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Books by and about 2024 presidential candidates |
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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) |
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Book Reviews |
(from Amazon.com) |
(click a book cover for a review or other books by or about the presidency from Amazon.com)
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| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
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Abortion
Arvin Vohra: Government has no business being involved in abortion.
Benjamin Cardin: Support the expansion of embryonic stem cell research.
Benjamin Cardin: Make sure there is no human cloning.
Benjamin Cardin: Parents should be notified on abortion choices in most cases.
Benjamin Cardin: Expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Chris Chaffee: Not taking women's rights, returning rights to the UNBORN.
Chris Van Hollen: Co-sponsored bill protecting right to travel for abortion.
Chris Van Hollen: Fierce defender of a woman's right to reproductive choice.
Dan Bongino: Opposes federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Donna Edwards: Fought for abortion rights in community AND in Congress.
Kathy Szeliga: Valuing life begins with the unborn.
Michael Steele: Support stem cell research that involves no embryonic cells.
Michael Steele: See embryonic stem cells as lives.
Michael Steele: Set up adoptions for unwanted embryos.
Michael Steele: Roe v. Wade should remain in place.
Tony Campbell: Every life matters: against abortion and assisted suicide.
Robin Ficker: I'm pro-life and I'm not going to sign a pro-abortion bill .
Angela Alsobrooks: Establish federal legal protection for the right to abortion.
Angela Alsobrooks: Women's Health Protection Act: protect abortion access.
Angela Alsobrooks: Oppose efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.
Larry Hogan: Restore Roe as the law of the land.
Larry Hogan: Restore Roe as the law of the land.
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Budget & Economy
Arvin Vohra: Remove legal tender laws & stimulate the economy.
Arvin Vohra: Free market and real growth is the answer.
Chelsea Manning: Entire economy needs overhaul; human labor obsolete.
Chris Chaffee: Democrats want to push you into Government handouts.
Chris Van Hollen: Proud to have supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Margaret Flowers: Federal Reserve is over-leveraged, like in 2008 crash.
Sam Faddis: Liberate the free enterprise system & economy will flourish.
Tony Campbell: Mandate a balanced national budget and lower taxes.
Colin Byrd: Criticized lack of stimulus checks in COVID relief package.
Angela Alsobrooks: Fought to create and preserve affordable housing.
Angela Alsobrooks: Invest in humans AND invest in our future economy .
Robin Ficker: End inflationary use of dollar; promote domestic production.
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Civil Rights
Arvin Vohra: Abolish Patriot Act and redundant spy agencies.
Arvin Vohra: Child molesting morally indistinguishable from homosexuality.
Arvin Vohra: Same-sex marriage ok; or any number of consenting adults.
Benjamin Cardin: Support affirmative action and programs that help minorities.
Chelsea Manning: No more asking for rights, we need to fight for them.
Chris Van Hollen: Straight, but fought discrimination against gay workers.
Chris Van Hollen: Fighting for gender and LGBT equality.
Libertarian Party: Right to intimacy for consenting adults regardless of gender.
Michael Steele: Support affirmative action and its improvements.
David Trone: Celebrate all had bravery and courage to come out as LGBTQ.
Angela Alsobrooks: Will stand up for the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.
Angela Alsobrooks: Supports same-sex marriage rights.
Larry Hogan: Ban gay conversion therapy for minors.
Robin Ficker: Oppose Critical Race Theory .
Robin Ficker: No biological males in women's sports or bathrooms.
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Corporations
Chris Van Hollen: Not fair that 50 biggest corporations paid zero income tax.
Dan Bongino: Predictable tax code benefits economy more than revenue loss.
Dan Bongino: Lessen the tax burden on residents and businesses.
Kathy Szeliga: Policy makers care more about Wall Street than Main Street.
Margaret Flowers: Wealth divide makes capitalism dangerous to the 99%.
Margaret Flowers: Break up big banks & criminally prosecute their CEOs.
Angela Alsobrooks: Make big corporations pay their fair share.
Larry Hogan: Eliminated thousands of job-killing regulations.
Robin Ficker: Focus on maximizing profit, not on ESG.
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Crime
Arvin Vohra: Drug crime is fake crime; abolish the DEA.
Chelsea Manning: If you live in wrong neighborhood you are in a police state.
Margaret Flowers: Racial justice: end disparities in incarceration.
Robin Ficker: The police should be Officer Friendly with constituents.
David Trone: Leader of Second Chance Task Force, improve reentry outcomes.
Angela Alsobrooks: Prosecuted violent criminals, police and official misconduct.
Angela Alsobrooks: Enhance police accountability with comprehensive changes .
