2008

[manu1959]

well

[Bonnie]

well

Guiliani, although I still hold out hope for Romney to be somewhere in there, maybe vice president???

[avatar4321]

Id pick Guiliani easily. Although Id wish he would articulate his Immigration policy cause thats going to be important.

Of course, I am not going to vote for Guiliani in the primary. Im looking at Romney right now but its way too early.

[manu1959]

the g man and romney would be interesting.....covers the base with a bit of crossover.....

[Hobbit]

Id pick Guiliani easily. Although Id wish he would articulate his Immigration policy cause thats going to be important.

Of course, I am not going to vote for Guiliani in the primary. Im looking at Romney right now but its way too early.

He's said we need a hi-tech fence. No word on how to handle the ones already here, but the fence is the important part.

[Insein]

Great a billion dollar fence. That'll solve things.

I'm all for a fence if it doesnt cost a billion dollars so politicians can't find ways to misappropriate.

[manu1959]

Great a billion dollar fence. That'll solve things.

I'm all for a fence if it doesnt cost a billion dollars so politicians can't find ways to misappropriate.

how about a bunch of folks with guns 50m apart 50m from the border all facing south with orders to shoot to kill anyone that crosses the line....

[Gaffer]

I like tancredo, he would put up a fence and put the armed people along it aiming south with orders to shoot anyone crossing.

And NO amnisty

[manu1959]

I like tancredo, he would put up a fence and put the armed people along it aiming south with orders to shoot anyone crossing.

And NO amnisty

what are his other policies?

[Gaffer]

what are his other policies?

http://www.teamtancredo.com/issues.php



Voting Record
American Conservative Union A+
National Right to Life Committee A
National Rifle Association A
Family Research Council A
Americans for Better Immigration A+
National Federation of Independent Business A+



Immigration
Defense
Education
Social Security
Taxes
Abortion
Budget
Stem Cell Research
Gay Marriage
Health Care

Immigration
There is no doubt that America is facing an illegal immigration crisis. Currently, there are at least 12 million illegal aliens living in America. I am absolutely opposed to amnesty. In addition to rewarding those who broke our laws, amnesties simply do not solve the problem of illegal immigration. The only realistic solution to the problem of illegal immigration is a strategy of attrition, which seeks to reduce the flow of the illegal alien population over time by cutting off the incentives for coming to and staying in America - most importantly by eliminating the jobs magnet. America must also reexamine its legal immigration policies. Since 1990, that number has been roughly one million yearly - and that doesn't count illegal aliens. America should reduce legal immigration to 250,000 people a year, which will allow the newcomers to assimilate.

Defense
In the wake of the September 11th attacks and the ensuing war on terrorism, it has become clear that the United States is facing a new security threat. The war America is already engaged in will not be fought like the wars of the past. After witnessing the tragic terrorist attacks against the nation, it is now time to coordinate the efforts of federal, state, and local agencies to provide better homeland defense. Tomorrow's attacker is more likely to board a commercial airliner bound for the U.S. with a tourist or student visa - or he may simply walk across our porous southern or northern border carrying a device in his backpack. These issues must be addressed.

We are, I believe, in a clash of civilizations. That clash is fought on many fronts-some military, some diplomatic, and still others, ideological. On the military front we have won two significant victories. One was in Afghanistan where we destroyed the Taliban and Al Qaeda's command and control network. The second victory was in Iraq where, by toppling the Sunni dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and creating the embryonic infrastructure of a democracy, we set in a motion a chain of events that could lead to a major stregic advantage for us and for the West. This advantage emanates from the forced political equilibrium that can be brought to the region and Iraq itself now that Saddam has been dispatched. The deep schisms in Islam will force countries in the region to impose this equilibrium. Our continued presence in Iraq as the referee in a civil war inhibits this development.

We must take whatever steps are necessary to assure our ability to respond quickly to events in the area as the process of creating this new balance of power goes on. But the quicker that process starts, the better.

