Who is Joe Biden?

We have been meaning to do this for awhile...so here is the profile for the VP nominee on the Democratic ticket: Joe Biden

Name: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr
Birthdate: November 20, 1942 (65 yrs old)
Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Current Occupation: Delaware Senator since 1973
Education: University of Delaware, B.A. in History and Political Science
Syracuse Universtiy, J.D. Law (grad. 1968)
Religion: Roman Catholic
Previous Political Positions: Member of New Castle County Council (1970-72)


Issues:

Abortion
- Allow women to choose, but no federal funding. (Jul 2007)
- Supports partial-birth abortion ban, but not undoing Roe. (Apr 2007)
- Accepts Catholic church view that life begins at conception. (Apr 2007)
- Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)

Budget and Economy
- Balancing budget is about priorities; GOP made wrong choices. (Dec 2007)
- Save Pentagon spending by getting the troops out of Iraq. (Dec 2007)
- More transparency for hedge funds and private equity funds. (Aug 2007)
- Invest in new programs by ending war & eliminating tax cuts. (Apr 2007)

Gay Rights
- Civil unions ok; gay marriage is probably inevitable. (Apr 2007)
- Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)

Crime

- Bush is impediment to hate crimes legislation. (Dec 2007)
- Biden Law of 1994 created several new capital offenses. (Nov 2007)
- Supports sentencing guidelines to put away violent criminals. (Jul 2007)
- Authored the Clinton crime bill & 100,000 cops on the street. (Jul 2007)

Drugs

- Took lead on drug policy & narcotics control. (Nov 2007)
- National ban on smoking would reduce chronic illnesses. (Sep 2007)

- Increase penalties for dealing drugs near schools. (Sep 2007)

- Absolutely do not lower drinking age from 21. (Sep 2007)

Education

- Hire more teachers and pay them for smaller classes. (Dec 2007)
- Laid out a $30 billion plan over five years for education. (Nov 2007)
- For longer school day & school year, & 16-year minimum. (Oct 2007)
- $3000 tax credit for college for anyone earning under $150K. (Sep 2007)
- There needs to be performance-based pay for teachers. (Aug 2007)
- Teach sex ed in schools; including prevention methods. (Aug 2007)
- Sent kids to private school after death of their mother. (Jul 2007)

Energy and Oil

- Voted YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (Jun 2008)
- Voted YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China. (May 2008)
- Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
- Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)

- Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)

Environment

- Take away the billions of subsidy to the oil companies. (Jun 2007)
- Scored 80% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection. (Jan 2007)
- Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)

Foreign Policy

- Doctrine of crisis prevention, not preemption. (Dec 2007)
- Hold China accountable; it's capitulation, not competition. (Dec 2007)
- Move from a Musharraf policy to a Pakistan policy. (Nov 2007)

- Pakistan is potentially most dangerous country in the world. (Aug 2007)

- Biggest threat to US is from North Korea, Iran, & Russia. (Apr 2007)
- Voted YES on enlarging NATO to include Eastern Europe. (May 2002)
- Voted YES on killing a bill for trade sanctions if China sells weapons. (Sep 2000)

Free Trade

- No to tariffs; just enforce the law. (Dec 2007)
- Built environmental and labor standards in trade agreements. (Dec 2007)
- Toughest choice: rationalizing competition & trade policy. (Dec 2007)
- Opposes fast-track to protect labor rights. (Nov 2007)
- Shut down any imports of toys from China. (Oct 2007)
- President's job is to create jobs, not to export jobs. (Aug 2007)

Gun Control

- Keep assault weapons ban; close gun show loophole. (Apr 2007)
- Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)

Health Care

- Modernize, simplify & expand health insurance. (Nov 2007)
- Help medical students find ways to finance their tuition. (Oct 2007)
- Start paying for universal coverage with $100B in redundancy. (Sep 2007)
- Rethink healthcare by focusing on prevention. (Sep 2007)

Homeland Security

- Universal national service, in military or Peace Corps. (Dec 2007)
- Commitment to never use torture; no part of our policy, ever. (Sep 2007)
- Don't Ask Don't Tell is antiquated & unworkable. (Aug 2007)
- Missile defense is perfect metaphor for neo-isolationism. (Jul 2007)
- Voted YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months. (Jul 2007)
- Voted YES on implementing the 9/11 Commission report. (Mar 2007)
- Voted YES on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. (Sep 2006)
- Voted YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods. (Sep 2006)
- Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)
- Voted NO on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision. (Dec 2005)

