How the presidential candidates stand on key issues

Favor abortion rights?

Clinton: Yes.

Obama: Yes.

Huckabee: No. Favors constitutional amendment banning abortion rights.

McCain: No. Says Roe vs. Wade should be overturned.

Romney: No. Would let states decide. Opposes constitutional amendment banning abortion. Previously supported abortion rights.

Economic stimulus

Clinton: $110 billion stimulus, including $40 billion in tax rebates of $250 for low- and middle-income taxpayers.

Obama: $250 rebates to low- and middle-income earners and $250 bonuses to Social Security recipients.

Huckabee: Supports Washington stimulus plan but questions “whose economy is going to be stimulated the most” if package is financed by foreign lenders and used to buy products made in China.

McCain: Cut corporate tax to 25 percent, let companies expense investments in equipment and technology in year of purchase instead of spread out.

Romney: $233 billion stimulus package includes $400 individual income tax rebates, cutting 10 percent income bracket to 7.5 percent. No rebates for low-income workers who pay no income tax. Cut corporate tax rate to 20 percent, provide tax incentives for investment in technology and equipment.

Education

Clinton: $10 billion for universal preschool. More money for special education. Opposes performance-based merit pay for teachers, favors incentives for teachers who work in places and on subjects where shortages exist. Supported No Child Left Behind accountability law but says it has not been properly financed or run, and should be replaced. $10,000 higher education scholarships for all who engage in national service full-time for a year. Raise value of tuition tax credit to a maximum $3,500 from $1,650.

Obama: Encourage but not require universal pre-­kindergarten programs, expand teacher mentoring programs and reward teachers with higher pay not tied to standardized test scores, in $18 billion plan to be paid for in part by delaying elements of moon and Mars missions. Change No Child Left Behind “so that we’re not just teaching to a test and crowding out programs like art and music.” Tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college expenses for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year.

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials, and right of parents to choose home schooling.

Huckabee: States are responsible for education and should be given more authority to run it, not Washington.

Romney: Supports federal requirements for standardized tests, praises No Child Left Behind law, supports “school choice, better pay for better teachers, high standards, scholarships for the best kids, English immersion.”

Gay marriage

Support same-sex marriage?

Clinton: Would let states decide whether to recognize same-sex marriage. Opposes constitutional amendment against it.

Obama: Would let states decide. Opposes constitutional amendment against it.

Huckabee: No. Amend Constitution to ban it.

McCain: Would let states regulate it. Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it.

Romney: No. Amend Constitution to ban it. Also opposes same-sex civil unions.

Global warming

Clinton: $150 billion, 10-year energy package for new fuel sources; backed stringent caps on greenhouse gas emissions.

Obama: $150 billion, 10-year program for “climate friendly” energy supplies, favors stringent caps on greenhouse gas emissions.

Huckabee: Supports increase to 35 mpg fuel efficiency standard by 2020, and emission caps.

McCain: Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher fuel efficiency.

Romney: Says tougher mileage standards are a burden on automakers. Opposes mandatory caps on greenhouse gases unless other countries take similar steps. Says answer is to free the country from dependence on foreign oil.

Gun control

Clinton: Voted for ban on assault-type weapons and to require background checks at gun shows. Favored leaving gunmakers and dealers open to civil suits. Also, in 2000 supported proposals for a federal requirement for state-issued photo gun licenses, as well as a national registry for handgun sales.

Obama: Voted to leave gun-makers and dealers open to lawsuit. Also, as Illinois state lawmaker, supported ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.

Huckabee: Supports state laws allowing people to carry concealed weapons and a national “right to carry” law that would require states to recognize concealed weapons permits issued by other states.

McCain: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons, but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gunmakers and dealers from civil suits.

Romney: As governor, supported state’s strict gun-control laws and signed into law one of the nation’s toughest laws against assault-type weapons. Also supported regulatory changes favored by gun owners and sellers, including setting up appeals process for people denied gun licenses. Previously supported federal ban on assault-type weapons and federal waiting period for purchases.

Health insurance

Clinton: Mandatory universal coverage in first term. Tax credits for working families to make insurance more affordable — ensuring premiums do not exceed a percentage of income. Businesses would be required to offer insurance to employees or pay into a pool for those without it. Expand Medicare and federal employees’ health insurance plan to cover those without adequate workplace insurance. Raise taxes on wealthier families to help pay estimated cost of $110 billion a year. Also raise taxes on a portion of “very generous” plans covering people making more than $250,000.

