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Welcome to the Voter Guide Candidates - Click party name below to go to candidates affiliated with the party, or scroll down to see all candidates, in alphabetical order by party, then last name. NR,
indicating No Response to a particular question, will appear until a response
is received.
NR - indicates "No Response" - the candidate chose not to
participate in this Voter Guide Candidates are listed in the same order as they are listed on the ballot.
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QUALIFICATIONS |
1. What are your strongest qualifications for this position?
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Since I was elected to the North Carolina Senate, I have been
bringing people together to solve problems. I have successfully
worked to balance the budget while increasing classroom teacher
pay, bringing jobs to our state and funding health insurance for
thousands of children. My record shows I am uniquely qualified to fix
what's broken in Washington. |
NR
|
Unlike Dole and Hagan, my personal prosperity comes from the voluntary private market. As a lawyer, Dole, and wife of a lawyer, Hagan, their prosperity comes from growing government. |
IRAQ WAR The War in Iraq continues to be a source of grave concern and controversy throughout the US. |
2. What position would you urge Congress to take on the US presence in Iraq?
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
We should not have invaded Iraq without a plan, the proper number of troops or proper equipment. Now we need a responsible withdrawal so we can re-focus our national security efforts on defeating al Qaeda, improving our country’s reputation and rebuilding our military strength. We also need to insist on accountability from the Iraqi people and push for more diplomacy with other countries. |
NR
|
I support withdrawal as quickly as possible, considering only the safety of American personnel. And I oppose any continuing bases there. |
HEALTH CARE Rising costs of health care now equal 16% of our national economy and increasing numbers of Americans—now almost one in six—are without health insurance. While the US spends more per person on health care than any other country, it ranks 37th in the world, based on life expectancy and infant mortality. Our employer-based health insurance system is not working for large numbers of Americans. |
3. Would you support a federal plan for universal health insurance coverage?(Support/Oppose)
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Support |
NR |
Oppose |
4. How would you address the growing problems of access to affordable, high quality health care in the US?
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Health care needs to be affordable and accessible for all Americans. We will reduce costs by focusing on preventive care, chronic disease management, implementing electronic medical records to eliminate waste in the system, giving small businesses new options for buying insurance together and allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug costs for Medicare recipients. |
NR |
Because of varying state mandates, there is a wide variety in insurance policy costs, but workers and employers currently cannot buy outside their home states. Under the interstate commerce clause, I would require access to policies from any state, the costs of which can vary by as much as three to one. In addition, I would remove government restrictions on alternative healthcare. |
5. What is your position on the bipartisan proposal to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that was vetoed by the President? (Support/Oppose)
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Support |
NR |
Oppose |
6. Please comment on your response:
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
NR
|
Parents make choices, often bad ones, such as cable or multiple cars rather than responsible healthcare provision for their kids. Subsidizing that choice would merely increase the irresponsibility, and transfer the cost of it to other families, making THEM less able to pay for their own coverage. |
ENVIRONMENT-CLIMATE CHANGE & POLLUTION The world is putting about 3 billion tons of carbon emissions from fossil fuels into the atmosphere each year, up nearly 500% from 1950. The consensus of scientific opinion is that this has contributed to global warming and increasing climate extremes. The changes are raising ocean levels which could make many of the world’s largest cities uninhabitable and dramatically reduce the world’s agricultural land. Two ideas currently being discussed in Congress to reduce CO2 emissions are a “carbon tax” and a “cap and trade” system. |
7. Do you support a “carbon tax”, which is a federal tax on the carbon content of fuels? (Support/Oppose)
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
NR |
Oppose |
8. Do you support a “cap and trade” system which (a) sets a declining limit - “cap” - on the amount of carbon emissions permitted and (b) allows businesses to buy and sell - “trade”- unused emission allotments? (Support/Oppose)
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Support |
NR |
Oppose |
9. Please comment on your responses:
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
My energy plan lays out a proposal to achieve 60-80% reductions in carbon emissions through a cap and trade system. We also need to decrease the need for oil by encouraging energy efficiency and investing heavily in renewable resources. |
NR |
The largest polluter is the government, so it is hardly qualifed to set standards for others. The most effective response is to reinforce property rights, such that an owner whose property gets polluted can sue the polluter for redress. This would be a nonbureaucratic means of regulation. |
IMMIGRATION Congress has not passed a comprehensive immigration bill. The administration has begun to enforce some existing laws more strictly. Local governments have passed a variety of ordinances related to immigration, even though the Supreme Court has ruled the federal government has sole authority over immigration |
10. List the components you think are needed in a comprehensive federal bill:
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
I oppose amnesty. I believe we must find a practical solution that is fair to
taxpayers, strengthens the borders, enforces the laws and cracks down on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. |
NR |
Illegal immigration isn't an issue of immigration reform. It is a black market response to federal prohibitions against low-end labor, mostly at the instigation of monopolistic labor unions. End the prohibitions, and the incentive to smuggle labor collapses. |
11. In the absence of a comprehensive federal bill, what specific changes in immigration policy would you support?
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
I believe we must have a comprehensive solution, and it should strengthen
the borders, enforce the law and crack down on employers who knowingly
hire illegal workers. |
NR |
See above |
SOCIAL SECURITY-REFORMS The most recent report from the trustees of the Social Security System indicates that the System can fund all scheduled benefits through the year 2040. Nonetheless, trustees believe that Social Security needs strengthening to avoid an eventual shortfall in guaranteed benefit pay outs. |
12. Check each of the following reforms for Social Security which you support:
Hagan (D) |
Dole (R)
|
Cole (L) | |
Raise the cap on earnings which are taxed |
|
NR |
|
Raise the payroll tax rate to increase contributions |
NR |
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| Further raise the retirement age |
NR |
Support |
|
Adjust the cost-of-living index to reflect the inflation rates most affecting retirees |
NR |
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| Invest part of the Social Security Trust in stocks/securities rather than government bonds | NR |
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Preserve a limited estate tax and dedicate it to Social Security |
NR |
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Increase taxation of Social Security benefits |
NR |
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Reduce benefits for future retirees |
NR |
SOCIAL SECURITY-PRIVATIZATION In December 2001 a Presidential Commission presented three models for modifying the current Social Security System. All of these plans focus on redirecting funds from Social Security into private investment accounts
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13. Do you support replacing Social Security with private investment accounts?
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Oppose |
NR |
Support |
14. Please comment on your response.
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
I oppose Social Security privatization. |
NR |
Social security is a pyramid scheme, which would be illegal for any private person or business. It is inherently unstable. It must be abolished, with annuities provided for current recipients and near-retirees. |
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Current financing of political campaigns contributes to voter apathy, raises questions about the role of special interests, requires that lawmakers spend much of their time on fund-raising, and discourages those without considerable financial resources from seeking public office. Proposed Senate and the House legislation would provide public campaign funds to candidates who meet specific qualifications, including agreement to restrict receipt of private campaign money. The Senate Fair Elections Now Act of 2007 (S.1285) and the House Clean Money, Clean Elections Act of 2007 (H.R. 1614) provide free access to broadcast media for qualifying candidates; stop incumbents from mailing campaign literature at taxpayer expense; and accomplish other reforms for more fair and clean elections.
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15. Do you support these legislative efforts for election/campaign finance reform? (Support/Oppose)
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
Support |
NR |
Oppose |
16. Please comment on your response:
| Hagan (D) | Dole (R) | Cole (L) |
NR
|
Campaign financing favors incumbents. It is also immoral to force any person to finance a candidate he opposes. If government were confined to its proper business, there would be no incentive to buy a congressman. |
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