In his speech to the nation on the war in Iraq, the President said he was establishing a "November benchmark" for the Iraqis to complete the task of controlling all provinces of the country. This should be more than a benchmark. I believe it should be used as the time frame for our disengagement from Iraq.

We can maintain a military presence in the area to act as a quick response force with a mission to destroy Al Qaeda elements while simultaneously aiding the new balance of power in the region to develop.

At the end of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a lady asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have you given us?" He replied, "A Republic, if you can keep it." We have purchased an oppportunity for Iraq and the entire Middle East with the blood and treasure of America. It was a noble endavor for which all who served can be immensely proud. It is now time to see if the Iraqis can take advantage of the opportunity and "keep" what has been so dearly purchased.

Education
Having served as a public school teacher in Colorado and as the U.S. Secretary of Education's Regional Representative, I have earned real world knowledge of how to best educate America's children. Control over the education of our children must be in the hands of the parents. I believe in the ability of parents to choose the educational path best suited for their children. I support tax credits for families who choose to allow their children to attend any other institution whether it be a private, parochial, or home school. I oppose increased federal involvement in education, and broke ranks with my party to oppose the No Child Left Behind Act for that reason.

Social Security
It is important that we acknowledge some of the shortcomings of Social Security as it currently exists. The current system simply cannot cope with the upcoming demographic changes in our country. The ratio of workers to retirees will drop close to 2-to-1 within a generation. To provide for tomorrow’s retirees, we must become a nation of owners and savers.

Unfortunately, the existing Social Security program does not save or invest for future generations of seniors. Without action to strengthen Social Security, the only options available to the government beginning in 2016 will be massive tax increases, deep benefit cuts for seniors, borrowing money on an unprecedented scale, massive cuts in other government programs -- and likely all of the above.

Simply ignoring the impending crisis is irresponsible. Younger workers must be empowered to invest a portion of their payroll taxes into private accounts, which will allow us to gradually move away from the current unsustainable defined benefit approach of Social Security to a defined contribution approach -- similar to 401k programs and the Thrift Savings Plan available to federal employees. Until we provide the option of personal accounts to younger workers, we will never be able to afford Americans a personal stake in their own retirement.

Taxes
I support tax relief, because it helps families save more for retirement, education, and medical care. In addition to decreasing the overall amount of taxes Americans pay, I also support efforts to scrap the current cumbersome income tax system and start fresh with either a national sales tax or a flat tax.

Abortion
As a devout Christian, father, and grandfather, I am a strong believer in the right to life for the unborn child. For years, activist judges have undermined life. As president, I would stop this by appointing strict constructionists as judges, reining in the power of the judiciary, and supporting constitutional amendments that respect life.

Budget
Government is spending dangerously beyond its means. For years, Congresses and Presidents of both parties have continued to spend more money than they take in. The largest component of this spending-spree is entitlement spending.

Simply put, federal entitlement programs are too big and cost far too much. The American taxpayer cannot be asked to continue funding numerous entitlement programs or be all things for all people. Finally, we cannot ask the American people to pay higher taxes to finance this spending spree. We must remember that federal government is in debt because it spends too much, not because it taxes people too little.

There two types of government spending—discretionary and mandatory. Discretionary spending, which accounts for roughly one-third of all Federal spending, includes money for things like the Army, FBI, the Coast Guard and highway projects. Congress explicitly determines how much to spend (or not spend) on these programs on an annual basis.

Mandatory spending, on the other hand, accounts for some two-thirds of all government spending. This kind of spending is authorized by permanent laws. It includes ‘entitlements’—things like Social Security, Medicare, and Food Stamps—programs through which individuals receive benefits solely because of their age, income or other criteria. Spending levels in these areas are dictated by the number of people who sign up for these benefits, rather than by Congress. In order to reduce this kind of spending, Congress must make fundamental changes to the underlying programs – something that few political leaders in Washington have the stomach for.