Immigration

- Voted for border fence, but to tackle drug trafficking. (Jun 2007)
- Voted YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities". (Mar 2008)
- Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform. (Jun 2007)
- Voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. (Jun 2007)

Social Security

- Raise the $97,500 cap, but don't raise retirement age. (Sep 2007)

Tax Reform

- Save $150 billion in tax cuts for people who don't need them. (Dec 2007)
- Take away $85B in annual tax cuts for 1% of top earners. (Jul 2007)
- Eliminate the tax cut just for those people in the top 1%. (Mar 2007)

Iraq War

- Third way: federalize Iraq; troops home; no chaos behind. (Nov 2007)

- Iraq war is sucking up a $150B a year. (Dec 2007)
- Post-colonial countries like Iraq need federal system. (Nov 2007)
- Troops out by 2013 if no political reconciliation. (Sep 2007)
- Patraeus report is wrong strategy; draw down troops now. (Sep 2007)

Fun Facts:

Has 5 grandchildren

Enjoys weightlifting, home design, and scetching

Last year Americans for Tax Reform gave Biden a grade 0

SOURCES: Wikipedia and OnTheIssues.org

Who is Sarah Palin?

Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard the name Sarah Palin thrown around...but even those of us interested in Politics were like "Sarah who?" when we heard the VP announcement. So we figured we should probably give you all some info on her before her speech tonight. This way you can read her facts, listen to her promises, and make your own decisions as to whether Palin is your girl, or just A-pallin (get it? apalling? heehee!)

Name: Sarah Louise Heath Palin
Age: 44 years old
Occupation: Governor of Alaska Dec. 4, 2006 - present

Religion: Pentecostal
School : Hawaii Pacific College and North Idaho College
Major: BS in Communications-Journalism, minor in Poli Sci

Previous Politcal Positions:

Chairperson, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission 2003-2004

Mayor of Wasill Alaska (pop. 6,715) 1996-2002

THE ISSUES

Gay Rights

Vetoed bill denying benefits to gays, as unconstitutional. (Aug 2008)
Marriage only be between and man and a woman. (Nov 2006)
Ok to deny benefits to homosexual couples. (Aug 2006)
No spousal benefits for same-sex couples. (Jul 2006)
Top priorities include preserving definition of "marriage". (Jul 2006)

Abortion

Opposes stem cell research. (Aug 2008)

Pro-life. (Nov 2006)
Pro-contraception, pro-woman, pro-life. (Aug 2006)
Only exception for abortion is if mother's life would end. (Jul 2006)

Corporations

Aim to reduce general fund spending by $150 million. (Jan 2007)
Firm believer in free market capitalism. (Nov 2006)

Encourage small business growth by reducing business taxes. (Nov 2006)

Drugs

If legislature passed death penalty law, I would sign it. (Nov 2006)
No special hate-crime laws; all heinous crime is hate-based. (Jul 2006)

Smoked marijuana when it was legal under Alaska law. (Aug 2006)

Education

Teach creationism alongside evolution in schools. (Aug 2008)
Supports teaching intelligent design in public schools. (Aug 2008)

Oil

Commercialize Alaska's North Slope natural gas. (Aug 2008)
To win, GOP must push energy independence. (Aug 2008)
Lift moratorium on offshore drilling. (Jul 2008)
Convinced McCain to drill offshore; not yet on drilling ANWR. (Jul 2008)
Unlock ANWR; we're ready, willing and able to contribute. (Jun 2008)

Environment

Opposed protections for salmon from mining contamination. (Aug 2008)
Sue US government to stop listing polar bear as endangered. (Aug 2008)
We must encourage timber, mining, drilling, & fishing. (Jan 2008)
Convince the rest of the nation to open ANWR. (Jan 2007)

Foreign Policy

N/A

Gun Control

Supports ending D.C.'s 32-year-old ban on handguns. (Jun 2008)
Lifelong NRA member & champion of right to bear arms. (Feb 2008)
Supports Constitutional right to bear arms. (Nov 2006)

Healthcare

Health care must be market-and business-driven. (Jan 2008)
Take personal responsibility for personal health & all areas. (Jan 2008)

Noteworthy:

- Alaska's first female governor

- First Republican VP female nominee

- 17 year old daughter Bristol is 5 months pregnant and will be marrying the father

Source: Wikipedia and OnTheIssues.org