|
|
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
Ben Sasse: Stop taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood.
Bob Kerrey: Trust women rather than regulating half the population.
Bob Kerrey: Government should stay out of abortion decision.
Dave Domina: Women should search their soul before deciding on abortion.
Deb Fischer: Look at the record: Opposes abortion.
Deb Fischer: Exception for life of mother but not incest nor rape.
Deb Fischer: I believe in the sanctity of life.
Shane Osborn: Human life begins at conception.
Preston Love: Eliminate barriers impeding access to abortion services.
Dan Osborn: I do not support extreme national measures to ban abortion.
|
Budget & Economy
Ben Sasse: OpEd: Criticized for giving up seat on Agriculture Committee.
Bob Kerrey: Balanced budget amendment would double NE unemployment.
Bob Kerrey: We balanced the budget in the 1990s without an amendment.
Chris Janicek: Government will have to provide much more stimulus aid.
Chris Janicek: Out-of-control spending has to end.
Deb Fischer: Congress spends every dime they can get their hands on.
Deb Fischer: Balanced budget amendment forces tough decisions on cuts.
Mike Johanns: Growing the economy will balance the budget over time.
Mike Johanns: I'm the only candidate who's actually dealt with the budget.
Scott Kleeb: Return to pay-as-you-go spending.
Scott Kleeb: Bush & Johanns created current failed policies.
Shane Osborn: Combat spending instead of kicking the can down the road.
Shane Osborn: Nation can grow out of fiscal woes by expanding the economy.
Shane Osborn: Free enterprise is the key to national prosperity.
Peter Ricketts: Delivered historic tax relief by controlling spending.
Preston Love: Critical that we utilize and leverage federal funds.
|
Civil Rights
Ben Sasse: Kids are best raised in a world with one mother & one father.
Ben Sasse: Children are best raised by a father and mother.
Chris Janicek: Protect human rights for women, immigrants, race, sexuality.
Chris Janicek: Problems get fixed when people vote.
Chris Janicek: Apologized for sexist texts to woman staffer, won't withdraw.
Dave Domina: Government should stay out of private matters like marriage.
Dave Domina: Feds SHOULD define marriage, but not as one-man-one-woman.
Dave Domina: End gender paycheck inequity & all gender favoritism.
Shane Osborn: Government shouldn't redefine marriage.
Preston Love: Provide support to historically disadvantaged farmers.
Preston Love: Founder and director of Black Votes Matter Institute .
Dan Osborn: People's private lives are no business but their own.
Preston Love: Honor the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community .
Peter Ricketts: Urged NCAA to ban transgender athletes from women's sports.
|
Corporations
Ben Sasse: Give all employers an opportunity to grow within America.
Ben Sasse: FactCheck: stretched truth on job as management consultant.
Chris Janicek: Tax policy hurts working class: overturn corporate tax cuts.
Dave Domina: Stop allowing companies to outsource jobs.
Dave Domina: Big corporations pay their fair share.
Dan Osborn: Support competition in the meatpacking industry.
Peter Ricketts: Cut corporate taxes and top individual income tax.
|
Crime
Ben Sasse: Rip up Epstein plea deal; pursue co-conspirators.
Dave Domina: Defended and exonerated death row inmates.
Don Stenberg: Supports "stand-your-ground" self-defense laws.
Jon Bruning: Supports "stand-your-ground" self-defense laws.
Pat Flynn: Supports "stand-your-ground" self-defense laws.
Peter Ricketts: Fought for ballot initiative to restore death penalty.
Preston Love: Advocated for fairer application of criminal justice.
|
Drugs
Ben Sasse: Leave marijuana regulation to states, not feds.
Dave Domina: Feds need to address marijuana in bordering Colorado.
Dave Domina: Legal structure is not ready legal marijuana.
Jon Bruning: Requested an earmark to fund a drug-war program.
Peter Ricketts: If you legalize marijuana, you're gonna kill your kids.
Dan Osborn: Rated C+ by NORML: don't criminalize marijuana.
Deb Fischer: Rated F by NORML: no medical marijuana.
Peter Ricketts: Rated F by NORML: no medical marijuana.
Dan Osborn: Stop putting people in prison for cannabis crimes.
|
Education
Ben Sasse: At Midland U., fixed broken system of higher ed.
Ben Sasse: Opposes Common Core State Standards.
Ben Sasse: Fought against tougher environmental regulations.
Dave Domina: Common Core: feds have an interest in common understanding.