Angela Alsobrooks: Reforms for police accountability and comprehensive equity .
Larry Hogan: Re-fund the police; vetoed police reform bills.
Larry Hogan: Re-fund the police: vetoed police reform bills.
Robin Ficker: Keep funding for police departments as-is.
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Drugs
Arvin Vohra: Stop the war on drugs; end black market profits.
Arvin Vohra: Drugs should be as legal as tomatoes.
Chris Chaffee: Close the borders; go after opioid dealers.
Chris Van Hollen: Allow those with drug convictions to get college tax credit.
Tony Campbell: States should make their own decisions on marijuana legality.
Angela Alsobrooks: Blame rising crime rates on decriminalized marijuana.
Angela Alsobrooks: Okay with adults using marijuana/ concerned on kids' impact.
Larry Hogan: Rated C by NORML; no decriminalization; no expungement.
Larry Hogan: 2016: vetoed decriminalization of marijuana paraphernalia.
David Trone: Rated A by NORML: end war on drugs & expunge records.
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Education
Arvin Vohra: Stop the one-size-fits-none education programs.
Arvin Vohra: Vouchers are just food stamps for education.
Benjamin Cardin: $3M for Baltimore STEM education grants.
Chris Chaffee: Teach children 10 Commandments, not gender identification.
Chris Van Hollen: For universal pre-K, invest in public schools.
Dan Bongino: Schools must inspire next generation of engineers & doctors.
Kathy Szeliga: One-size-fits-all approach is failing our children.
Margaret Flowers: No tuition from pre-school through graduate school.
Michael Steele: Oppose the No Child Left Behind Act.
Sam Faddis: Education system needs fixing to meet new job requirements.
Angela Alsobrooks: Equitable funding for schools rather than property taxes.
Angela Alsobrooks: Improve access to low interest student loans.
Larry Hogan: Biden student loan forgiveness: bad idea at worst time.
Robin Ficker: Support vouchers; eliminate Department of Education .
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Energy & Oil
Arvin Vohra: Green energy has advantages; but let market handle it.
Benjamin Cardin: End special breaks to oil industries.
Chris Chaffee: Open American production; stop selling reserves overseas.
Chris Van Hollen: Create national green bank to finance clean energy projects.
Margaret Flowers: Transition to a carbon-free, nuclear-free energy economy.
Sam Faddis: Develop domestic coal, gas and oil.
Colin Byrd: Infrastructure bill didn't go far enough on electrification .
Angela Alsobrooks: A vocal advocate for expanding tax credits for clean energy.
Angela Alsobrooks: Urgent action on existential threat of climate change.
Angela Alsobrooks: Supports $369 billion in clean energy spending .
Larry Hogan: Clean Energy Jobs Act ok, but should include nuclear energy.
Robin Ficker: Supports natural gas & cleaner fossil fuels.
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Environment
Arvin Vohra: Our biggest polluter is the American Government.
Arvin Vohra: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.
Chris Van Hollen: Require polluters to pay to clean up their messes.
Margaret Flowers: Environmental justice: Corporations responsible for damage.
Sam Faddis: Protect environment without miring businesses in red tape.
David Trone: Supports EPA efforts to protect Chesapeake Bay.
Angela Alsobrooks: Protect Chesapeake Bay, including additional funding.
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Families & Children
Kathy Szeliga: Encourage flexibility so employees can be good parents.
Sam Faddis: Disappearing middle class families struggle to survive.
Angela Alsobrooks: Enact universal paid family and medical leave policies.
Robin Ficker: Marriage is God-ordained; protect children from ideology.
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Foreign Policy
Arvin Vohra: America should be the greatest country on earth.
Chris Chaffee: Iran nuclear deal was not good for America.
Chris Van Hollen: Signed letter opposing Israeli annexation of territories.
Chris Van Hollen: China manufactured crisis over Pelosi visit to Taiwan.
Dan Bongino: Base Israel borders on 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as capital.
Kathy Szeliga: Cutting deals with our enemy puts America at risk.
Margaret Flowers: ISIS is a symptom of the failure of "War on Terror".
Rob Sobhani: Focus on bringing foreign investment to Maryland.
Tony Campbell: Secure our foreign interests but don't police the world.
Chris Van Hollen: China doesn't get to dictate which US officials go to Taiwan.
David Trone: Opposes BDS in Congress and in his wine stores.
Angela Alsobrooks: US has pivotal role in international economy & world peace.
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Free Trade
Arvin Vohra: Eliminate all tariffs, sanctions, & trade restrictions.
Chris Chaffee: If you see "Made in China," put it down.
