Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

John McCain

2007-11-09T00:53:39Z

BreastBoob: added family info

= www.ronpaul2008.com =

= www.thisnovember11th.com ==

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''John Sidney McCain III''' (born August 29, 1936) <ref> [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> is the senior Senator from the state of [[Arizona]], having served 20 years after replacing [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1986. He is currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. <ref> [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> McCain has announced his intention to declare his candidacy for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States of America|President of the United States]] in the [[2008 Presidential Election|2008 Election]].<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255535,00.html John McCain Announces Plans for '08 Presidential Candidacy on 'Late Night With David Letterman'], Associated Press, 1 March 2007</ref> McCain is a Baptist. <ref> http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296973,00.html McCain Identifies Himself as a Baptist</ref>

==Early Life==
McCain was born in the [[Panama]] Canal Zone. He was educated in Alexandria, [[Virginia]] before receiving his Bachelors of Science from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1958. <ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref>

==Military Career==
McCain served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1958 to 1981. He was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 during the Vietnam Conflict and held as a Prisoner of War for seven years. <ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref> McCain graduated from the National War College in 1974. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1981, as a Captain, he had been commended with the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross. <ref> [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m000303 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref>

==Political Career==
McCain was elected to the [[House of Representatives]] from Arizona's 1st district in 1982 and served two terms before being elected to the [[Senate]] in 1986. In 2000, he pursued the presidency but lost his bid for the Republican nomination to [[George W. Bush]], the first time he had lost an election.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref> He intends to announce his candidacy for the 2008 election in April.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255535,00.html John McCain Announces Plans for '08 Presidential Candidacy on 'Late Night With David Letterman'], Associated Press, 1 March 2007</ref>

==Political Record==

1. Immigration. In 2005-2006, McCain joined with liberal Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] to support a sweeping bill that was favorable to illegal aliens. It has not passed.

2. Same-sex marriage. In 2006, McCain joined Democrats and liberal Republicans in voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment to protect traditional marriage. Later, on ''Hardball'', McCain declared, "On the issue of the gay marriage, I believe that people want to have private ceremonies, that's fine."
Also, McCain's home state of Arizona was the only state to defeat a marriage referendum (in 2006), as McCain did nothing to support it.

3. "Gang of 14". On May 23, 2005, McCain was part of a group of 14 Senators who blocked the planned "nuclear option" for confirming blocked Republican nominees for the bench. Under this compromise a few judicial nominees were allowed to be confirmed (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor), but others (e.g., Henry Saad) remained blocked and had to withdraw.

4. [[Campaign finance]]. In 2002, McCain joined with liberal Democrat Russell Feingold to prohibit independent groups from advertising about a candidate within many weeks of an election. This law prohibits ads that do not even recommend for whom to vote, but merely urge people to contact their representatives concerning a vote that the representatives will make in Congress. A court recently declared this unconstitutional.

5. On gambling, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law allows Indian nations (which get nearly all their money from unregulated casinos) to make unlimited political donations, even though political donations by American citizens are strictly limited and political spending by corporations is prohibited.

6. Tax cuts. McCain opposed President George W. Bush's tax cuts, on the argument that cutting taxes without also cutting spending was not actually a tax cut, but was a tax on future generations. He now supports keeping the Bush tax cuts in place.

7. Criticism of the religious right. In his unsuccessful campaign in 2000, McCain criticized elements of the religious right in an attempt to attract voters.

8. Embryonic stem cell research. McCain supports embryonic stem cell research as a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership.

9. [[Abortion]]. On Senate votes directly concerning abortion, McCain has voted on the pro-life side.

10. Government Spending. McCain has vigorously advocated for the elimination of so-called "[[pork-barrel]]" spending. He voted against President Bush's Medicare Prescription Drug Act on the grounds that it was too costly.

11. Senate Attendance Record. McCain has missed 33% of the Senate votes in early 2007, far more than the leading Democratic contenders.<ref>http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0331missedvotes0331.html</ref>

== Electability ==

John McCain was a member of the [[Keating Five]], a scandal relating to the [[Savings and Loan Crisis]]. The Senate Ethics Committee criticized him for "questionable conduct." His Democratic opponent, or the media, could publicize this.

John McCain has cancer (melanoma) and has undergone multiple operations for it.<ref>http://www.riskworld.com/PressRel/2001/01q3/PR01a027.htm</ref> Cancer was an issue that hurt the presidential candidacy of Paul Tsongas in 1992.

John McCain will turn 71 years old before the first primary, making him one of the oldest candidates to seek the presidency. Several issues relating to McCain's advanced aged and health have been discussed in the media.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/18/mccain.ap/index.html?eref=rss_politics</ref>

Among evangelicals, who form a multi-million vote bloc who were essential to electing President [[George W. Bush]], John McCain is weak on trust. [[James Dobson]], a leading evangelical, has already declared that he "would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances."<ref>http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/16473337.htm</ref> McCain has attempted to make amends with Dobson and the late evangelical leader [[Jerry Falwell]], including speaking at Falwell's Liberty University in an attempt to patch his relations with evangelicals.

