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Books by and about 2020 presidential candidates |
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Crippled America,
by Donald J. Trump (2015) |
Fire and Fury,
by Michael Wolff (2018) |
Trump Revealed,
by Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher (2016) |
The Making of Donald Trump,
by David Cay Johnston (2016) |
Promise Me, Dad ,
by Joe Biden (2017) |
The Book of Joe ,
by Jeff Wilser (2019; biography of Joe Biden) |
The Truths We Hold,
by Kamala Harris (2019) |
Smart on Crime,
by Kamala Harris (2010) |
Guide to Political Revolution,
by Bernie Sanders (2017) |
Where We Go From Here,
by Bernie Sanders (2018) |
Our Revolution,
by Bernie Sanders (2016) |
This Fight Is Our Fight,
by Elizabeth Warren (2017) |
United,
by Cory Booker (2016) |
Conscience of a Conservative,
by Jeff Flake (2017) |
Two Paths,
by Gov. John Kasich (2017) |
Every Other Monday,
by Rep. John Kasich (2010) |
Courage is Contagious,
by John Kasich (1998) |
Shortest Way Home,
by Pete Buttigieg (2019) |
Becoming,
by Michelle Obama (2018) |
Higher Loyalty,
by James Comey (2018) |
The Making of Donald Trump,
by David Cay Johnston (2017) |
Higher Loyalty ,
by James Comey (2018) |
Trump vs. Hillary On The Issues ,
by Jesse Gordon (2016) |
Outsider in the White House,
by Bernie Sanders (2015) |
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Book Reviews |
(from Amazon.com) |
(click a book cover for a review or other books by or about the presidency from Amazon.com)
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| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
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Abortion
Leslie Rutledge: Honored for Arkansas to be named most pro-life state.
Dan Whitfield: Pro-choice but focus on sex ed & access to contraceptives.
Tom Cotton: Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided; let states decide.
Mark West: Oppose abortion, but give options to women in crisis.
Jared Henderson: Supports available legal abortion but won't run on the issue.
Frank Gilbert: Only allow abortion for rape, incest, and maternal life.
Curtis Coleman: Champion of the rights of the unborn.
Conner Eldridge: I'm personally opposed, but Roe v Wade is the law.
Asa Hutchinson: Human life begins at conception.
Tom Cotton: AdWatch: I believe in God; and only God has all the answers.
Curtis Coleman: Supports umbilical stem cell research, but not embryonic.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Boozman's pro-life stance puts rapists over victims.
John Boozman: Opposes transporting minors across state lines for abortion.
Bruce Westerman: Pro-life; no exceptions for incest or rape.
Bruce Westerman: Stem cell research ok, but not embryonic stem cell research.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Take objective approach to judicial confirmation process.
Jim Holt: Would not support any pro-choice judicial candidate.
Mike Huckabee: Supports woman’s right-to-know legislation.
Mike Huckabee: Pro-life, but respects choice as mandated law.
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Budget & Economy
Mark West: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.
Jared Henderson: Bring new ideas and out-of-the-box thinking to economy.
Curtis Coleman: Work tirelessly to reduce our deficit & pay back $18T debt.
Conner Eldridge: Start doing something about $18 trillion in debt.
French Hill: Cut low-priority spending; smaller federal government.
Nathan LaFrance: Politicians CANNOT control government spending; time for BBA.
Asa Hutchinson: Free enterprise is key to national prosperity.
Mike Ross: AdWatch: Voted for $7 trillion in new debt and bailouts.
Asa Hutchinson: AdWatch: Worked for lobbying firm after leaving Congress.
Mike Ross: AdWatch: Trillions of things in common with Pelosi & Obama.
Bruce Westerman: Favors economic growth and cuts as opposed to raising taxes.
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Civil Rights
Leslie Rutledge: Supports election fraud lawsuit filed by Texas.
Dan Whitfield: No discrimination for sexual orientation or identity.
Dan Whitfield: Solving systemic racism will improve life for Americans.
Mark West: No authority over relationships between same-sex adults.
Jared Henderson: Supports LGBT citizens but not for across the board revamps.
Conner Eldridge: Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act.
Curtis Coleman: Protect right to free practice of our faith.
Conner Eldridge: OpEd: Dems embrace same-sex marriage; Eldridge is reluctant.
