Newsday take

Newsday examined the positions of Obama and McCain on 10 key issues, first looking at the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, national security, energy and the environment/climate change.

Here are the next five issues.

WHERE MCCAIN STANDS

On health care: Opposes federally mandated universal coverage, saying competition will improve quality of health insurance. Pledges to reform tax code to offer choices beyond employee-based health insurance coverage. Every family would receive a direct refundable tax credit for $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. Wants families to be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines and have their policy follow them from job to job.

On Social Security: Wants to supplement Social Security benefits with individual investment accounts. Prefers slowing growth of benefits rather than raising taxes. Asked about Social Security during a GOP debate, he said: "Every man, woman and child in America needs to know it's going broke and we've got to do the hard things. We've got to fix it for the future generations of Americans. ... It's got to be bipartisan."

On education: Favors charter schools, home schooling and voucher system -- when approved by local officials -- and giving parents tax credits to help pay for private schools. "We need to reward good teachers and find bad teachers another line of work," he has said. Voted for No Child Left Behind legislation, but says that is only the beginning of education reform. Wants to expand virtual learning in part by targeting $500 million in current federal funds to build new virtual schools and develop online courses.

On immigration: Co-sponsored a 2006 Bush-backed bill that would have allowed some illegal immigrants to stay in the country and would have provided a legal path to U.S. citizenship after learning English, paying fines and back taxes, and passing a background check. Supports construction of 700-mile fence along U.S.-Mexico border, and now says he would secure the border first.

On abortion: Opposes abortion rights, and believes Roe v. Wade is flawed and should be overturned by the Supreme Court. Voted for the Prohibit Partial Birth Abortion bill in 2003, and supports Supreme Court ruling upholding it. Voted for Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007.

WHERE OBAMA STANDS

On health care: Would create a national health insurance program for people without employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs. Program would be mandatory for children, but not for all adults. He hopes to achieve universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to plan provided to federal employees. Estimates costs at up to $65 billion a year after savings from making system more efficient. To help pay costs he would eliminate Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000.

On Social Security: Strongly opposes privatization, pledges to keep Social Security solvent and protect middle-class families from tax increases of benefit cuts. Believes way to strengthen system is through payroll tax system. Social Security payroll tax currently applies only to first $97,500 a worker earns. Wants to increase maximum amount of earnings covered by Social Security. Pledges to work with Congress on reform package to keep the system solvent for at least next half century.

On education: Backs expansion of pre-K programs, pledging to quadruple Early Head Start with $10 billion-a-year injection and also increase funding for Head Start. Plans to reform No Child Left Behind, recruiting high-quality teachers and rewarding talented ones in part with higher pay not linked to standardized test scores. Proposes tax credit of up to $4,000 for college students who perform 100 hours of community service a year. Wants to make community college entirely free nationwide.

On immigration: Voted for the same 2006 bill, which also would have increased funding and improved border security technology and improved enforcement of existing laws. Supports construction of fence.

On abortion: Favors abortion rights and opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. Disagrees with the Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. Did not cast vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

John McCain was Wrong, Barack Obama Was Right!!!

Great Article by Time

Putting US Energy in the Wrong Place:

"John McCain stood atop an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and proclaimed that he had the key to solving America's energy woes, slashing the price of gas, and unfettering U.S. foreign policy from its addiction to foreign oil. Drill. Drill here. And drill now."

The interesting thing about this article shows how the conversation on energy independence has been skewed towards big oil at the expense of alternatives. This is unfortunate as early on Obama had released an energy plan with renewables at the center. Yet, misdirection, pandering and lies about the actual time-frame regarding the true effects of expanding off-shore drilling have served to obfuscate the issues of global warming, environmental damage caused by fossil fuel based economies and in essence missed the entire notion behind energy independence.

If America is reliant upon a non-renewable and finite energy source regardless of its origins, then how can one claim that to be truly energy independent? Independence implies freedom and yet we will opt to be slaves to big oil companies operating right here in America!

John McSame has successfully diverted attention away from the real and serious issue facing this country in order to frame the issue as a "you're either with us or against" type of characterization (sound familiar?). In this way he has shaped the conversation through a misrepresentation of the facts and in taking a play from Karl Rove's minions.