McCain is the only presidential candidate in either party to have served in the military.

== Fundraising ==

McCain has struggled to raise money for his campaign, a sign of weakness for a frontrunner. "Former [[Massachusetts]] Governor [[Mitt Romney]] raised $23 million for his presidential campaign in the first three months of [2007], almost doubling the total of top Republican contender John McCain. McCain, an [[Arizona]] senator, brought in about $12.5 million in the first quarter, his campaign said. 'We had hoped to do better,' said Terry Nelson, his campaign manager. Former [[New York]] Mayor [[Rudy Giuliani]] said he raised $15 million, including more than $10 million in March alone."<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aZ7SuEo0wuMM&refer=home</ref>

== Votes Missed ==

As of August 2007, McCain had missed more votes during the current session of Congress than any Senator other than [[South Dakota]] [[Democrat]] [[Tim Johnson]], who had suffered a brain hemorrhage that had kept him from Congresss. He had missed over 48% of his votes. <ref>Lawrence Journal-World, August 10, 2007</ref>

==See Also==
[[Previous Breaking News/John McCain|Articles about '''John McCain''' from previous "Breaking News"]]

==References==

<references/>

{{2008 presidential candidates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCain, John}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]

Mitt Romney

2007-11-09T00:52:54Z

BreastBoob: Moral Majority endorsement

= www.ronpaul2008.com =

= www.thisnovember11th.com =

[[Image:Xnmhv.jpg|right|250x250px|thumb|Mitt Romney]]
'''Willard "Mitt" Romney''' (born March 12, 1947), served as the governor of [[Massachusetts]] from 2003 to 2007 and is a [[Republican]] candidate in the 2008 presidential election. If elected, he would become the first [[Mormon]] president. Romney first gained national recognition for his role in turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics. With the 2002 Games mired in controversy and facing a financial crisis, Romney left behind a successful career as an entrepreneur to take over as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. As governor, Romney balanced the budget every year in his administration without raising taxes or increasing debt. He also created over 60,000 new jobs and brought [[conservative]] change to the [[liberal]] state of Massachusetts.

== Personal ==
[[Image:MittRomneyYouth05.jpg|thumb|Ann Lois Davies and Willard Mitt Romney]]
Currently, Romney is gaining popularity because his stable marriage attracts conservative audiences who are unhappy with [[John McCain]], [[Rudy Giuliani]], and [[Newt Gingrich]]'s many divorces. In fact, Romney's wife, Ann, has even made it a point to highlight this difference, commenting at one GOP event that the difference between her husband and the other Republican candidates is that "he's had only one wife."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060802781_pf.html</ref>

Romney is the son of former [[Michigan]] Governor and presidential candidate George Romney, a "Rockefeller Republican,"<ref>Lisa McGirr,Suburban Warriors (book), Copyright 2001, Princeton University Press, p. 141, 222.</ref> Many Massachusetts Republicans do not connect the father's politics with the son's, much like Presidents [[George H. W. Bush|George Herbert Walker Bush]] and [[George W. Bush|George Walker Bush]].

== Political Views ==

===Abortion===
"I am [[pro-life]]. I believe that [[abortion]] is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by [[judicial mandate]]." ([[Boston]] Globe, Mitt Romney Editorial, July 26, 2005)
<ref>[http://www.mittromney.com/Issue-Watch/Values America's Culture and Values] mittromney.com</ref> 

Despite having a largely pro-life record as governor, in a 1994 debate with Senator [[Edward Kennedy]], Romney said that abortion should be legal, declaring that "regardless of one's beliefs about choice, you would hope it would be safe and legal." "Many years ago, I had a dear, close family relative that was very close to me who passed away from an illegal abortion", Romney said. "It is since that time my mother and my family have been committed to the belief that we can believe as we want, but we will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me wavering on that." [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/07/03/clarity_sought_on_romneys_abortion_stance/?page=2]

In his campaign literature for the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Romney expressed a willingness to defend that State's pro-choice status quo. [http://web.archive.org/web/20021218005104/www.romneyhealey.com/issues/4]

===Civil Unions===

Romney is opposed to the idea of [[gay marriage]], however he has voiced support for domestic partnership benefits and equal rights for [[homosexuals]].[http://web.archive.org/web/20021218005104/www.romneyhealey.com/issues/3]

===Economic Agenda===

As President, Governor Mitt Romney will pursue a Conservative, Pro-Growth [[Economic]] Agenda. Governor Romney's number one economic priority will be to grow the economy — helping to create good jobs, raise incomes and preserve American strength. He will work to rein in excessive government spending and reform entitlements. To ensure America's continued economic growth, he will fight to cut taxes — the Death Tax, savings taxes, corporate taxes and marginal tax rates.