Asa Hutchinson: Government shouldn't redefine marriage.
Asa Hutchinson: Marriage should be only one-man-one-woman.
Frank Gilbert: State should stay out of the marriage business.
Mike Ross: Personally opposes gay marriage, but abide by Supreme Court.
Bruce Westerman: Opposes affirmative action.
Curtis Coleman: Marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Defer to military decision on Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell.
John Boozman: Keep Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell; the policy has worked well.
Bruce Westerman: No civil unions; no same-sex marriage.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Oppose amending the federal constitution to ban gay marriage.
Jim Holt: Amend the federal constitution to ban gay marriage.
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Corporations
Dan Whitfield: Close loopholes so corporations pay more than zero in taxes.
Jared Henderson: Give right tools to right people, & jobs will flourish.
Tom Cotton: AdWatch: Worked as management consultant, not in insurance.
John Boozman: Tax cuts for higher income helps small business owners.
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Crime
Dan Whitfield: Need to reform, not "defund," the police.
Dan Whitfield: End the corruption of private prisons.
Leslie Rutledge: Death row executions continue with sedative.
Dan Whitfield: Greater firepower is not solution; deal with systemic racism.
Tom Cotton: Zero tolerance for destruction during protests.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Prisons shouldn't profit off of people.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Prisons shouldn't profit off of people.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Reduce prison population; impose sentencing caps.
Asa Hutchinson: Give criminals a second chance.
Asa Hutchinson: Increased funding for law enforcement.
Mark West: Fewer non-violent offenses, but respect victims rights.
Asa Hutchinson: Four executions in 8 days; keep protocol of lethal injection.
Asa Hutchinson: Balance public safety with giving a second chance in life.
Curtis Coleman: No mandatory minimums, but death penalty ok.
Conner Eldridge: Work with law enforcement to reduce threats of violence.
Mark Swaney: Eliminate the federal death penalty.
Mike Beebe: Let non-violent offenders repay debt to society productively.
Bruce Westerman: Supports capital punishment; opposes building more prisons.
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Drugs
Dan Whitfield: Let voters in each state determine how to treat marijuana.
Tom Cotton: Stiffer penalties for deceptively trafficking in fentanyl.
Dan Whitfield: Marijuana should be federally decriminalized.
Mark West: Marijuana is not a gateway drug.
Conner Eldridge: Spent 5 years as US Attorney taking on drug traffickers.
Mike Beebe: Heavier penalties for drug trade; but not for possession.
Bruce Westerman: No medical marijuana; no decriminalization.
Mike Huckabee: Treatment for drug use instead of incarceration.
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Education
Tim Griffin: Wants more parental choice in education.
Tom Cotton: Cut funding to schools using 1619 Project about slavery.
Tim Griffin: Looks forward to school choice funding of religious schools.
Dan Whitfield: Free college for 2-year degrees; lower interest rates.
Dan Whitfield: Promote vocational training for those not going to college.
Dan Whitfield: Raise teacher's minimum salary to $40,000.
Dan Whitfield: Cap the interest rate on Federal Student Loans at 1-2%.
Dan Whitfield: Raise teachers' salaries from $33K to $40K.
Asa Hutchinson: Invest in tech education & early education.
Mark West: De-link funding from standardized tests; then vouchers ok.
Asa Hutchinson: Fund colleges based on productivity.
Jared Henderson: Education is the catalyst to strong economy and prosperity.
Asa Hutchinson: ArFuture Grants: pay tuition & stay in state for 3 years.
Curtis Coleman: Opposes mandatory reforms for competitive federal grants.
Conner Eldridge: I attended public schools and I will prioritize education.
Asa Hutchinson: Post the Ten Commandments in public school buildings.
Mike Ross: AdWatch: Unwavering commitment to our children and schools.
Mike Beebe: Teach science and math using new, national methods.
Bruce Westerman: Supports charter schools; opposes Common Core.
Mike Huckabee: First priority: Raise teacher salaries.
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Energy & Oil
Dan Whitfield: Climate change is real; make Arkansas leader in clean energy.
Dan Whitfield: Climate change exists even if we pretend it doesn't.
Josh Mahony: Climate change is man-made.
Mark West: Government shouldn't play favorites in energy market.
