John Edwards on the Issues

The Democratic Presidential candidate shares his views on the campaign's biggest issues.

By Bill Beaman

From Reader's Digest

Key Issues

• Immediately withdraw 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops
  
• Withdraw remaining U.S. troops within 12 to 18 months
  
• Pressure Iraq's Shia leaders to involve more Sunnis in government
  
• Engage Iran and Syria in talks to stabilize Iraq

• Insure every American by 2012
  
• Require businesses to cover all employees or help them finance insurance
  
• Create "regional health markets" -- nonprofit purchase pools -- for leverage to offer businesses and individuals affordable insurance plans
  
• Offer insurance options to all Americans, including a government-run program modeled after Medicare
  
  

• Opposes gay marriage but thinks it's up to individual states
  
• Supports civil unions
  
• Supports affirmative action
  
  

• Address global warming by capping greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2010. Reduce pollution 15% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
  
• Ban the construction of coal plants that can't capture their carbon dioxide emissions
  
• Share clean energy technology with nations willing to agree to a new climate-change treaty
  
  

• Create a $13 billion fund to create a "new energy economy"
  
• Produce 65 billion gallons of ethanol and other biofuels a year
  
• Import 7.5 million fewer barrels of oil a day by 2025 through greater fuel efficiency and use of ethanol and hybrid cars
  
• Invest in other renewable energies like wind, solar power and biomass
  
  

• Create a path to earned citizenship for illegal immigrants.
  
• Require undocumented workers to learn English as a prerequisite for citizenship
  
• Use more technology and manpower to police our border with Mexico
  

From Reader's Digest - June 2007

• Volunteer on Election Day
• The answer to better voting lies with us.
• 
• America Needs Good Leadership
• You can't lead with lies. Stop the cheating.
• 
• You've Got the Power
• Fed up with partisan battles and crooked deals in Washington? Then get off your duff on Election Day.
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