Dave Domina: Treat public education as a basic right of citizenship.
Peter Ricketts: Scrap radically inappropriate sex education topics .
Dan Osborn: I'm against voucher programs for private schools.
Dan Osborn: Government should not be bailing out student debt.
Deb Fischer: Opposed student loan payment pause .
Peter Ricketts: Declared School Choice Week in Nebraska.
Preston Love: Vouchers only benefit wealthy families .
Preston Love: Ricketts should debate me on our divergent education views.
|
Energy & Oil
Ben Sasse: Shale oil revolution could create energy independence.
Ben Sasse: Stop Obama's war on coal; stop picking winners & losers.
Chris Janicek: Clean energy must be invested in to avert carbon emissions.
Chris Janicek: We want a planet to live on and a democracy to live in.
Dave Domina: Impact of fossil fuels on our environment is real.
Jane Raybould: Revoke tax breaks for oil & gas companies to pay for roads.
Jon Bruning: Coal is good, cheap energy.
Mike Johanns: New corn genetics brings 40% yield increase & more ethanol.
Mike Johanns: Opposes Warner-Lieberman Climate Security Act.
Rick Berg: AdWatch: Support oil exploration and coal mining.
Scott Kleeb: Always a supporter of ethanol; along with solar & wind.
Scott Kleeb: Supports Warner-Lieberman Climate Security Act.
Shane Osborn: No subsidies for wind and solar.
Steven Larrick: We need a renewable energy policy.
Steven Larrick: Green energy is the future of Nebraska.
Steven Larrick: Only candidate to oppose drilling in ANWR.
Peter Ricketts: Pipeline accidents are terrible but we can't take zero risk.
Preston Love: Tell the truth about climate change and respond to it.
Dan Osborn: Solar energy ok, if on private land.
Deb Fischer: Don't force EVs on the public; end EV tax credits.
|
Environment
Ben Sasse: Fight any expansion of the Clean Water Act.
Deb Fischer: Base gas tax on price, not volume, to pay for highways.
Deb Fischer: Ease regulations that affect Omaha sewer separation project.
Peter Ricketts: Biden's conservation goals would devastate state's economy.
Dan Osborn: Keep our air breathable and our water and land clean.
Preston Love: Prioritize our environment: tighten regulations.
|
Families & Children
Preston Love: Champion the implementation of paid family leave policies.
Dan Osborn: Mandatory bereavement leave for all workers.
Deb Fischer: Religious liberty trumps same-sex marriage protection.
|
Foreign Policy
Ben Sasse: Unstinting advocate for American engagement in the world.
Ben Sasse: Putin leads a thugocracy; runs disinformation everywhere.
Deb Fischer: Leadership & strong messages make the world safer.
Don Stenberg: Strong support for traditional ally Israel.
Jon Bruning: Strong support for traditional ally Israel.
Pat Flynn: Strong support for traditional ally Israel.
Shane Osborn: Economic sanctions against Russia to stem Ukrainian crisis.
Peter Ricketts: Need to keep putting pressure on Chinese Communist Party.
Dan Osborn: US should do what it can to bring resolution in Middle East.
Peter Ricketts: Protect Ukraine from further aggression by Russia.
|
Free Trade
Ben Sasse: Supports presidential Trade Promotion Authority.
Chris Janicek: Repeal tariffs; work out deals with trade partners.
Chris Janicek: Trade wars work against Nebraska farmers.
Chris Janicek: Needs more negotiations with trading partners.
Chris Janicek: End tariffs through negotiations and better pricing.
Jane Raybould: Foreign trade important to Nebraska.
Peter Ricketts: Tariffs are hurting Americans and specifically Nebraskans.
|
Government Reform
Ben Sasse: Permanent bureaucracy should not write big legislation.
Ben Sasse: Optimistic about America but pessimistic about Washington.
Ben Sasse: AdWatch: Campaign film "The Outsider", after years in DC.
Ben Sasse: Reduce level of influence of lobbyists with both parties.
Ben Sasse: Push back against overly strict, dumb regulations.
Deb Fischer: No campaign contributions from industry tied to your office.
Deb Fischer: Against earmarks and would oppose them.
Deb Fischer: Accused of coordinating anti-Bruning TV ad with super-PAC.
Don Stenberg: Don't renew legislative earmarks; and attack past ones.
Jon Bruning: Political contributions ok from out-of-state coal companies.
Jon Bruning: Don't renew legislative earmarks, but past ones ok.