Chris Van Hollen: I oppose TPP; but look at each trade deal individually.
Chris Van Hollen: Counter illegal trade practices of China and others.
Kathy Szeliga: Support TPP to expand free trade with Pacific nations.
Margaret Flowers: Movement against corporate rigged trade agreements like TPP.
Sam Faddis: Let's revise our trade deals and bring our jobs back home.
Angela Alsobrooks: Invest in future economy to compete around the globe.
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Government Reform
Arvin Vohra: Make voter registration easier for Libertarians.
Chelsea Manning: Government is not helping us; we need to help ourselves.
Chris Chaffee: Maryland Drop Boxes illegal, elections compromised.
Chris Chaffee: Elections should be one day, end the early elections.
Chris Van Hollen: Do everything we can to make it easier to vote.
Chris Van Hollen: Fortify democracy against the "Big Lie," voter suppression.
Sam Faddis: Stop passing the buck, take responsibility for our problems.
Angela Alsobrooks: Expand voting rights; ban gerrymandering.
Robin Ficker: Require Voter ID; keep the Electoral College.
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Gun Control
Arvin Vohra: Remove all gun ownership restrictions.
Arvin Vohra: Purpose of guns are to keep government as our servant.
Chris Chaffee: A big fat no to federal red flag law.
Chris Van Hollen: Common sense measures like universal background checks.
Chris Van Hollen: Won't rest until we end epidemic of gun violence.
Kathy Szeliga: I believe in the right to bear arms.
Margaret Flowers: More background checks; more ammo limits; more regulations.
Tony Campbell: Strong supporter of 2nd Amendment; no reform needed.
Robin Ficker: There's a right to have a gun; you have to use it legally.
Larry Hogan: Vetoed tougher background checks but signed red flag law.
Angela Alsobrooks: Current gun laws are inadequate: support background checks.
Angela Alsobrooks: Close gun show loophole; ban AR-15s and bump stocks.
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Health Care
Arvin Vohra: Wants to eliminate the FDA and Medicare part D.
Arvin Vohra: Lower medical costs come from price competition.
Benjamin Cardin: We need to move forward, not repeal ObamaCare.
Benjamin Cardin: Invest in prevention and early detection.
Benjamin Cardin: Questions costs of new Army Futures Command.
Chelsea Manning: Expand healthcare to include prisoners & transgenders.
Chris Van Hollen: Ensure universal access to affordable health care.
Chris Van Hollen: Let Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices.
Dan Bongino: Health research is the solution, but not by gov't.
Dan Bongino: ObamaCare places too much power in the hands of bureaucrats.
Margaret Flowers: Full-time advocate for single payer health care system.
Rob Sobhani: Build on ObamaCare so it's not all government controlled.
Sam Faddis: More than 50% of Marylanders are on brink of losing coverage.
Chris Van Hollen: Finally got Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices.
Colin Byrd: Advocated for progressive polices like Medicare for All.
David Trone: Championed fight against addiction, mental health crisis.
Angela Alsobrooks: Expand Medicaid, pass Medicare buy-in option.
Angela Alsobrooks: Healthcare is a fundamental right: build upon ObamaCare.
Larry Hogan: Don't repeal ObamaCare, but no paid medical leave.
Robin Ficker: Limit requiring vaccines; limit tax-funding to Medicare.
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Homeland Security
Arvin Vohra: Cut military spending by 60% or more.
Arvin Vohra: Shut down foreign military bases & withdraw from NATO.
Benjamin Cardin: More research into causes of combat-related illnesses.
Chris Chaffee: Obama depleted military; must rebuild.
Chelsea Manning: Became whistleblower for patriotic opposition to wars.
Chelsea Manning: Stop sending soldiers overseas for nationalist fairy tales.
Dan Bongino: Veterans deserve effective and dependable health care.
Kathy Szeliga: The V.A. fails our veterans with mountains of red-tape.
Michael Steele: Rumsfeld wouldn't be my secretary of defense.
Tony Campbell: Veterans should receive all the care they need and deserve.
Angela Alsobrooks: Supports maintaining the strength of the U.S. military.
Angela Alsobrooks: Expand programs aimed at ending veteran homelessness.
Robin Ficker: Focus on effective military instead of woke-ism.
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Immigration
Arvin Vohra: End restrictions on immigration; open our borders.
Arvin Vohra: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
Chelsea Manning: Believes all immigrants should be allowed into the U.S.
Chris Chaffee: Need to have better control over who is admitted to country.
Chris Van Hollen: Co-sponsor of comprehensive immigration reform initiatives.
Tony Campbell: Against sanctuary cities and pathway to citizenship.
