|
Books by and about 2020 presidential candidates |
|
Crippled America, by Donald J. Trump (2015) |
United, by Cory Booker (2016) |
The Truths We Hold, by Kamala Harris (2019) |
Smart on Crime, by Kamala Harris (2010) |
Guide to Political Revolution, by Bernie Sanders (2017) |
Where We Go From Here, by Bernie Sanders (2018) |
Promise Me, Dad , by Joe Biden (2017) |
Conscience of a Conservative, by Jeff Flake (2017) |
Two Paths, by Gov. John Kasich (2017) |
Every Other Monday, by Rep. John Kasich (2010) |
Courage is Contagious, by John Kasich (1998) |
Shortest Way Home, by Pete Buttigieg (2019) |
The Book of Joe , by Jeff Wilser (2019; biography of Joe Biden) |
Becoming, by Michelle Obama (2018) |
Our Revolution, by Bernie Sanders (2016) |
This Fight Is Our Fight, by Elizabeth Warren (2017) |
Higher Loyalty, by James Comey (2018) |
The Making of Donald Trump, by David Cay Johnston (2017) |
Higher Loyalty , by James Comey (2018) |
Trump vs. Hillary On The Issues , by Jesse Gordon (2016) |
Outsider in the White House, by Bernie Sanders (2015) |
|
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
Tom Wolf: Tradition of freedom of conscience includes abortion rights.
Scott Wagner: Ban abortions after 20 weeks.
Roy Cooper: No politicians in medical room telling doctor what to say.
Bobby Jindal: Human life amendment: define "person" from conception.
Marco Rubio: Consensus that life begins at conception; so no abortion.
Alison Grimes: Pro-choice down the line.
Charlie Huggins: Supports mandatory ultrasounds.
|
Budget & Economy
Darrell Castle: Don't bailout financial giants; just let them fail.
|
Civil Rights
Republican Party: Remove Rep. from committees for "white supremacist" comments.
Don Blankenship: I'm an American person; 'Chinaperson' isn't racist.
Mike Chenault: Lambasted laughing at same-sex equality issue, apologizes.
Michael Enzi: We need civility for gays; not more laws.
Jim Gray: Openly gay mayor of Lexington: not all are anti-gay.
Bob McDermott: Amendment for marriage only by opposite-sex couples.
Baron Hill: 2006: Marriage is sacred; 2015: guarantee marriage equality.
Baron Hill: For ENDA & against DADT & in Congress; evolved on marriage.
Rick Snyder: Recognize 300 gay marriages conducted in 2014.
Rick Snyder: Add LGBT anti-discrimination to civil rights law.
Howard Schultz: Better race relations starts with conversation.
Jason Carter: Civil marriage equality, but don't tell churches what to do.
Jimmy Carter: Supports civil marriage equality.
Alison Grimes: Both supportive and apprehensive about marriage equality.
Joni Ernst: Federal ban ok, but leave same-sex marriage to states.
Terri Lynn Land: Women want job flexibility more than equal pay.
Chris McDaniel: Dems want homosexual marriage legal in all 50 states.
Amanda Curtis: Repeal state ban on sodomy; make gay sex legal.
Justin Amash: Repeal DOMA: Government shouldn't be involved in marriage.
Steve Grossman: Embrace marriage equality in the Democratic Party platform.
Heidi Heitkamp: AdWatch: Featured in DSCC ad: "Elect more women to Senate".
Condoleezza Rice: Supports civil unions but not gay marriage.
Carly Fiorina: Marriage is between a man and a woman; but civil unions ok.
Jerry Sanders: Proud to testify for same-sex marriage equality.
Jerry Sanders: 2007: Switched from supporting civil unions to marriage.
|
Corporations
Rob Sobhani: Occupy Wall Street pushes for capitalism with a conscience.
Donald Trump: Wealthy move assets around globally based on tax incentives.
Mike Gravel: Leadership fails because US is run by corporate America.
|
Crime
Beto O`Rourke: Expand death penalty if police officers are attacked.
Elizabeth Warren: Unfair: Kid in trouble for petty theft; CEO steals billions.
Antonio Villaraigosa: Reduced violent crime by 50%; increased size of LAPD.
Mike Espy: Resigned for accepting gifts; but acquitted criminally.
|
Drugs
Darrell Castle: Advocate of decriminalizing possession.
