VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports Roe v. Wade and abortion rights: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1 NO on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions: Favors topic 1 NO on restricting UN funding for population control policies: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports civil unions; opposes constitutional ban: Favors topic 3 Supports don’t ask, don’t tell rule for military: Opposes topic 3 Opposes constitutional ban of gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 NO on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Dangerousness, not mental incompetence, limits gun rights: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on prohibiting foreign & UN aid that restricts US gun ownership: Favors topic 10 YES on allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains: Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Focus on health access, not on corporate profits: Favors topic 5 Don’t let drug companies write Rx drug plan: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: Favors topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5 YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Favors topic 5 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Opposes using Social Security taxes for private accounts: Opposes topic 6 NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	Public education levels the playing field: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-3 points on Economic scale)	Support alternative sources instead of drilling ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Opposes topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on requiring full Senate debate and vote on cap-and-trade: Opposes topic 18 YES on protecting middle-income taxpayers from a national energy tax: Opposes topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
No opinion on topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-5 points on Economic scale)	Our tax policy is creating a permanent underclass: Favors topic 11 Our tax policies make no sense: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: Favors topic 11 NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	Secure the border first; them deal with other aspects: Opposes topic 12 Tamper-proof ID card; stricter enforcement against employers: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Allow illegal immigrants a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program: Neutral topic 12 YES on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Enforce existing trade laws to create fair trade: Opposes topic 13 GOP free trade dream world costs American jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 13 I will lead the ANTI out-sourcing of American jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Quit Reagan administration protesting cuts to Navy budget: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Increasing number of lobbyists is a problem: Favors topic 16
No opinion on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	YES on requiring FISA court warrant to monitor US-to-foreign calls: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+5 points on Social scale)	No patriotism question when Eisenhower questioned Korean War: Strongly Favors topic 17 It was a mistake to go to Iraq; said so before Senate vote: Strongly Favors topic 17 America is fighting the wrong war in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Honors troops but questions Bush’s strategic errors: Favors topic 17 A cogent critic of the war in Iraq: Favors topic 17 Opposed the War on Iraq on pragmatic grounds: Favors topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months: Opposes topic 17