Mark Swaney: Tax carbon to encourage people to use alternatives.
Curtis Coleman: Use every American energy source to end external dependency.
Curtis Coleman: Cap-and-trade is a massive tax on energy consumption.
Bruce Westerman: Expansion of energy sources should be market driven.
Jim Holt: Drilling for oil in Alaska won’t cause environmental damage.
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Environment
Mark West: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.
Asa Hutchinson: Reduce burden of unreasonable regulations.
Conner Eldridge: Repeal overly-burdensome regulations that hurt farmers.
Curtis Coleman: EPA poses a serious threat to property rights.
John Boozman: EPA regulations make dirtier climate abroad & no gain in US.
Bruce Westerman: Fight EPA expansion of protected waters.
Mike Beebe: Important to preserve forests to protect jobs.
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Families & Children
Asa Hutchinson: Reformed child welfare system with faith-based partners.
Asa Hutchinson: More funding for foster children.
Tom Cotton: Domestic violence victim funding pushes ideological agenda.
Asa Hutchinson: Reform divorce laws to increase waiting period.
Mike Huckabee: Supports “covenant marriage”.
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Foreign Policy
Ricky Dale Harrington: As missionary in China, saw lack of rights under Communism.
Tom Cotton: Buy strategically-important Greenland, to block China.
Mark West: Just because something is American doesn't make it better.
Asa Hutchinson: Eradicate North Korean leadership, but no assassinations.
Conner Eldridge: Advocate for an aggressive, unapologetic foreign policy.
Bruce Westerman: Negotiate Israel-Palestine deal directly, not through UN.
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Free Trade
Tim Griffin: Applauds USMCA for promoting trade, economic growth.
Asa Hutchinson: Supports USMCA trade agreement to replace NAFTA.
Asa Hutchinson: Supports high tariffs to eventually lead to low tariffs.
Mark West: Support & expand free trade.
Conner Eldridge: Opposes Trans Pacific Partnership; supports fair trade.
Bruce Westerman: Expand foreign markets for farm exports.
Mike Beebe: Cuba's interest in AR exports is good for the state.
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Government Reform
Dan Whitfield: Favors ranked choice voting.
Dan Whitfield: End gerrymandering, use computer algorithm to draw lines.
Dan Whitfield: Reform Postal Service; against privatization.
Dan Whitfield: Lower pay for elected officials.
Dan Whitfield: Denied ballot access in 2020, not dropping fight for 2022.
Dan Whitfield: Elected officials should give up financial privacy.
Dan Whitfield: All elected officials should liquidate their portfolios.
Dan Whitfield: Corporate spending is not speech; end Citizens United.
Dan Whitfield: Sued over signature requirement for ballot during pandemic.
Dan Whitfield: Elected officials should give up rights to financial privacy.
Asa Hutchinson: Cut outdated regulations and cut government employees.
Mark West: Make voter registration easier.
Conner Eldridge: Rid the political system of secret, dark money.
Curtis Coleman: 12-year term limits: citizen legislators and judges.
Nathan LaFrance: Term limits will accomplish with CFR attempts to do.
Asa Hutchinson: Photo ID for voting.
Asa Hutchinson: 1999: Brought articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton.
Mike Ross: Left Congress due to growing acrimony of national politics.
Mark Pryor: Government shutdown is reckless & irresponsible.
Bruce Westerman: Require proof of identity when voting.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: No moratorium on earmarks; they fund local projects.
Bruce Westerman: Limit campaign contributions but not campaign spending.
Jim Holt: Campaign reform is incumbency protection.
Mike Huckabee: Not more government, but more efficient government.
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Gun Control
Dan Whitfield: Disarming citizens unconstitutional, but check backgrounds.
Dan Whitfield: Disarming citizens against everything America stands for.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Right of people to bear arms "shall not be infringed".
Ricky Dale Harrington: Right of people to bear arms shall not be infringed.
Josh Mahony: Mental health reform, but we need Congress to pass it.
Tom Cotton: Mental health reform to block access to firearms.
Josh Mahony: Mental health reform; but how do we do it?
Tom Cotton: Mental health reform; but how do we do it?
Mark West: Absolute right to gun ownership.
Jared Henderson: No guns on campus; won't commit yet on open carry.
Conner Eldridge: Enforce the gun laws already on the books.