Marco Rubio: No responsible way to recreationally use marijuana.
Marco Rubio: Enforce federal law even in states with legal pot.
Cory Booker: The war on drugs has failed; support medical marijuana.
James Webb: Recommend drug policy to deal with growth of incarceration.
Chris Dodd: Allow medical marijuana; and allow decriminalization too.
Chris Dodd: Decriminalize marijuana but don’t legalize it.
|
Education
Oprah Winfrey: Changing the way people think starts with education.
Bobby Jindal: Teach kids the best science; but no comment on evolution.
Bobby Jindal: Local control instead of Common Core.
Antonio Villaraigosa: Mayoral control of 22 poorly performing schools.
Ken Buck: Federal research, but no federal requirements or funding.
Barack Obama: We need a sense of urgency about improving education system.
Bill Richardson: Start earlier with preschool for every child under 4.
Chris Dodd: Advocate for free community-college education.
Dennis Kucinich: End No Child Left Behind; end testing as be-all & end-all.
Hillary Clinton: We have not yet reached consensus on education reform.
Hillary Clinton: AR Ed Reform taught that there is a place for testing.
Joe Biden: $3000 tax credit for college for anyone earning under $150K.
John Edwards: Make community colleges & public universities free.
John Edwards: Think of education as a birth-to-death experience in America.
Mike Gravel: GovWatch: Yes, Americans are getting fatter, but not dumber.
Mike Gravel: Extend school day and extend school year.
Mike Gravel: Our school stats fail because we’re stuck in triumphalism.
|
Energy & Oil
Darrell Castle: Buying Saudi oil forces US to deals with oppressive monarchs.
Darrell Castle: Develop our own petroleum first; then green technology.
Jay Inslee: Supports oil refinery (plus biofuel) along Columbia River.
Russell Feingold: 2003 "4P": use Clean Air Act to reduce coal plant pollutants.
Bobby Jindal: The left loves energy to be expensive and scarce.
Liz Cheney: What should be done about climate change? Nothing!
Marco Rubio: Climate is always changing; it's not from human activity.
Mitch McConnell: AdWatch: Fights EPA regulation on coal production.
Shelley Moore Capito: AdWatch: Fights back against Obama's war on coal.
Richard Lugar: Make all cars "flex-fuel" vehicles.
Richard Mourdock: Oppose ethanol subsidy as a matter of conservative principle.
Newt Gingrich: 1989: prevent global warming; 2012: unclear if warming real.
Cory Booker: Create green economy with lower carbon output.
John Edwards: Give up SUVs & other sacrifices, to deal with climate crisis.
|
Environment
Tom Vilsack: Cut food waste in half by 2030.
Bill Bryant: OpEd: Claims conservationism, but enabled Arctic drilling.
Russell Feingold: Clean Water Restoration Act to protect streams and wetlands.
Rand Paul: Hurricane Sandy relief ads were conflict of interest.
Rick Scott: Lay off DEP staff; environmental compliance & no enforcement.
Antonio Villaraigosa: Added 669 acres of open space & 1,549 miles of bikeways.
|
Families & Children
Elizabeth Warren: Federal funds to cap childcare at 7% of income.
Karin Housley: If women are empowered and independent they don't need laws.
Cathy Glasson: #1 job of governor is to raise family's standard of living.
Ayn Rand: Conservative thinking is a "God, family, tradition swamp.
|
Foreign Policy
Elizabeth Warren: Military action that kill civilians may create radicalism.
|
Free Trade
Darrell Castle: Trans Pacific Partnership is not about free trade.
Darrell Castle: Repeal NAFTA.
Arianna Huffington: CAFTA gives sweetheart provisions to drug companies.
|
Government Reform
Cynthia Nixon: The 'Cynthia Effect': Cuomo now for restoring voting rights.
Gary Johnson: Senate should consider Obama's Supreme Court nominee.
Lisa Murkowski: Scrutinize states with a history of voting discrimination.
Lisa Murkowski: Opportunity to vote, regardless of where people live.
John Kasich: A handful of billionaires should not decide who is president.
Newt Gingrich: Allow unlimited campaign contributions to anybody.
Tom Tancredo: 2001: pledged 3-term limit; 2002: served 4th & 5th term.
Terri Lynn Land: Super PACs are committed to Michigan.