Governor Romney will also promote trade, bring market forces to bear in health care, pursue national tort and liability reform, eliminate excessive regulations that put a burden on our economy and strengthen American families.

====Overall Economic Priorities====

*Lowering Taxes: Proposes lowering tax rates for all Americans.
*Spending: Believes Washington's focus should be on cutting spending.
*National Tort Reform: Supports nationwide reforms to our tort system.
*Union Card Check Legislation: Supports the rights of workers to decide whether to join a union or not.
*Regulatory Reform and Sarbanes-Oxley: Believes the Washington regulatory burden is too high.

===Immigration===

<blockquote>Immigration has been an important part of our nation's success. The current system, however, puts up a concrete wall to the best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system, and increase legal immigration into America. [http://www.mittromney.com/Issue-Watch/Immigration]</blockquote>
*[http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/NEWS09/703230396/-1/politics Des Moines Register: Romney: Reform Immigration, Allow Students To Stay]
*[http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=91722 IowaPolitics.com: Romney Touts Strong Stance On Illegal Immigration]

:On 5/24/07, Romney spoke about how he was tolerant about Gays and then he discussed the current illegal immigration bill before Congress:
<blockquote>He expressed less tolerance for illegal immigrants, and said he and President Bush have a difference of opinions on a bill that would provide a path toward legalization for an estimated 12 million people unlawfully in the country.

"He has his view, and other people have their views and I have my own," Romney said. "This is for all intents and purposes a form of amnesty in that everyone who is here illegally today will be able to stay under this bill."

The bill is unfair to people who are trying to come to the country legally, he said. People here illegally should be able to apply to come to the United States, but under the same terms as everyone else and behind those who have already applied.

"I don't think that we're going to round up 11 or 12 or however many million people and bus them out of the country. That's not what I'm talking about," Romney said. "Those who committed felonies, of course, would be deported. Those who require government assistance to stay here would surely need to get off government assistance and ultimately could not remain here on government assistance."[http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007May24/0,4670,RomneyGays,00.html]</blockquote>

===Stem Cell Research===
Mitt Romney supports the right of scientists to research on embryos created during fertility treatments.[http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2007/02/11/romneys_stem_cell_view_may_upset_the_right/]

==2008 Presidential Campaign==
As chairman of the [[Republican Governors Association]], Mitt Romney spent a lot of time in 2006 campaigning across the country for Republican gubernatorial candidates. While he did not run for reelection as governor, in 2004 Romney set up a federal political action committee (PAC) called the Commonwealth PAC, which raised 2.71 million during the 2006 election cycle. On January 3, 2007, his next-to-last day in office as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission. He officially announced his candidacy for President about a month later. Romney was the first candidate in either party to start running [[television]] and [[radio]] ads. The ads focused mainly on his record as governor, running the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, and his work as a very successful businessman. Romney's five sons have been actively campaigning for their father, traveling around in a campaign bus called the "Mitt Mobile, A Five Brothers Bus."
==[[Ames Straw Poll]]==
On August 11, 2007, Mitt Romney won the Ames Straw Poll. He received 31% of the vote at the Straw Poll, a larger margin that then-[[Texas]] Governor [[George W. Bush]] received in 2000. Former [[Arkansas]] Governor [[Mike Huckabee]] came in second with 18%.
==Fundraising==
Mitt Romney has done well in fund raising. During his first fund raiser as a presidential candidate, he raised 6.5 million dollars when his goal was to raise 1 million. During the first quarter Romney raised more money then any other Republican presidential candidate with $23 million.
==Opinion polling==
[[Image:Dude and mitt romney.jpg|right|180px]]
Mitt Romney leads in all the early primary states such as [[Iowa]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Nevada]], [[South Carolina]] and [[Michigan]]. He also leads in [[Idaho]], [[Utah]] and [[Wyoming]]. However, Romney is behind Mayor Giuliani and Senator Fred Thompson by narrow margins. A poll taken August 13, 2007 in South Carolina showed Romney (17%) moving up to third place behind Giuliani (18%) and Thompson (22%), though with the margin of error all three candidates were effectively tied.