Obama: Mandatory coverage for children. Aim for universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

Huckabee: Favors market solutions, state innovation. “We don’t need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funding through ever-higher taxes.” Spend more on prevention and research.

McCain: $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, to make health insurance more affordable. No mandate for universal coverage. In gaining the tax credit, workers would not be allowed to deduct the portion of their workplace health insurance paid by their employers.

Romney: Incentives for states to expand affordable coverage. As governor, he signed health care law aimed at ensuring universal coverage through a mix of subsidies, sliding-scale premiums and penalties for those who do not get insurance.

Immigration

Support legal status for illegal aliens?

Clinton: Voted for 2006 bill that would have provided conditional path to citizenship, and supported border fence.

Obama: Voted for the 2006 bill, including the fence.

Huckabee: Has favored allowing illegal aliens who are in the country to apply for legal status if they pay penalties, get guest worker permits, register with authorities and aren’t allowed to jump in line ahead of other applicants. As governor, opposed banning state services for illegal immigrants.

McCain: Sponsored 2006 bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check. Now says he would secure the border first. Supports border fence.

Romney: Says he opposes McCain’s immigration bill, although he called it reasonable in 2005. Supports building a border fence with Mexico and stationing National Guard troops there. Calls for tamperproof ID card so only legal immigrants can work. Opposes policy allowing legal immigrants to host extended families in U.S.

Iraq

Clinton: Opposed troop increase, but has also opposed using congressional spending power to end war. Has not committed to withdrawal timetable and says some troops will have to remain to continue fighting terrorism in Iraq and the region.

Obama: “Our combat troops out within 16 months.”

Huckabee: Now faults Bush for not sending enough troops to Iraq at the start. Supported the 2007 troop increase and would not withdraw forces any faster than recommended by commanders.

McCain: Opposes scheduling a troop withdrawal, saying latest strategy is succeeding. Supported decision to go to war, but was early critic of the manner in which administration prosecuted it.

Romney: Supported troop increase and prosecution of the war.

Social Security

Democrats oppose using a part of payroll taxes to finance private retirement accounts. Republicans favor using a portion of payroll taxes to finance private retirement accounts.

Clinton: Noncommittal on raising the $97,500 income cap on Social Security. Proposes a federal match of up to $1,000 per person to help people set up 401(k) plans in program costing $25 billion a year, to be paid for by freezing the estate tax at 2009 levels.

Obama: Proposes raising cap with an unspecified “small adjustment” that would subject a portion of higher incomes to Social Security taxes.

Huckabee: Higher benefits for people who delay retirement past 70. Give retirees option of declining their benefits, and instead have Social Security issue a lump sum payment at their death, payable to their children or grandchildren.

McCain: Would consider “almost anything” as part of a compromise to save Social Security, yet rules out higher payroll taxes for now.

Romney: Higher taxes are “wrong way to go.”

Taxes

Republican candidates all favor making Bush’s tax cuts, expiring in 2010, permanent. Democrats would let the tax cuts for the richest taxpayers expire.

Clinton: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and keep estate tax on them. Higher tax breaks for college.

Obama: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains and dividends taxes. Raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks mainly for poor workers and elderly, including tripling Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credit for larger families.

Huckabee: Replace income and investment taxes with national sales tax, sheltering purchases up to poverty line.

McCain: Opposed some of Bush’s tax cuts because they were not tied to spending cuts, now says the tax cuts should be permanent. Cut corporate tax rate to 25 percent.

Romney: Tax breaks to those earning less than $200,000, eliminating capital gains, interest and dividend taxes for most. Cut corporate tax to 20 percent.

Trade

Clinton: Seek to reopen North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen enforcement of labor and environmental standards.

Obama: Seek to reopen NAFTA to strengthen enforcement of labor and environmental standards.

Huckabee: Blames China’s currency manipulation and weak U.S. regulatory enforcement for trade imbalance and imports of unsafe products, but has not said what he would do.

McCain: Free-trade advocate.

Romney: Renegotiate liberalized trade with China to stop currency manipulation that gives Chinese products unfair advantage.