Pat Flynn: Don't renew legislative earmarks.
Pat Flynn: No earmarks: it's not my duty to bring home the bacon.
Scott Kleeb: Johanns wastefully spent $20M studying crawdads in Australia.
Shane Osborn: Cut 60 redundant federal agencies and save $60B.
Shane Osborn: Photo ID for voting.
Peter Ricketts: The House Jan. 6 committee was largely a partisan exercise.
Peter Ricketts: Require Voter ID to boost belief in the integrity of voting.
Preston Love: Expand early voting; combat voter suppression.
Dan Osborn: Pass term limits for Congress, 12 years in each chamber.
|
Gun Control
Ben Sasse: Self-described as pro-guns and pro-life.
Ben Sasse: Second Amendment rights pre-date government.
Chris Janicek: Supports Second Amendment with background checks & licensing.
Dave Domina: Right to enjoy weapons should have restrictions.
Deb Fischer: Support stand-your-ground self-defense laws.
Don Stenberg: Opposed nominee for stripping Americans of gun rights.
Jane Raybould: Commonsense gun safety measures, like banning bump stocks.
Shane Osborn: Opposes more gun restrictions.
Preston Love: We believe in guns but not in assault weapons.
Dan Osborn: Combat school shootings while protecting the 2nd Amendment.
|
Health Care
Ben Sasse: Job change causes uninsurance; so make insurance portable.
Bob Kerrey: Supports ObamaCare even though he knows it's unpopular.
Chris Janicek: Health care shouldn't be an expense but an investment.
Chris Janicek: Health care for millions will be my number one priority.
Dave Domina: There are good features in ObamaCare, like age-26 insurance.
Deb Fischer: Repeal ObamaCare health overhaul.
Deb Fischer: I won't steal $700 billion from Medicare.
Jane Raybould: Reform ObamaCare; look at single-payer.
Jon Bruning: Signed lawsuit opposing ObamaCare.
Mike Johanns: Alternative community hospitals got 9000 more people treated.
Mike Johanns: Didn't phase out adult mental health care services.
Mike Johanns: Giving all taxpayers federal coverage would cost $480B.
Scott Kleeb: Alternative community treatment not adequately funded.
Scott Kleeb: Shouldn't phase out adult mental health care services.
Scott Kleeb: Give all taxpayers access to federal coverage like Congress.
Shane Osborn: Propose better options, then repeal ObamaCare.
Shane Osborn: AdWatch: Never waver to repeal ObamaCare & protect freedom.
Shane Osborn: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility.
Preston Love: Universal access to affordable healthcare; expand Medicaid.
Dan Osborn: Stop handing huge subsidies to super-profitable Big Pharma.
Dan Osborn: Don't let insurance companies make healthcare decisions.
Deb Fischer: Replace ObamaCare with free market reforms & competition.
|
Homeland Security
Chris Janicek: Stop spending so much; have other countries step up.
Dave Domina: Drones are no exception to Fourth Amendment protections.
Mike Johanns: Negotiating with rogue nations squanders American prestige.
Scott Kleeb: We have forgotten how to use diplomacy.
Shane Osborn: Hawkish on defense, but measured response.
Shane Osborn: Reducing size of military makes us look weak.
Shane Osborn: Maintain a superior nuclear arsenal.
Peter Ricketts: Stressed the need for a strong national defense.
Dan Osborn: We must pay servicemen and women a competitive wage.
|
Immigration
Ben Sasse: Emergencies Act too broad; except Trump's border policies.
Chris Janicek: Endorsed by Latinx group, opposes collaboration with ICE.
Chris Janicek: We need immigrants to work and contribute to our economy.
Chris Janicek: Current immigration system broken & violates human rights.
Jane Raybould: Supports letting "DACA" youths stay.
Shane Osborn: Begin with strict border control but don't allow citizenship.
Shane Osborn: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry.
Peter Ricketts: Biden administration has abdicated responsibility on border.
Dan Osborn: Illegal immigration is detrimental to every American worker.
Preston Love: Create path to citizenship for those contributing to economy.
|
Jobs
Deb Fischer: More crop insurance in the new farm bill.
Scott Kleeb: Johanns left Secretary of Agriculture job & let down farmers.
Dan Osborn: Pass the PRO Act, $50,000 fines for labor law violations.
Dan Osborn: Raise the federal minimum wage to Nebraska's wage [$12/hr.].