==Endorsements==
===Congressional===
* Former [[Speaker of the House]] [[Dennis Hastert]]
* Senator [[Bob Bennett]] of [[Utah]]
* Senator [[Orrin Hatch]] of [[Utah]]
* Senator [[Larry Craig]] of [[Idaho]]
* Senator [[Jim DeMint]] of [[South Carolina]]
* Senator [[Wayne Allard]] of [[Colorado]]
* Former Sen. [[Jim Talent]] of [[Missouri]]
===Governors===
* Missouri Governor [[Matt Blunt]]
* Former Colorado Governor [[Bill Owens]]
* [[Rhode Island]] Governor [[Donald Carcieri]]
* Former South Carolina Governor James B. Edwards
* Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld
* Former Montana Governor Tim Babcock
==Criticism==

Romney's critics attack his inconsistent track record on issues such as [[abortion]] and [[Homosexuality|gay marriage]] to the point where he has gotten the nickname "Multiple Choice Mitt." A man dressed as a dolphin calling himself Flipper has appeared at some recent conservative gatherings to bring attention to Romney's inconsistent stands on abortion and gay marriage. Although Romney now identifies himself as pro-life and anti-same sex marriage, he claimed to be pro choice and supported same-sex rights as late as 2002. These swaps coupled with his [[Mormon]] affiliation puts him at odds with much of the Evangelical right, but a PollingReport.com chart from September 2007 indicates that Mitt was still polling at approximately 10% within the GOP primary forecasts. <ref>http://www.pollingreport.com/wh08rep.htm</ref>

Mitt Romney also changed his positions on [[gun control]]. He was originally for it, but recently joined the [[NRA|National Rife Association]], an organization opposed to it.

==References==
<References/>

==External links==
*[http://www.mittromney.com Mitt Romney for President 2008]
*[http://www.ldslivingonline.com/article.php?articleId=17633 Mitt Romney: proudly, quietly Mormon]
*[http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/ Evangelicals for Mitt]
*[http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/2007/03/fresh-mitt-romney-juvenalia-hot-off.html Fresh Mitt Romney Juvenalia] Pics - Comments.

==Blogs==
*[http://www.mymanmitt.com/mitt-romney/ My Man Mitt]
*[http://conservativesagainstromney.com/ Conservatives Against Romney]

{{2008_presidential_candidates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Romney, Mitt}}
[[Category:Political people]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]

Fred Thompson

2007-11-09T00:52:02Z

BreastBoob: recent endorsement

= www.ronpaul2008.com =

= www.thisnovember11th.com =

[[Image:FredThompson.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Fred Thompson]]
'''Fred Dalton Thompson''' (born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, [[Alabama]]) is an [[United States of America|American]] lawyer, actor and former [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[U.S. Senate|senator]] from [[Tennessee]]. He is married to attorney Jeri Kehn, a political and media consultant, with whom he has two children.

==Early Years==
He attended public school in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee and graduated from Memphis State University in 1964. He received a J. D. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1967 and was admitted to the Tennessee bar that same year.

Thompson was an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972; minority counsel, then to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities ("Watergate Committee") from 1973 to 1974. He became special counsel to Tennessee Governor [[Lamar Alexander]] in 1980, special counsel, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1980-1981, Special counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee 1982. He became a member of the Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission 1985-1987.

From 1975 to 1992 Thompson worked as a corporate lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He represented firms such as General Electric, Westinghouse and the Tennessee Savings and Loan League. In 1982, Thompson lobbyed the U.S. Congress for passage of the Savings and Loan deregulation legislation. Thompson contributed to the the Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982. In 1991, he worked with the Washington, D.C. firm of Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin, & Kahn, representing overseas business entities as a registered foreign agent.

==U.S. Senate==
Thompson was elected as a Republican to the [[United States Senate]] in the November 8, 1994, special election to fill the unexpired term (Ending January 3, 1997) of [[Al Gore|Albert Gore, Jr.]] vacant by resignation upon Gore's election as [[Vice President]]. Thompson was re-elected in 1996 for a full 6 year term, ending January 3, 2003. He decided not to be a candidate for reelection in 2002, resuming his acting career.

==Political Views==
===Abortion===
Thompson describes himself as [[pro-life]]. During an interview in 2007 on Fox News' Hannity and Colmes, he said the following:

I've always thought that [[Roe v. Wade]] was a wrong decision, that they usurped what had been the law in this country for 200 years, that it was a matter that should go back to the states. When you get back to the states, I think the states should have some leeway. I might vote against one approach, but I think the state ought to have it. And I would not be and never have been for a law that says, on the state level, if I were back in Tennessee voting on this...to criminalize a young woman....

However, when Fred Thompson first ran for the Senate in 1994, he said on the abortion issue,

"Government should stay out of it... The ultimate decision must be made by the women... Government should treat its citizens as adults capable of making moral decisions on their own."

