill Bradley: Against intervention.
Dick Cheney: Iran: against sanctions; makes oil deals there.
Dick Cheney: US too soft on Iraq.
Ed O`Reilly: Kerry was wrong to vote to authorize Iraq war.
George W. Bush: President, not Congress, decides on Iraq investigations.
John Kerry: Afghanistan incursion justified and not the same as Vietnam.
John Kerry: Supported 1998 missile attacks against Afghanistan & Sudan.
John Kerry: Anti-Vietnam but not left-wing anti-war.
John Kerry: Kerry saves life under fire, awarded Bronze Star.
Pat Buchanan: Doesn't matter to US whose flag flies over Jerusalem.
Shannon O'Brien: $3 million to assess threat against water supplies.
Wesley Clark: Committed to survival and preservation of Israel.
|
Welfare & Poverty
Mitt Romney: Faith-based programs to provide social services.
Ralph Nader: Charity work is good; but politics addresses root causes.
|
