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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
Gordon Howie: Man does not have the right to destroy innocent life.
Jay Williams: Passing laws that restrict abortions won't stop abortions.
Larry Pressler: Supports abortion law allowing first trimester terminations.
Brian Bengs: Position on abortion mirrors what's found in Roe v. Wade.
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Budget & Economy
Brian Bengs: Military spending is an important part of state economy.
Gordon Howie: Say No to $17 trillion national debt.
Gordon Howie: Economic survival depends on fiscal responsibility.
Larry Pressler: Pay a little more taxes & give up some programs.
Mike Rounds: Don't promise everything then borrow it from next generation.
Scyller Borglum: Federal budget: reduce debt & spending.
Scyller Borglum: Wooden Nickel Plan: Public vote on budget increases over 5%.
Mike Rounds: Keep Trump tax cuts; slow down mandatory spending.
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Civil Rights
Gordon Howie: Gays and lesbians choose to live outside the laws of God.
Gordon Howie: Civil unions and equal rights for gays, but not marriage.
Gordon Howie: Government shouldn't redefine marriage.
Jay Williams: Far too often, Native Americans are forgotten & ignored.
Larry Pressler: I was wrong to support 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
Larry Pressler: Supports gay marriage.
Larry Pressler: Filed legal brief to overturn S.D.'s gay marriage ban.
Mike Rounds: Legal contracts for gay couples, but not marriage.
Rick Weiland: Favors same-sex marriage.
Scyller Borglum: Shouldn't adultery laws include bestiality?
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Corporations
Larry Pressler: Both parties beholden to corporate backers.
Mike Rounds: $75M in Future Fund grants to support entrepreneurialism.
Rick Weiland: Immigration problem from profits from cheap immigrant labor.
Rick Weiland: Stop sweetheart deals for businesses 'too big to fail'.
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Crime
Jay Williams: Our criminal justice system is broken.
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Education
Daniel Ahlers: Must invest in schools, teachers and our children.
Daniel Ahlers: Investing in education invests in our present and our future.
Jay Williams: I moved back to SD for quality of schools; focus on that.
Jay Williams: Served a term on the Yankton school board.
John Thune: Teachers & parents know best how to spend education funds.
Scyller Borglum: Rural education initiative: address gaps in education.
Mike Rounds: Ban cell-cultivated meat from school breakfast & lunch.
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Energy & Oil
Brian Bengs: Speed the transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources.
Brian Bengs: Energy independence through clean energy not fossil fuels.
Daniel Ahlers: Promote conservation, sustainability, and coal.
Gordon Howie: Congress should pass laws benefiting the oil & gas industry.
Gordon Howie: No subsidies for wind and solar.
Jay Williams: This planet is our only home; curb carbon emissions.
Larry Pressler: Immediate increase of 12 cents per gallon in the gas tax.
Mike Rounds: Tax energy exploration on federal land instead of gas tax.
Rick Weiland: Opposes Keystone XL pipeline.
Rick Weiland: End subsidies to big oil companies, instead of gas tax.
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Environment
Mike Rounds: Rein in the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Families & Children
Mike Rounds: Our children are our most valuable resource.
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Foreign Policy
Brian Bengs: Preserving close relationship with allies makes us all safer.
Jay Williams: Negotiate with Iran over nuclear weapons.
Mike Rounds: Iran bombing stopped conversion to weapons-grade uranium.
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Free Trade
Kristi Noem: China trade wars makes low soybean prices & hurts farmers.
Mike Rounds: Tariffs are a way to open negotiations on trade agreements.
Mike Rounds: Hopefully Trump tariffs will lead to negotiating trade deals.
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Government Reform
Brian Bengs: Signed U.S. Term Limits pledge.
Daniel Ahlers: Filed bill for commission to establish legislative districts.
Gordon Howie: Photo ID for voting.
Jay Williams: GOP's 2013 government shutdown caused S.D. suffering.
Jay Williams: Campaign spending is out of control.
John Thune: Don't put Washington in charge of state elections.
Rick Weiland: Congress should fight for people, not for big donors.
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Gun Control
Brian Bengs: Gun owner; favors background checks.
Gordon Howie: Bumper sticker: God, Guns, and Gordon.
Gordon Howie: Opposes more gun restrictions.
Jay Williams: Common sense measures like background checks.
Rick Weiland: Universal background checks for guns.
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Health Care
Brian Bengs: Public health shouldn't be treated as a political football.
Brian Bengs: Opposes Republican plans to kill off Affordable Care Act.
Daniel Ahlers: System should be affordable, innovative, free enterprise.
Gordon Howie: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility.
Jay Williams: Health care is a basic human right.