Also in 1994, Thompson told a Tennessee newspaper (the Conservative Spectator): "I’m not willing to support laws that prohibit early term abortions....It comes down to whether life begins at conception. I don’t know in my own mind if that is the case so I don’t feel the law ought to impose that standard on other people." In 1991 and 1992, Thompson was paid for about 20 hours of work on behalf of an abortion rights group.
===Campaign Finance Reform===
Thompson was one of only ten Senate Republicans to vote for the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation, which has drown him a lot of criticism for [[conservative]]s. However, he has since changed his position, saying that some parts of the bill should be repealed.
===Gun Rights===
Thompson is opposed to most [[gun control]] laws. Speaking of the Virginia Tech massacre, he said:

"Whenever I've seen one of those 'Gun-free Zone' signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I've always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at. Obviously, they don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people just a few days ago."

Although his record in the Senate on guns is generally mixed. Thompson voted pro-gun 19 times and anti-gun 14 times. Additionally, Thompson voted for the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban, which restricts ownership and use of guns or ammunition by individuals convicted of misdemeanor or felony domestic violence.
===[[Immigration]]===
Thompson believes that U.S. borders should be secured before considering comprehensive immigration reform:

"The government could start by securing our nation's borders. A sovereign nation that can't do that is not a sovereign nation. This is secondarily an immigration issue. It's primarily a national security issue. We were told twenty years ago if we produced a comprehensive solution, we'd solve the illegal immigration problem. Twelve million illegals later, we're being told that same thing again."

Fred Thompson received an average career grade of "C" from the group Americans for Better Immigration. They rated him A+ on border security and an F on visas for foreign workers.

===Marriage===

Fred Thompson endorsed an amendment to the Constitution that would prevent state judges from altering the definition of marriage without the direction of their states' legislatures. [http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2007/09/fred-thompson-proposes-marriage.html]
==2008 Presidential Campaign==
Fred Thompson's name has been managed as a possible candidate for President since early 2007. In response, a grassroots political movement began on the [[internet]], trying to draft Thompson to run. He formed a presidential exploratory committee on June 1, 2007. On September 5, 2007, Thompson made his candidacy official, announcing on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'': "I'm running for president of the United States."

== See also ==

*[[2008 Presidential Election]]
*[[President of the United States of America]]
*[[Republican Party]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Fred Thompson|Articles about '''Fred Thompson''' from previous "Breaking News"]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.imwithfred.com/ I'm with Fred!] - Exploratory committee site
*[http://www.abcradio.com/Blog.asp?id=15663&m=5&y=2007 The Fred Thompson Report], Opinions and Commentary of Fred Thompson.
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=t000457 FRED THOMPSON] U. S. Congress.
*[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/fred-thompson/ Fred Thompson] The Washington Post.
*[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/05/31/why_fred_thompson Why Fred Thompson?], By Robert D. Novak, May 31, 2007.
*[http://vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=22003 Fred Thompson Interest Group Ratings], Project Vote Smart. Retrieved June 4 2007.

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT: Thompson, Fred}}
[[Category:Political people]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]

Rudy Giuliani

2007-11-09T00:51:15Z

BreastBoob: spelling error

= www.thisnovember11th.com =

= www.ronpaul2008.com =

[[Image:Rudy Giuliani.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''Rudolph William "Rudy" Giuliani''' (born May 28, 1944 in [[Brooklyn]], NY) is a former two-term [[Mayor]] of [[New York City]], former [[United States Attorney]] and [[Deputy U.S. Attorney General]]. As mayor of New York City he became a media favorite based on his [[liberal]] positions on [[abortion]] and [[homosexuality]] and his devotion to the press. As mayor he would hold almost daily press conferences, and his personal indiscretions became favorite topics for the media. Despite his shortcomings in preparation and immediate response to the terrorist attacks of [[9/11]], the media hailed him as "America's Mayor" for his frequent media appearances afterwards.

Originally a Democrat who supported [[George McGovern]],<ref>http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/03/13/swiftboat_rudy/</ref> Giuliani is currently a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States of America|President of the United States]] in the [[2008 Presidential Election|2008 election]].

== Early Life ==

According to his official biography<ref> "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/rwg/html/bio.html] </ref>
<blockquote>

:In 1944, Rudolph W. Giuliani was born to a working class family in Brooklyn, New York. As the grandson of Italian immigrants, Mayor Giuliani learned a strong work ethic and a deep respect for America's ideal of equal opportunity. He attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School (Class of '61) in Brooklyn, Manhattan College (Class of '65) in the Bronx and New York University Law School in Manhattan, graduating magna cum laude in 1968.</blockquote>

== Personal Life ==
Giuliani has been married three times. First to his second cousin [[Regina Peruggi]], on October 26, 1968. In 1976 the couple split. They did not have any children. His second marriage was to [[Donna Hanover]]. Giuliani filed for legal separation from Peruggi on August 12, 1982. Giuliani and Hanover started living together later that year in Washington, D.C. A [[Roman Catholic]] Church [[annulment]] (of the Giuliani-Peruggi marriage) was granted at the end of 1983<ref>http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0212072giuliani12.html</ref> because, according to Giuliani, they did not have the necessary Church dispensation.

