good quick summary
The following is taken from
http://www.bobharris.com/kucinichdean.html
Kucinich v. Dean
Where broad
agreement exists, I've omitted the issue to save space.
I've also omitted issues where one candidate has no stated position I could
find,
even though this is a measure of a candidate's relative concern for and
familiarity with issues.
The main sources are the candidates' own websites, plus a whole lot of searching
via Google.
I can't promise every detail is correct; this is one guy's best effort.
Full
disclosure: I have several friends on the Kucinich campaign, and I supported him
when this started.
A few months ago, I was even going to join up, but since I'm in the media,
decided it was better to be independent.
I was also very interested in Dean for a while, around February and March, until
I decided to support Kucinich.
Make of that whatever you will.
Finally,
Dean is basically a good guy, and if he's nominated I'll vote for him in a
heartbeat.
It's just that it's simply not accurate to refer to him as a progressive
candidate.
As he told Salon: "I
don't mind being characterized as 'liberal' -- I just don't happen to think it's
true."
I'm also not saying that Kucinich's positions are the "right" ones on
every issue;
I just personally agree with him on most of them, and I think other progressives
will, too.
PS: I had not the slightest idea how many people would visit this page.
According to Memeufacture, a link here from TalkLeft quickly spread all over the
liberal blogosphere.
Thanks, cool, great -- but I'm not an expert, just a guy trying to figure this
out.
I've tried to correct any mistakes brought to my attention, but I do make them.
Do your own research and thinking.
Issue
|
Dennis
Kucinich
|
Howard Dean
|
Health care
plan
|
Canadian-style
single-payer system, extending the successes of Medicare, financed by
a tax on employers lower than the current cost of private insurance
|
Complex 4-prong plan, extending multiple state and federal programs piecemeal, combined with tax credits and incentives, all of which Dean claims is more likely to become law, but still won't cover everyone |
Death
penalty
|
Opposes
|
Favors for
"extreme" crimes like terrorism or the killing of a police
officer, although critical of Bush administration's
"careless" approach to executions
|
Roe v. Wade
|
Pro-life until
recently; now the only candidate pledging to make Roe v. Wade a
"litmus test" for appointing federal judges
|
Pro-choice, but
refuses to make Roe v. Wade a litmus test for federal judges
|
Kyoto
treaty
|
Supports
|
Says we must
"take another look," but has "concerns" about some
provisions
|
Patriot Act
|
Only presidential
candidate who personally voted against it
|
Would repeal
"parts," but also wants to expand intelligence agencies;
praises Russ Feingold as only Senator who opposed the act,
ignoring Kucinich's vocal House opposition, falsely implying no other
candidate opposed the Patriot Act
|
NAFTA/WTO
|
Full withdrawal, to
replace with fair trade; opposes "fast track" treatment of
any future trade legislation; personally marched in Seattle protests
|
Notes problems with
"free" trade, suggesting the need for inclusion of human
rights, environmental, and labor standards in trade agreements -- but
still pro-NAFTA
|
"Star
Wars" ballistic missile system
|
Would abolish; has
sponsored legislation banning weapons from space
|
Would cut only 1/8
of the funding, transferring it to international threat-reduction
programs
|
Pentagon
waste
|
Would cut Pentagon
programs which don't even work, like the V-22, F-22, and "Star
Wars," and demand accountability for over a trillion in
"lost" funds
|
Disagrees with any
proposed Pentagon cutbacks, and advocates aggressive expansion of
intelligence, police, and special forces
|
Balanced
budget
|
A long-term goal,
but deficits may be necessary in the short run for economic and social
investment
|
A main priority --
even equating it with social progress: "we cannot have social
justice without a sound fiscal foundation" -- describing himself
as "to the right of Bush" on the issue
|
Gun control
|
Supports federal
gun control legislation, and sponsored a bill calling for child safety
devices on all new handguns
|
Supports closing
the gun show loophole, but opposes other new federal regulation;
considers guns a states' rights issue; an "A" rating from
NRA most of his career
|
Medical
marijuana
|
Supports
compassionate use
|
Firmly opposed,
although promises to abide by a proposed FDA evaluation
|
War on
drugs
|
Proposes
European-style treatment of addiction as a medical, not criminal
problem, with attendant reductions in crime and violence
|
Has accepted
National Governors Association position: more federal funding for all
aspects of the drug war; however, also speaks of drug use as a medical
problem, and has called the War on Drugs a failure; website and recent
speeches simply do not clarify what policies he would pursue, as far
as I can tell
|
Gay rights
|
Believes gay and
straight couples should be 100% equal before the law, including Social
Security and domestic-partner benefits; supports federal civil union
legislation
|
Signed a civil
union (not gay marriage) bill, but opposes similar national laws as a
states' rights issue
|
Energy
|
Supports investment
in solar, wind, ocean, and other clean energy; risked career to
prevent a power monopoly in Cleveland, saving taxpayers over 0
million
|
Supports investment
in alternative energy and energy efficiency; however, has
sided with Vermont state utilities on most issues
|
Political
experience
|
Has held local, state, and federal office for a total of 17 years. Four-term member of Congress, since 1997. Currently chair of the Progressive Caucus, largest Democratic caucus in Congress. |
Vermont state
legislator, 1982-86; Lt. Governor, 1986-91; Governor, 1991-2002.
Former chair, National Governors Association.
|
Iraq war
|
Opposed staunchly
from the beginning, has never wavered
|
Firmly opposed,
before, although he told the L.A. Times in January that he
would support unilateral action if Iraq had WMDs; softened his
rhetoric again in March, once the war began, explaining in
conservative South Carolina, "it's hard to criticize the
President when you've got troops in the field... we all have got to
support the troops;" now again firmly opposed, and highly vocal
|
Personal
|
Lifelong member of
the working class. Grew up so poor that his family lived in a car more
than once. Currently a vegan.
|
Patrician
upbringing. Speaks harshly about negative environmental impact of SUVs.
Drives an SUV (a Chevy Suburban).
|
Wellstone
connections
|
Wellstone was a
proud member of the Progressive Caucus, which Kucinich leads
|
Stole the
"democratic wing of the democratic party" line from
Wellstone after his death
|
Ambition
|
Began campaign
late, in part because he was busy organizing anti-war voices in
Congress
|
Vermont newspapers
had to sue to get Dean's 2002 schedule as Governor; Dean spent almost
all of the year out the state, and didn't want his constituents to
know
|
Home state
|
Ohio, 21 electoral
votes
|
Vermont, 3
electoral votes
|
Back to this site's Kucinich page, featuring Kucinich Komix by Scott Bateman