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Was invading Iraq a mistake?
Obama says yes. He was a vocal critic before the war started.
From Obama's website: "I spoke out against what I called 'a rash war' in Iraq. I worried about, 'an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences."
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How long should American troops be in Iraq?
Obama will bring the majority of American troops home within 1-2 years.
From Obama's website: "Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months."
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How should the U.S. deal with the threat of a nuclear Iran?
Obama favors diplomacy with and possible sanctions against Iran.
From Obama's website: "Obama would offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation. Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make progress."
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Should the U.S. military be expanded or downsized?
Obama will expand the military.
From Obama's website: "We have learned from Iraq that our military needs more men and women in uniform to reduce the strain on our active force. Obama will increase the size of ground forces, adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines."
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What is the best way to improve the American economy?
Obama will implement more favorable trade policies and create more high tech jobs.
From Obama's website: "Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs...Obama will also make long-term investments in education, training, and workforce development so that Americans can leverage our strengths our ingenuity and entrepreneurialism to create new high-wage jobs and prosper in a world economy."
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Who needs tax cuts most: lower, middle, or upper-class Americans?
Obama will reduce taxes for lower and middle class Americans.
From Obama's website: "Obama will provide all low and middle-income workers a Making Work Pay tax credit to offset the payroll tax those workers pay in every paycheck. Obama will also eliminate taxes for seniors making under $50,000 per year."
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Should government spending increase or decrease?
Obama believes government spending should decrease.
From Obama's website: "Obama believes that a critical step in restoring fiscal discipline is enforcing pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budgeting rules which require new spending commitments or tax changes to be paid for by cuts to other programs or new revenue."
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How should we deal with illegal immigrants currently living in America?
Obama believes illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. should be given a path to citizenship.
From Obama's website: "Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens."
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Should we build a fence between the U.S. and Mexico?
Obama says yes.
Obama voted in favor of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 to build 700 miles of fence between the U.S. and Mexico.
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Should abortion be legal?
Obama believes abortion should be legal.
Obama quoted by Project Vote Smart: "Abortions should be legally available in accordance with Roe v. Wade"
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Should gun ownership be more regulated or less regulated?
Obama will increase gun control regulations.
Remarks by Obama during a Democratic Debate: "What I do think we can do is to provide just some common-sense enforcement. One good example -- this is consistently blocked -- the efforts by law enforcement to obtain the information required to trace back guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers. That's not something that the NRA has allowed to get through Congress, and as president I intend to make it happen."
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Should gay marriage be legal?
Obama would leave the issue of gay marriage to be decided by individual states.
Remarks by Obama during a speech in the U.S. Senate: "I agree with most Americans, with Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Cheney, with over 2,000 religious leaders of all different beliefs, that decisions about marriage, as they always have, should be left to the states."
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Should the government offer affordable healthcare to all Americans?
Obama will implement a government health plan that offers insurance to all Americans. The plan allows people to opt out for private health care.
From Obama's website: "Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress."
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What is the best way to save the environment and achieve energy independence?
Obama will give companies incentives to be energy efficient and fund research to develop alternative fuels.
From Obama's website: "Obama supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions... Obama will invest billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid."
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Should the government fund research using embryonic stem cells?
Obama will fund research using embryonic stem cells.
From an Obama press release: "The study of stem cells holds enormous promise for the treatment of debilitating and life-threatening diseases. However, in order to reach this level of medical achievement, much more research is necessary to understand, and eventually harness, the amazing potential of stem cells. Instead of creating roadblocks, we must all work together to expand federal funding of stem cell research and continue moving forward in our fight against disease by advancing our knowledge through science and medicine."
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Was the No Child Left Behind Act a good idea or should it be reformed or abolished?
Obama believes the No Child Left Behind Act should be reformed.
From Obama's website: "Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests."
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Should English be designated as America's official language?
Obama says no.
Remarks by Obama during a CNN debate: "[Whether English should be the official language] is the kind of question that is designed precisely to divide us. You know, you're right. Everybody is going to learn to speak English if they live in this country. The issue is not whether or not future generations of immigrants are going to learn English. The question is: How can we come up with both a legal, sensible immigration policy? And when we get distracted by those kinds of questions, I think we do a disservice to the American people."
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Should waterboarding, an interrogation procedure that gives the sensation of drowning, or torture be used on suspected terrorists?
Obama says no.
Remarks by Obama during a speech in the U.S. Senate: "Tragically, the Bush administration has too often chosen to respond to this enemy by abandoning our values and ignoring laws that it deems inconvenient. So we have seen excessive secrecy, indefinite detention, warrantless wire-tapping, and `enhanced interrogation techniques' like simulated drowning that qualify as torture through any careful measure of the law or appeal to human decency. For each of these new policies, we have seen dubious legal reasoning that does not stand up to the harsh light of review or the sound judgment of our Constitution."
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