Giuliani and Hanover then married on April 15, 1984. They had two children, Andrew and Caroline. In May 2000, Giuliani admitted to an extramarital relationship with Judith Nathan. Giuliani called a press conference to reveal he intended to separate from Hanover.
Giuliani then married Judith Nathan in 2003, his third marriage.

==Legal Career==

According to his official biography<ref> "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/rwg/html/bio.html] </ref>
<blockquote>
:Upon graduation, Rudy Giuliani clerked for Judge Lloyd MacMahon, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. In 1970, Giuliani joined the office of the U.S. Attorney. At age 29, he was named Chief of the Narcotics Unit and rose to serve as executive US Attorney. In 1975, Giuliani was recruited to Washington, D.C., where he was named Associate Deputy Attorney General and chief of staff to the Deputy Attorney General. From 1977 to 1981, Giuliani returned to New York to practice law at Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler.

:In 1981, Giuliani was named Associate Attorney General, the third highest position in the [[U.S. Department of Justice]]. As Associate Attorney General, Giuliani supervised all of the US Attorney Offices' Federal law enforcement agencies, the Bureau of Corrections, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the US Marshals.

:In 1983, Giuliani was appointed US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he spearheaded the effort to jail drug dealers, fight organized crime, break the web of corruption in government, and prosecute white-collar criminals. Few US Attorneys in history can match his record of 4,152 convictions with only 25 reversals. </blockquote>

==Mayoral Campaigns and Service==
According to his official biography<ref> "A Biography Of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani" The City of New York Office of the Mayor [http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/rwg/html/bio.html] </ref>
<blockquote>
:In 1989, Giuliani entered the race for mayor of New York City as a candidate of the Republican and Liberal parties, losing by the closest margin in City history. However in 1993, his campaign focusing on quality of life, crime, business and education made him the 107th Mayor of the City of New York. In 1997 he was re-elected by a wide margin, carrying four out of New York City's five boroughs.
:As Mayor, Rudy Giuliani has returned accountability to City government and improved the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Under his leadership, overall crime is down 57%, murder has been reduced 65%, and New York City - once infamous around the world for its dangerous streets - has been recognized by the F.B.I. as the safest large city in America for the past five years. <ref> See also "Time's 2001 Person of the Year Rudy Giuliani"[http://www.time.com/time/poy2001/]</ref></blockquote>

In 2002 he published ''Leadership'', recounting his terms as mayor.
 
 
Among Giuliani's most notable accomplishments during his mayoralty was his successful assault on [[pornography]] businesses in [[Times Square]]. The neighborhood had long been a mecca for "sexually oriented businesses", but through a prolonged campaign which included maintaining an alliance of local businesses, conservative and feminist groups and the general public, Giuliani managed to clean up the sex mart which was Times Square and replace it with legitmate theaters, restaurants and shops.

==September 11 Terrorist Attacks==

On Sept. 10, 2001, Giuliani was known as a crime fighter from his days as a United States attorney and as the mayor who had overseen New York's revival, including a 40% drop in crime. But at home his approval rating hovered around 50 percent. In any case, he was a lame duck, barred by term limits from seeking re-election, in a city that in any case felt increasingly worn out by eight years of combativeness and racial tension. The year before, after a surprisingly rocky re-election campaign, a diagnosis of prostate cancer had led him to reject a run for the Senate seat eventually won by Hillary Rodham Clinton. And while his supporters talked of a presidential bid, the prospect seemed a long shot for a Republican who supported abortion rights and restrictions on gun sales.

A week after the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11 attacks]], due to his almost universally acclaimed leadership in the aftermath of that tragedy, his approval rating hovered at nearly 80%. Since then he has been on almost every short list of Republican contenders. In his talks, Giuliani uses Sept. 11 to make two points. The first is that he has proven himself to be a leader, and having a proven leader in these troubled times, he tells audiences, is more important than whether you agree with everything he stands for. The other is that his handling of the aftermath of the terrorist attacks proved his competency. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/us/politics/12topic-giuliani.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</ref>

The International Association of Fire Fighters, America's largest union of [[firefighter]]s, posted a grievence against Giuliani's November 2001 decision to reduce the number of firefighters searching the rubble of Ground Zero for the remains of some 300 fallen comrades. Their argument is that Giuliani's decisions meant that firefighters and citizens who died would either remain buried at Ground Zero forever or be removed like other rubble and garbage and deposited in landfills.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/09/giuliani.firefighters.ap/index.html</ref>

According to one news report, "Giuliani's backers also released an open letter to firefighters from retired New York firefighter Lee Ielpi that calls the union's accusations 'offensive and inaccurate.' Ielpi lost his oldest son, 29-year-old New York City firefighter Jonathan Lee Ielpi, on Sept. 11.