Curtis Coleman: Champion of our 2nd Amendment rights.
Nathan LaFrance: Attempts at building a federal gun registry are wrong.
Asa Hutchinson: Opposes more gun restrictions.
Bruce Westerman: No background checks, no licensing, for concealed carry.
Mike Huckabee: Supports self-defense and ‘castle doctrine’.
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Health Care
Tom Cotton: Supreme Court got it wrong o ObamaCare individual mandate.
Dan Whitfield: Medicare for All--human misery should never be monetized.
Dan Whitfield: Coronavirus: China is not the enemy; COVID-19 is.
Tom Cotton: Introduced bill to cut off purchase of China-made drugs.
Dan Whitfield: Universal healthcare, like every other industrialized nation.
Josh Mahony: Supports public option; preserve private health insurance.
Mark West: Oppose ObamaCare.
Asa Hutchinson: Work requirement for Medicaid.
Jared Henderson: Support Arkansas Works; concentrate on reducing premiums.
Asa Hutchinson: $5M for Mental Health Stabilization Centers.
Curtis Coleman: I will never vote to fund ObamaCare.
Conner Eldridge: Improve ObamaCare rather than distractions about repeal.
French Hill: ObamaCare is a $2.2 trillion mistake.
Tom Cotton: AdWatch: No, Cotton won't end Medicare guarantee.
Mike Beebe: Expand state Medicaid, but with low-income private option.
Mark Pryor: AdWatch: False that Medicare vouchers increase seniors' cost.
Tom Cotton: AdWatch: Cotton supports Medicare "premium support" vouchers.
Asa Hutchinson: A lot of budget "fuzziness" if private option is not renewed.
Mike Ross: Voted for ObamaCare early on but now consistently against it.
Mike Ross: Voted against individuals keeping health insurance plans.
Mark Pryor: AdWatch: Targeted by RNC robocalls for support of ObamaCare.
Tom Cotton: Federal shut down to force ObamaCare delay by one year.
Tom Cotton: FactCheck: No special subsidies for congressional staff.
Mike Beebe: Provide better care without federal Affordable Care Act.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Fix broken logistics of healthcare delivery.
John Boozman: I want to be the deciding vote to repeal ObamaCare.
John Boozman: Nothing in healthcare bill controls cost; much escalates it.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Worked to ensure the overhaul helped small businesses.
John Boozman: Solution like overhaul is what's wrong with government.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: I stopped the public option in ObamaCare.
John Boozman: Something needs to be done, but ObamaCare is a job killer.
Bruce Westerman: No public option; no individual mandates.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Can’t get our arms around the uninsured.
Mike Huckabee: ARKids First program: record decreases in uninsured.
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Homeland Security
Dan Whitfield: Invest in the VA: education on bases for soldiers' children.
Mark West: Military expansion results in international police.
Conner Eldridge: Ensure stable military and VA funding.
Curtis Coleman: AdWatch: Boozman voted to curtail civil liberties; I won't.
Curtis Coleman: Oppose unconstitutional activities by the NSA.
Nathan LaFrance: Meta-data collection of phone records is unconstitutional.
Tom Cotton: AdWatch: No sense of entitlement from serving in military.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Seniority concerns shouldn’t outweigh intelligence decisions.
Jim Holt: Trust Bush’s homeland security decisions and recommendations.
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Immigration
Dan Whitfield: End migrant child detention facilities: use foster care.
Mark West: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
Jared Henderson: We can learn and grow by listening to the immigrants stories.
Conner Eldridge: Pathway to legal status but no amnesty.
Curtis Coleman: 100% opposed to amnesty in any form or by any mechanism.
Bruce Westerman: Control the borders, then implement guest worker program.
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Jobs
Dan Whitfield: Large corporations required to pay $15 minimum wage.
Dan Whitfield: Regain workers' rights and protections through Unionism.
Mark West: No discriminatory hiring practices but no affirmative action.
Mark Swaney: Abandon minimum wage in favor of living wage.
Jim Holt: Restrict China trade until they float their currency.
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Local Issues
Asa Hutchinson: Shift lottery authority to new state agency.
Frank Gilbert: Do away with the lottery; not the right way to fund schools.
Mike Ross: Opposed lottery initially; but now let's make it better.