Andrea Zopp: Voter ID laws are intended to limit the Black vote.
Shelley Berkley: Free Nevada: No out-of-state donations for Senate race.
Alan Khazei: Refuses PAC money and lobbyist campaign donations.
Barack Obama: Ok to take $5 donations from drug company employees.
Mike Gravel: Americans are getting fatter & dumber; must get empowered!
|
Gun Control
Tom Foley: Newtown law added inconveniences on law-abiding citizens.
John Hickenlooper: Universal background checks & ban on high capacity magazines.
Tom Tancredo: Running in opposition to new gun control laws.
Antonio Villaraigosa: Member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
Antonio Villaraigosa: Ban sales of assault weapons and Saturday night specials.
Tim Kaine: Limit high-capacity clips to no more than ten bullets.
|
Health Care
Josh Hawley: Get rid of ObamaCare, but cover pre-existing conditions.
Sarah Palin: Vouchers for veterans' health care outside the VA system.
Barack Obama: All kids should get vaccinated, but not by law.
Jeb Bush: You should vaccinate your children; over and out.
Marco Rubio: All kids should get vaccinated, with medical exceptions.
Rand Paul: Encourage vaccines, with religious exceptions.
Jeb Bush: Clear & concise response stops unneeded fears about Ebola.
Jeb Bush: Handle Ebola like I handled anthrax in 2001.
Bobby Jindal: Ebola isn't the last epidemic; it's just a harbinger.
David Perdue: Responsible thing to do: fix ObamaCare; don't repeal it.
Karen Handel: ObamaCare overreaches, but feds should address healthcare.
Karen Handel: ObamaCare canceled my wife's policy & doubled premiums.
Alison Grimes: Delay mandated coverage, but keep ObamaCare.
Jon Huntsman: Supported individual mandate in 2007; opposes it now.
Jon Huntsman: Supports market-based, consumer empowering legislation.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Waiting to decide on ObamaCare will provide better decision.
Antonin Scalia: OpEd: sympathetic to labeling ObamaCare unconstitutional.
John Roberts: OpEd: sympathetic to labeling ObamaCare unconstitutional.
Samuel Alito: OpEd: sympathetic to labeling ObamaCare unconstitutional.
Barack Obama: Government healthcare like members of Congress have.
Bill Richardson: Universal health care, no matter who you are.
Chris Dodd: Universal health mart: shop for best plan to suit your needs.
Chris Dodd: Require at age 55 a physical exam to qualify for Medicare.
Chris Dodd: Make people pay high price for voluntary choice of smoking.
Dennis Kucinich: Let the US be like every other industrialized democracy.
Hillary Clinton: A plan is necessary; but consensus is more necessary.
Hillary Clinton: Include insurance industry in discussions, but rein them in.
Joe Biden: Start paying for universal coverage with $100B in redundancy.
Joe Biden: Rethink healthcare by focusing on prevention.
John Edwards: $90B-$120B per year for healthcare, by ending Bush tax cut.
John Edwards: If not universal coverage, which people wouldn’t be covered?
John Edwards: Let people choose between private plan and single-payer.
John Edwards: Take on insurance & drug companies, who have blocked reform.
Mike Gravel: Universal coverage with guaranteed equal care.
Mike Gravel: Reforms fail because pharma companies control Congress.
Mike Gravel: Everybody should have the same health care.
|
Homeland Security
Darrell Castle: Withdraw from NATO; it's unaffordable & no longer useful.
Jeb Bush: Deal with bullies like Putin with strength, not nuance.
Richard Burr: OpEd: Quashed release of report about CIA torture.
Sarah Palin: Dozens of veterans per day commit suicide; VA should help.
Chris McDaniel: Why are Muslims never portrayed as villains by Hollywood?
Arianna Huffington: Guns vs. butter: make it part of the national debate.
Arianna Huffington: Reduce military spending or America will decline.
Dennis Kucinich: Strength through peace.
Mike Gravel: I ended the draft; I stopped nuclear testing.
|
Immigration
Elizabeth Warren: Bring people out of shadow economy & help social security.
Colin Powell: Opposes policy of separating migrant mothers and children.
Donald Trump: Melania's parents & Trump's grandparents did chain migration.
Darrell Castle: Libertarians favor open borders; Constitutionalists don't.