'I was deeply disappointed and disheartened to learn of the recent partisan political activities' by the IAFF, he wrote. 'Firefighters have no greater friend and supporter than Rudy Giuliani,' Ielpi said."<ref> Firefighters Claim Giuliani Ignored Needs After 9/11 (Update2) by Kim Chipman Bloomberg News, March 9, 2007 [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a8o5p2XiTQhk&refer=us]</ref>
Giuliani's campaign staff noted that the IAFF endorsed Senator [[John Kerry]]'s presidential bid in 2003 when the Massachusetts Democrat was still considered a long shot.<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a8o5p2XiTQhk&refer=us</ref>

==Political Views==

===Abortion===
Rudy Giuliani supports "responsible" restrictions on abortion such as parental notification with a judicial bypass and a ban on [[partial birth abortion]] – except when the life of the mother is at stake. He holds that he and his fellow Republicans can "respectfully disagree" on this issue.{{fact}} However, In 1997 Giuliani said that then - President [[Bill Clinton]] made the right decision when he vetoed a ban on partial birth abortion. During his 2000 Senate campaign he said that he would "vote to preserve the option for women.” Giuliani has also given six contributions to [[Planned Parenthood]] in the 1990s. The payments, totaling $900, were made in 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999. Planned Parenthood is one of the top abortion advocates and abortion providers in the [[United States]].

===Death penalty===
Giuliani only favors capital punishment for murder in certain circumstances. One such example is that he has advocated the death penalty for [[terrorist]]s following September 11.
===Education===
Giuliani supports school vouchers for lower-income students. He is also a supporter of privatizing failing schools.

===Government Spending===
Rudy Giuliani supports a large decrease in federal spending and a Balanced Budget Amendment to ensure responsible fiscal management. As New York City mayor, he cut the size of city-funded government bureaucracy by nearly 20% - excluding the number of cops on the street and teachers in the classroom.

===Gun Rights===
Giuliani has changed his views on guns over time. As mayor of New York, he was a proponent of urban gun control, but, while running for President, has stated that he thinks differently about more mid-west environments. As Mayor of New York, Giuliani became a nationally visible figure in favor of gun control measures, beginning with an appearance on [[Meet the Press]] in late 1993. He was in favor of the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. In 1995, Giuliani called member's of the [[National Rifle Association]] "extremists." And that anti-gun control positions of many Republicans are "terrible for America."

===Health Care===
On February 26, 2007, Giuliani said that he was against any notion of universal health care in America, which would mean a "socialization" of American medicine. "That would be a terrible, terrible mistake. [Solutions] have to be free market solutions. They have to be a competitive system." He wrote an article for the Boston Globe on his official position on health care. In it he stated that taxes should not be raised to provide more health care but instead lowered for "individual empowerment". He talked about the creation of a tax-free Health Savings Account that would allow individuals and small businesses to stock up on health insurance and in effect lower rates.

"America is best when we solve our problems from our strengths, not our weaknesses. Healthcare reform must be based on increased choice, affordability, portability, and individual empowerment." (Giuliani)

===Homeland Security===
Giuliani has supported President [[George W. Bush]]'s tactic of using domestic surveillance.

===[[Immigration]]===
Rudy Giuliani's position on illegal immigration has changed over the years. In 1996, he said that "We're never, ever going to be able to totally control immigration in a country that is as large as ours." He went on to say, "If you were to totally control immigration into the United States, you might very well destroy the economy of the United States, because you'd have to inspect everything and everyone in every way possible." As Mayor, Giuliani said that, "There isn’t a mayor or public official in this country that is more strongly pro immigrant than I am. Including disagreeing with President Clinton when he signed an anti immigrant legislation about 2 or 3 years ago." However, now his view on Immiration is much more conservative. In February 2007, in a meeting with [[California]] Republicans, Giuliani was quoted as saying "We need a [[border]] fence, and a highly technological one." And identify every non-citizen in the country.
Giuliani defends New York City's sanctuary policy. <ref> [http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/giuliani_immigration/2007/09/07/30827.html Rudy: Illegal Immigration Not a Crime], [[NewsMax]], September 7, 2007</ref>

===[[Iraq]]===
Rudy Giuliani strongly supports completing the mission in Iraq and hunting for terrorists and insurgents. Giuliani was described by [[Newsweek]] magazine in January of 2007 as "one of the most consistent cheerleaders for the president’s handling of the war in Iraq."

===Personal Tax===
Giuliani is known to be a strong [[fiscal conservative]]. He cut taxes 23 times in New York and turned a $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus, while balancing the city’s budget. Because he turned his conservative principles into action, New York City taxpayers saved more than $9 billion in taxes and enjoyed their lowest tax burden in decades, while the economy grew and city government saw its revenues increase from the lower tax rates. [[Club for Growth]], a conservative political action committee which supports lower taxes, school choice and free trade has said that, "it is impossible to ignore Giuliani's overall commitment to a pro-growth philosophy and his executive talent for implementing that philosophy in a hostile political environment."