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Principles & Values
Tim Griffin: Supports Supreme Court nominations in election year.
Tom Cotton: Slavery was necessary evil upon which union was built.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Libertarian for those unhappy with Democrats AND Republicans.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Converted from Blue-Dog Democrat; married with three kids.
Mark West: No religious viewpoint should be publicly imposed.
Frank Gilbert: Christian Libertarian & believes in Non-Aggression Principle.
Mark Pryor: AdWatch: I believe in God; and only God has all the answers.
Tom Cotton: Served in military, academia, and as management consultant.
Tom Cotton: Fastest male in Congress; has finished 11 marathons.
Mark Pryor: Campaign theme: Pryor is responsible, Cotton is reckless.
Mark Pryor: AdWatch: I believe in God and I believe in His word.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Some say I'm too liberal; some say I'm too conservative.
John Boozman: Arkansas can't afford Blanche Lincoln anymore.
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Social Security
Mark West: System going bankrupt; cautious transition to privatization.
Curtis Coleman: Divert some FICA taxes into personal retirement accounts.
Conner Eldridge: Protect seniors from privatization and Wall Street gambling.
French Hill: Keep our promises, and enhance 401k's & reverse mortgages.
Tom Cotton: Oppo AdWatch: supports Privatizing social security.
John Boozman: Private accounts should be looked at as an option.
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Tax Reform
Tim Griffin: Eliminating state income tax should be our goal.
Dan Whitfield: Close loopholes for wealthy; lower taxes for working class.
Asa Hutchinson: 2-4-5.9 plan: flatten & simplify rates, to spur growth.
Jared Henderson: Fight against raising grocery tax, to protect families.
Mark West: Lower taxes on everyone.
Asa Hutchinson: Tax cuts attract keep veterans in state.
Asa Hutchinson: Tax cuts keep Arkansas competitive : cut from 6.9% to 6%.
Jared Henderson: Supports the Republican low and middle class income tax cuts.
Conner Eldridge: Lower taxes for families and small businesses.
Curtis Coleman: Simple Flat Tax plan: 10% for all personal income tax.
French Hill: We need a simple fair tax code instead of wet blanket.
Nathan LaFrance: Replace income tax with national sales tax.
Asa Hutchinson: Don't raise any taxes, while reducing individual tax rate.
Frank Gilbert: Don't raise any taxes, and eliminate income tax.
Mike Ross: I support lower tax rates.
Asa Hutchinson: Tax reduction will spur job growth.
Mike Beebe: Cut regressive grocery sales tax now; eliminate it later.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Extend tax cuts for low and middle income.
John Boozman: Support the FairTax; abolish the Internal Revenue Service.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: The ultrawealthy should not receive tax cuts.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: National sales tax of 23% is just a bad idea for Arkansans.
Blanche Lambert Lincoln: Like to see tax cuts for the lower and middle class.
Jim Holt: Taxes should be cut further.
Wesley Clark: Middle- & working-class tax cuts are an economic-growth tool.
Mike Huckabee: Remove the poorest taxpayers from the tax rolls.
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Technology
Tom Cotton: Protect officials, government employees from "doxing".
Dan Whitfield: Internet info should be personal property, not providers'.
Asa Hutchinson: Focus on technology education & Innovation Council.
Mike Huckabee: Arkansas becoming a leader in e-government.
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War & Peace
Dan Whitfield: Bring troops home; stop destabilizing foreign governments.
Dan Whitfield: America has been in the business of war for far too long.
Ricky Dale Harrington: End costly wars and foreign entanglements.
Ricky Dale Harrington: Repeal the War Powers Act & Patriot Act.
Mark West: Avoid foreign entanglements.
Curtis Coleman: Use military force top prevent nuclear proliferation.
Conner Eldridge: Provide resources to keep military strongest in the world.
Conner Eldridge: Opposes Obama's Iran nuclear deal; needs more verification.
Bruce Westerman: No way we can accept a nuclear Iran.
Mark Swaney: Iraq war was a waste, based on a lie.
Tom Cotton: Jihadists attack us for who we are.
Tom Cotton: Iraq War was just and noble.
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Welfare & Poverty
Dan Whitfield: Require all homeless shelters to be handicap accessible.
Jim Holt: Separation of church and state cannot be done.
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