Their Work, Their Wishes, Their Words

Their work, their wishes, their words The Presidential Candidates

By: Scott Canon | Kansas City Star

Posted: 2/14/08

From the debates to the TV ads, information about this year's presidential candidates is coming from all sides. Wading through it all can be overwhelming. Here we give you a quick snapshot of who the candidates -- Republican and Democrat -- are and what they're about.

BIOGRAPHIES+ HUCKABEE:  Baptist pastor  president of Arkansas Baptist Convention  10 years as Arkansas governor  Iraq War: Opposes timetable for pull-out or withdrawal without endorsement of top US military command.  Closer look (to what they say): Bill Clinton cut Arkansas taxes, too, just not as broadly as Huckabee. Although, he cut taxes 94 times as governor, his term finished with a $500 million net increase in taxes.

McCAIN:  former Navy pilot  Vietnam-era prisoner of war  US senator from Arizona  Iraq War: Was an early advocate of the war and of the 2006 surge, although he often criticized the administration’s handling of the war. Wants troops to stay until Iraq is stable & secure.  Closer look (to what they say): The Congressional Budget Office, Treasury, and the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors agree that the tax cuts lead to revenues that are lower than they otherwise would have been – even if they spurred some economic growth.

PAUL:  obstetrician, gynecologist, long-time US representative from Texas, one-time Libertarian Party presidential candidate  Iraq War: Opposed invasion; would immediately withdraw all troops from Iraq.  Closer look (to what they say): Few legal scholars agree that the World trade Organization or the Central American Free Trade Agreement would give international groups the power to impose such restrictions on Americans.

CLINTON:  Yale-educated lawyer  advised Children’s Defense Fund  former First Lady  US senator from New York  Iraq War: Phased withdrawal within 60 days of inauguration, aiming to remove most US troops by 2014; Would leave small force to support Iraqi government, to deter aggression from neighbors, and to protect Kurds.  Closer look (to what they say): The $2.6 billion in tax breaks for oil companies offset by $2.9 billion in tax increases. The net was $300 million tax increase over 11 years.

OBAMA:  lawyer  community organizer  former Illinois state senator  keynote speaker at 2004 Democratic National Convention  US senator from Illinois  Iraq War: Pull out 1-2 brigades per month in 16 months, leaving forces to protect US Embassy, to redeploy some troops to Afghanistan, to aid Iraqi troops only after initial reconciliation.  Closer look (to what they say): His proposals require that children have coverage and be covered under their parents’ insurance up to age 25. Of about 46.5 million uninsured, most are adults. Details of his plan are not specific enough to tell how many might be left uninsured.