Larry Pressler: Keep ObamaCare in place; we need it.
Mike Rounds: Shut down ObamaCare but don't shut down government.
Rick Weiland: Push for public option to expand ObamaCare.
Rick Weiland: Keep parts of ObamaCare that work, and add Medicare option.
Rick Weiland: Give Medicare recipients a choice of private insurance.
Scyller Borglum: Oppose Medicare-for-all and replace ObamaCare.
Scyller Borglum: Against Medicare for All; replace ObamaCare.
Scyller Borglum: Vote against Medicare for all and "other socialist plans".
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Homeland Security
Brian Bengs: VA closings might make it more responsive to veterans.
Daniel Ahlers: Expand VA benefits to include assisted living.
Gordon Howie: Maintain a superior nuclear arsenal.
Jay Williams: Served in the US Navy and the Peace Corps.
Jay Williams: Served in the Peace Corps as well as the U.S. Navy.
Jay Williams: Don't use fear of ISIS to justify government overreach.
Jay Williams: Cut defense spending: 6 aircraft carriers instead of 11.
John Thune: PATRIOT Act is still needed in these dangerous times.
Larry Pressler: Significant cutbacks on overseas military spending.
Larry Pressler: 1980 presidential run:focus on veteran issues & Agent Orange.
Larry Pressler: First Vietnam vet elected to Congress.
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Immigration
Gordon Howie: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry.
Jay Williams: Get ten million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.
Larry Pressler: 5-year path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Mike Rounds: Border security first, then a limited path to citizenship.
Rick Weiland: Border security and a path to citizenship at the same time.
Scyller Borglum: Commonsense approach to immigration, with border wall.
Scyller Borglum: Build the wall, close refugee loopholes.
Scyller Borglum: Strong borders & safe, legal procedures.
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Jobs
Daniel Ahlers: Invest in higher ed so workers can get degrees, skills.
Jay Williams: Time for the entire nation to get a raise.
Jay Williams: Raise minimum wage to $12 and then $15.
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Principles & Values
Brian Bengs: Smaller, close-knit community made him feel connected.
Brian Bengs: No one is focusing on fixing political dysfunction in US.
Daniel Ahlers: I dream of an America where we're not marginalized by labels.
Gordon Howie: A great America needs God.
Gordon Howie: Religious liberty is foundational to our freedom.
John Thune: Running for 4th Senate term: breaking the "Curse of Karl"?
Larry Pressler: Non-conventional independent campaign to influence debate.
Larry Pressler: 1978: first Vietnam veteran elected to the Senate.
Larry Pressler: Former three-term Senator; ran for president in 1980.
Mike Rounds: Lifelong resident of Pierre; president of local YMCA.
Rick Weiland: Touring all 311 of South Dakota's incorporated towns.
Scyller Borglum: What it means to be conservative is eroding.
Scyller Borglum: Being conservative is staying out of people's business.
Mike Rounds: All of us Christians should be asking for wisdom.
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Social Security
Jay Williams: Eliminate taxable maximum of $118,500.
Rick Weiland: Protect and expand instead of cut and destroy.
Mike Rounds: Don't "sunset" Social Security; make it better.
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Tax Reform
Brian Bengs: Supports a wealth tax for households over $50 million.
Brian Bengs: I'm talking about blowing up the status quo of tax policy.
Gordon Howie: Rein in bloated government instead of raising taxes.
Jay Williams: A call for rationality: Tax is NOT a dirty word.
Jay Williams: Pushed for $1.4M property tax to fund school operations.
Larry Pressler: Rich people willing to pay more taxes to help our country.
Larry Pressler: Raise taxes on estates worth more than $10 million.
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Technology
Brian Bengs: Congress can't ignore impact of automation on job market.
Mike Rounds: Allow Medicare to pay for AI-enabled clinical devices.
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War & Peace
Brian Bengs: Supports providing aircraft to Ukraine against Russia.
John Thune: Finishing the job means setting up a democracy in Iraq.
John Thune: Support sending more American troops to Iraq if necessary.
John Thune: Iraq is a part of the broader war on terror.
John Thune: We have to stay resolute or the terrorists will prevail.
Rick Weiland: No U.S. military intervention in Syria.
Tom Daschle: We can do much better fighting the war in Iraq.
Tom Daschle: Would still voted to authorize Bush to go to war.
Tom Daschle: The war in Iraq is being run the wrong way.
Mike Rounds: Putin could have had peace a long time ago if he wanted it.
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Welfare & Poverty
Daniel Ahlers: Don't penalize poor people trying to improve their situation.
Jay Williams: Address the growing problem of income inequality.
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