The only way we can rein in government spending is to take on entitlement spending. And the only way to take on entitlement spending is to fundamentally reform the crumbling and unsustainable institutions of the welfare state. Until Americans demand changes in mandatory spending, we will simply be treating the symptom of deficits rather than addressing the underlying problem of excessive spending. Americans can no longer continue to borrow money from countries like China and allow government spending to run on autopilot. We cannot sit idly by; waiting for the impending fiscal train wreck that we all know is just down the tracks.

We must make fundamental reforms to our creaky 20th century welfare state if we are going to ensure a prosperous 21st century for America.

Stem Cell Research
Medical research to find cures for debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes is critically important. We should do everything in our power to seek new treatments and drugs to help cure these diseases. We cannot, however, compel American taxpayers to pay for research that intentionally destroys human life, or authorizes the farming or cloning of human embryos.

Embryonic stem cell research is not the only option for stem cell research. Other promising alternatives which do not destroy human life – such as cord blood stem cell research – have shown much promise without the moral and ethical questions that surround embryonic stem cell research.
Gay Marriage
I support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Unfortunately, every state in the union is now just one court ruling from being force-fed a new definition of marriage. If Congress does not act, people like San Francisco’s mayor and a few judges in Massachusetts will be able to dictate to the entire country what does and does not constitute marriage.

To impose gay marriage on Americans through judicial fiat flies in the face of both traditional American values and the time-honored tenets of American federalism.

Health Care
The way to address America’s heath care problems is not through bigger government programs, litigation, regulation, or additional government spending. Indeed, these things have contributed and continue to contribute to the rising cost of health care.

Another contributing factor is illegal immigration. While illegal immigration isn’t generally the first thing Americans think of when they think about health care, it has a significant impact on the cost, availability and quality of health care available to Americans.

The millions of uninsured illegal aliens in this country invariably get sick or injured. When they do, they seek what ends up being very expensive treatment in hospital emergency rooms – treatment federal law requires health care personnel to provide. The problem has become so acute that Congress recently allocated $1 billion in taxpayer funds to defray the costs incurred by hospitals treating illegal aliens. This is another good reason for our government to take the problem of illegal immigration seriously.

I believe in market based solutions to health care problems. One solution is the use of Association Health Plans or AHP’s. AHP’s would assist greatly in improving access to affordable health care – without creating a new big government scheme.

AHPs would allow small business owners to band together through pre-existing professional associations to purchase health insurance at reduced rates. It will help to reduce the number of uninsured Americans by giving small business the same accessibility, affordability, and choice in the health care marketplace that Fortune 500 companies and unions now enjoy. Experts estimate that up to 8.5 million uninsured small business workers could gain coverage and small business owners would save up to 25 percent on health insurance enabling more businesses to provide coverage.

[manu1959]

too far right for me.....hands off big business kind guy which i like....messing with my personal life kinda guy which i don't like....

[Pale Rider]

well

I can't vote in your poll bro. I'd never vote for either one of those guys.

Tom Tancredo is getting my vote, even if he isn't on the ballot. I'll write him in.

[Insein]

how about a bunch of folks with guns 50m apart 50m from the border all facing south with orders to shoot to kill anyone that crosses the line....

It'd be cheaper.

[Insein]

too far right for me.....hands off big business kind guy which i like....messing with my personal life kinda guy which i don't like....

Well the left has been messing with your personal life for years. You should be ashamed of being married (pushing for easy divorce), you should be ashamed of being heterosexual (pushing the gay agenda so hard), you can't teach your kids about life thats for the government to do, you can't be a parent to your kids on major issues (underage girl can get an abortion without parental consent).

I think these authoritarian views by Christians are not RIGHT of the spectrum. They are in fact left of the spectrum. Far right is total anarchy. Freedom to do whatever, whenever to whoever. Far left is total authoritarianism. Government tells you what to do, how to do it and who to do it with or else.

[Insein]

I can't vote in your poll bro. I'd never vote for either one of those guys.

Tom Tancredo is getting my vote, even if he isn't on the ballot. I'll write him in.

If he's in the primary, he'll get my vote there unless someone else comes along with similar views on taxes, border and defense but less on abortion and marriage ammendments.