===Same-Sex Marriage===
Although Rudy Giuliani does not support same-sex marriage, he does support "domestic partnerships" that provide stability for Americans who are in non-traditional relationships.
==2008 Presidential Campaign==
''Main article: [[Rudy Giuliani 2008 Presidential Campaign]]''

He is running for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2008. The [[National Catholic Register]] is advising Catholics not to vote for Giuliani in 2008 because he is pro-choice. <ref>[http://ncregister.com/site/article/2017 No Deal Rudy]</ref> 

Giuliani is leading in most polling for the 2008 Republican nomination.<ref>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/republican_presidential_nomination-192.html</ref>

In an apparent attempt to appease (or mislead) [[conservatives]], Giuliani picked [[libertarians]] (Ted Olson and Miguel Estrada) and an executive (Larry Thompson), all likely to be pro-choice, to head his panel for nominating judges.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289367,00.html</ref> Olson opposed [[conservative]] [[John Roberts]] in 1982 on limiting jurisdiction,<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/27/roberts.documents/index.html</ref> and Estrada applied RICO against abortion protesters and forced open the airwaves to profanity. The [[neoconservative]] (socially [[liberal]]) [http://powerlineblog.com/archives/018248.php Power Line blog] declared without basis, "It would be hard to come up with a group of lawyers and judges that would be more reassuring to conservatives in this regard."

==Endorsements==
===Congressional===
* Senator [[David Vitter]] of [[Louisiana]]
* Congresswoman [[Judy Biggert]] of [[Illinois]]
* Congresswoman [[Mary Bono]] of [[California]]
* Congressman [[Charles Boustany]] of [[Louisiana]]
* Congressman [[Charlie Dent]] of [[California]]
* Congressman [[Phil English]] of [[Pennsylvania]]
* Congressman [[Vito Fossella]] of [[New York]]
* Congressman [[Jim Gerlach]] of [[Pennsylvania]]
* Congressman [[Peter King]] of [[New York]]
* Congressman [[Jerry Lewis]] of [[California]]
* Congressman [[Frank LoBiondo]] of [[New York]]
* Congresswoman [[Candice Miller]] of [[Michigan]]
* Congressman [[Devin Nunes]] of [[California]]
* Congressman [[Jon Porter]] of [[Nevada]]
* Congressman [[George Radanovich]] of [[California]]
* Congressman [[Dave Reichert]] of [[Washington]]
* Congressman [[Ed Royce]] of [[California]]
* Congressman [[Pete Sessions]] of [[Texas]]
* Congressman [[Jim Walsh]] of [[New York]]
* Congressman [[Jerry Weller]] of [[Illinois]]
===Governors===
*Former Governor of California [[Pete Wilson]]
===Hollywood===
*Actor [[Adam Sandler]]
*Actor [[Kelsey Grammer]]
*Actor [[Kevin James]], stand-up comedian who played Doug Heffernan on the [[King of Queens]]
== Further Reading ==

*About: Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11, 2006
*Rudy! An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani, Wayne Barrett, 2005
*The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life, by Fred Siegel, 2005
*Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City, by Andrew Kirtzman, 2000

==References==
<references/>

{{2008_presidential_candidates}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Guiliani, Rudolph}}
[[Category:United States Mayors]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]

New Jersey

2007-11-09T00:49:38Z

BreastBoob: fixed formatting error

[[Image:New_Jersey_State_Flag.gif|thumb|right|The state flag of New Jersey.]]

www.thisnovember11th.com

New Jersey is one of the thirteen original colonies that formed the United States. It was the third state to enter into the union.

It is nicknamed "the Garden State." It has 127 miles of coastline, including resort areas such as Atlantic City, Asbury Park, and Cape May. Its capital city is [[Trenton]].

It is home to two famous old universities: [[Princeton University|Princeton]] and [[Rutgers University|Rutgers]]. They are both ''colonial colleges,'' the nine colleges chartered in the colonies before the American Revolution. Princeton traditionally claims 1740 as its year of founding, making it the fourth oldest university in the United States; Rutgers, founded in 1766, is the eighth oldest. Princeton is a member of the ''Ivy League.''

Since 2004, New Jersey has offered [[domestic partnership]]s, which are similiar to [[same sex marriage]].[http://www.answers.com/topic/domestic-partnership-in-the-united-states]

==Conservapedia==
Conservapedia was founded in New Jersey on November 22, 2006. Started by a class of 56 homeschooled children, ranging from 11 years old to 18, as a project for homework.

{{USstates}}
[[Category:US state]]
[[Category:New Jersey]]