Peter Ricketts: Sponsored the National Right to Work Act.
Peter Ricketts: Markets should set employee wages: no minimum wage .
Preston Love: Strengthen organized labor .
Preston Love: All Americans deserve a livable wage .
|
Principles & Values
Ben Sasse: Endorsed by Freedom Works' founder & other Tea Party groups.
Chris Janicek: Not about left or right, but moving forward.
Chris Janicek: Impeachment about upholding rule of law.
Chris Janicek: Represent Nebraskans with respect, integrity and worth.
Deb Fischer: Ran underdog primary campaign on shoestring budget.
Deb Fischer: Do Nebraskans want more career politician in Washington?
Deb Fischer: TV ad: "End the political bull".
Don Stenberg: Our country's going in the wrong direction.
Don Stenberg: Most campaign funds come from South Carolina PAC.
Jon Bruning: OpEd: Became multimillionaire while serving in public office.
Mike Johanns: Focus on small towns.
Pat Flynn: I'm the only candidate who is not a "career politician".
Pat Flynn: Endorsed by Republican Liberty Caucus.
Scott Kleeb: Always keep Nebraska's interest first.
Shane Osborn: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework.
Shane Osborn: Endorsed by Tea Party-oriented group, Freedom Works.
Peter Ricketts: I often say Nebraska is what America is supposed to be.
Peter Ricketts: More faith-based practices in Nebraska schools.
Peter Ricketts: We remain the cornerstone of global peace and prosperity.
Preston Love: Attributes his achievements to his faith in Jesus Christ.
Preston Love: Ran as 2020 Senate write-in candidate backed by state Dems.
Dan Osborn: Won't accept endorsements from any party or politician .
|
Social Security
Ben Sasse: Entitlement reform needed: guilty of generational theft.
Bob Kerrey: Raise payroll cap & raise retirement age to 69.
Bob Kerrey: We must keep our commitments & do right for the future.
Bob Kerrey: Entitlements are $60 trillion liability; must do something.
Dave Domina: It's not an entitlement; and it shouldn't be privatized.
Dave Domina: Keep promises made to the elderly.
Deb Fischer: Look at means testing & higher retirement age.
Deb Fischer: Raise retirement age & limit benefits.
Deb Fischer: Don't change benefits for people over the age of 40.
Dan Osborn: Remove cap on Social Security contributions .
Peter Ricketts: Social Security benefits should be completely tax free.
|
Tax Reform
Deb Fischer: No increase in local property taxes.
Jane Raybould: Don't shift tax burden onto poor.
Mike Johanns: No tax increase for research on celluosic ethanol.
Scott Kleeb: Supports $1B in tax funds for research on celluosic ethanol.
Peter Ricketts: Enacted $1 billion in annual state tax relief.
Dan Osborn: Close loopholes multi-nationals use to avoid paying taxes.
Dan Osborn: Overtime wages should not bump one into a higher bracket.
Preston Love: Supports property tax relief & business tax incentives.
|
Technology
Ben Sasse: Digital consumption is rewiring parts of teenagers' brains.
Chris Janicek: Supports a major infrastructure modernization program.
Deb Fischer: $21B for infrastructure, with funds from border customs.
Deb Fischer: Develop broadband via rural development matching grants.
Jane Raybould: Develop broadband via rural development matching grants.
Jane Raybould: Design infrastructure to withstand climate change flooding.
Preston Love: Invest in rural infrastructure; improve broadband access.
Dan Osborn: Right to Repair is a critically important, bipartisan issue.
Dan Osborn: Increase fines for violating federal rail safety laws.
|
War & Peace
Ben Sasse: Americans should be realistic about the dangers we face.
Ben Sasse: US military can bring Iranian "butchers" to their knees.
Bob Kerrey: We all get worked up about Iran, but there's a price.
Bob Kerrey: Be conscious of what it means to draw a line for Iran.
Dave Domina: No drones to kill Americans in foreign countries.
Deb Fischer: Prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.
Deb Fischer: Draw a line on Iranian nukes; no mixed signals.
Shane Osborn: We let Syria & Iran cross the red line.
Steven Larrick: Invasion of Iraq was based on false premises.
Preston Love: Dismay at Hamas killings against Israel; it's an act of hate.
|
Welfare & Poverty
Ben Sasse: Replace entitlements with an opportunity society.
Preston Love: Address Black poverty to address lack of Black voting.
Preston Love: Invest in economy: farms, water, and risk.
|