Jon Huntsman: Vetoed repeal of college tuition for illegal immigrants.
Bill Richardson: We pay for immigrant healthcare; have them pay into system.
Bill Richardson: Increase H-1B visas to permit more skilled workers.
Alberto Gonzales: Grandparents came from Mexico, illegally, for American dream.
|
Jobs
Rick Perry: The official unemployment rate is massaged and doctored.
Joe Biden: Labor unions have built the middle class and built America.
Mike McFadden: Gender-based pay equality & minimum wage? "Wrong questions".
|
Local Issues
Scott Walker: Build a new sports arena for the Milwaukee Bucks.
|
Principles & Values
Steve King: When did "white nationalist" become offensive language?
Colin Powell: First Amendment means the press can criticize the president.
Cynthia Nixon: Vote for the homo, not for the Cuomo.
Gary Johnson: Competes in 3,000-mile mountain bike race.
Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: No evidence Hillary's email server was hacked.
Bobby Jindal: OpEd: Appeals to both Ivy League-coasts and Bible Belt.
Mark Pryor: AdWatch: I believe in God and I believe in His word.
Paul Broun: Separation of church and state is a mistaken idea.
Tom Tancredo: Obama is greater threat to our way of life than any enemy.
Jeb Bush: GOP must stop being the party of 'anti' everything.
Jeb Bush: We need to be the party of inclusion and acceptance.
Heidi Heitkamp: AdWatch: criticized as "Heidi-ho" for "Barack-o" socialism.
Barack Obama: Reach out to faith community;faith has role in public square.
Bill Richardson: Would not leave NM governorship to be vice president.
|
Social Security
Gary Johnson: Create personal investment accounts.
Greg Gianforte: Noah in the Bible was still working at age 600.
Cory Booker: Opposes raising retirement age; expand entitlements.
Arianna Huffington: Calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme is radical & extreme.
Mike Pence: Down-the-road raising of the Social Security retirement age.
|
Tax Reform
Cary Kennedy: OpEd: proudly championed the state's mill levy freeze.
Donald Trump: Previously supported wealth tax; now supports Bush tax cuts.
Brad Ellsworth: Extend Bush tax cuts for all recipients.
Jack Conway: Extend Bush tax cuts for 5 to 10 more years.
Robin Carnahan: Extend Bush tax cuts for all recipients, including wealthy.
|
Technology
Darrell Castle: UN globalization observes every human being electronically.
George Pataki: FactCheck: No evidence Hillary's email server was hacked.
Tom Foley: No comment on reducing mass transit funding.
Joe Biden: WikiLeaks founder is a high-tech terrorist.
Barack Obama: JFK inspired with space program; now same with energy R&D.
|
War & Peace
Richard Burr: We have effective oversight of CIA and drone strikes.
Terri Lynn Land: No military action in Syrian civil war.
Mitt Romney: Troops to Syria if Assad spreads chemical weapons.
Barack Obama: Surge has not succeeded because it ignores political issues.
Bill Richardson: The surge is not working; Petraeus just being team player.
Bill Richardson: Iraqi situation is about to implode; withdraw all troops.
Chris Dodd: Surge has not made us safer, more secure, or less vulnerable.
Chris Dodd: Terminate funding for Iraq; compare Vietnam & persuade GOP.
Dennis Kucinich: US army has civilian leadership; it’s not Patraeus’ decision.
Dennis Kucinich: Congress has the Constitutional power to end the war.
Dennis Kucinich: Assassination is extrajudicial killing; not even Osama.
Hillary Clinton: Patraeus report requires willing suspension of disbelief.
Joe Biden: Patraeus report is wrong strategy; draw down troops now.
John Edwards: Focus on political progress in Iraq.
John Edwards: Congress has a mandate to defund war to force Bush out.
Mike Gravel: Patraeus report is tragic charade; we all knew what he’d say.
Mike Gravel: Pull American troops out; it can be done in 120 days.
Mike Gravel: Young men & women will die because of this nation’s mistake.
|
Welfare & Poverty
Howard Schultz: FoodShare: Distribute unsold Starbucks items to food banks.
Joe Biden: Americans don't want handouts, just to be given a chance.
Jeb Bush: If you're born poor, the odds are stacked against you.
Newt Gingrich: Fight crisis of secularism with church-based charity.
|