Angela Alsobrooks: Pro reform including pathway for citizenship for those here.
Angela Alsobrooks: Permanent residence for DACA participants (DREAMers).
Larry Hogan: Open southern border is a humanitarian catastrophe.
Robin Ficker: No public assistance for immigrants; secure the border.
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Jobs
Arvin Vohra: Eliminate the minimum wage entirely.
Arvin Vohra: Eliminate all affirmative action laws & racial quotas.
Chelsea Manning: Figure out what to do when jobs are replaced by robots.
Chris Chaffee: Pressure to raise minimum wage hurts economy.
Donna Edwards: We need a woman's voice in the discussion on equal pay.
Kathy Szeliga: Look to improve wages for all, not how low wages should be.
Colin Byrd: Supports raising federal minimum wage to $15/hour.
Angela Alsobrooks: Raise minimum wage to $15/hr. and index it to inflation.
Angela Alsobrooks: Pass the PRO Act to strengthen workers' rights.
Angela Alsobrooks: Accused of not including Latinos in county administration.
Angela Alsobrooks: Strengthen collective bargaining rights.
Larry Hogan: 2016: called teachers' union leaders "thugs".
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Principles & Values
Arvin Vohra: Government out of matters of conscience & God.
Benjamin Cardin: Would have voted against the Alito nomination.
Chris Chaffee: Never Forget the power of God.
Chris Chaffee: A special thank you to all of Gods people for nomination.
Michael Steele: Proud to be a Republican and not running away from the party.
Rob Sobhani: OpEd: Major-party candidates afraid of debating Sobhani.
Rob Sobhani: Ran in Republican Senate primary in 1992 and 2002.
Chris Chaffee: 2020 election was fraudulent and corrupt; but let's move on.
Chris Chaffee: 2020 election was a fraudulent and corrupt coup.
Colin Byrd: Remove names of racists from university buildings.
Angela Alsobrooks: Endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice women.
Robin Ficker: Don't require services that violate religious beliefs.
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Social Security
Arvin Vohra: Wants to shut down the Social Security system.
Arvin Vohra: Supports privatizing Social Security.
Chris Van Hollen: Keep a more generous cost-of-living formula.
Donna Edwards: Fought privatization in community AND in Congress.
Kathy Szeliga: Adapt the way Social Security is currently managed.
David Trone: Cosponsored bill to keep social security trust fund solvent.
Angela Alsobrooks: Opposes defunding or privatizing Social Security, Medicare.
David Trone: Dedicate portion of capital gains taxes to Social Security.
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Tax Reform
Arvin Vohra: End welfare & other programs, and then abolish income tax.
Chris Van Hollen: End tax giveaways to the super wealthy, invest in country.
Kathy Szeliga: I believe in lower taxes and smaller government.
Sam Faddis: Lower taxes and be pro-business.
Tony Campbell: Supports GOP tax cuts; they increases consumer take-home pay.
Angela Alsobrooks: No to raising county taxes; instead grow commercial tax base.
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Technology
Benjamin Cardin: Regulate nanotechnology in products; develop best practices.
Chelsea Manning: Business is collecting data on us, creating a life pattern.
Dan Bongino: Return the United States to being a center of innovation.
Tony Campbell: Secure America's infrastructure against foreign actors.
Angela Alsobrooks: Invest in infrastructure including high-speed internet.
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War & Peace
Chris Chaffee: Opposes financial aid for "Ukraine's war with Russia".
Arvin Vohra: Stop creating enemies; withdraw from foreign entanglements.
Benjamin Cardin: Withdraw troops plus diplomatic solution, but no timetable.
Benjamin Cardin: Never turn our back on our troops.
Benjamin Cardin: Redeploy our troops and focus on the war on terror.
Chris Van Hollen: End 2002 Iraq War authority; no ground troops in Mideast.
Dan Bongino: Too late to act if Iran gets even just a few nukes.
Kathy Szeliga: Iran backroom nuclear deal just kicks the can down the road.
Kathy Szeliga: ISIS presents a serious threat and must be destroyed.
Margaret Flowers: Iran nuke deal is first step towards normalizing relations.
Michael Steele: We need a clear strategy, and to pressure Iraq gov't.
Michael Steele: Iraq war worth it, to establish beachhead of democracy.
Michael Steele: Would still vote for the Iraq war even there were no weapons.
Michael Steele: Withdrawal is on the table if Iraqis want a civil war.
Michael Steele: Make sure we leave behind in Iraq is an ally.
Robin Ficker: Too involved abroad, except CCP and Israel.
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Welfare & Poverty
Margaret Flowers: Guaranteed basic income of $1,000 per month per person.
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