Spring Break
McCain vs. Obama: How they stack up on the issues
Jason Le Miere
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Voter's Guide
John McCain
Republican nominee John McCain, 72, spent five years as a prisoner-of-war while serving in Vietnam. He was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Arizona in 1986, after serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. McCain also ran for the Republican ticket for president in 2000, but was defeated by George W. Bush.
Barack Obama
Democratic nominee Barack Obama, 47, was born in Hawaii and moved to Chicago in 1985. He served in the Illinois State Senate between 1997 and 2004 before being elected to the U.S. Senate. Obama became the first African-American to win the presidential nomination for a major party after a tight battle with Hillary Clinton earlier this year.
Iraq
McCain
McCain has not set a strict timeline for troop withdrawal. He insists that forces must remain in the country until the war is won and Iraq can safely govern its own people. McCain has said, however, that he hopes to have most of the U.S. troops stationed in Iraq home by 2013.
Obama
Obama said he plans to bring home one or two combat brigades a month for 16 months, culminating in an almost total withdrawal by the summer of 2010. After this, only a residual force would remain in Iraq to conduct counter-terrorism missions. Obama has also said that greater military effort should be concentrated in Afghanistan.
Economy
McCain
McCain proposes using $300 billion of the $700 billion bailout fund to buy bad mortgages and replace them with fixed-rate government-guaranteed ones, allowing homeowners to keep their homes. McCain said he also plans to freeze spending on all government programs except defense, veteran affairs and entitlement benefits.
Obama
Obama wants to put a hold on all home foreclosures for 90 days and plans to allow people to withdraw up to $10,000 from their retirement accounts, without penalty. Obama also proposes spending $50 billion to jump-start the economy and save more than 1 million jobs.
Republican nominee John McCain, 72, spent five years as a prisoner-of-war while serving in Vietnam. He was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Arizona in 1986, after serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. McCain also ran for the Republican ticket for president in 2000, but was defeated by George W. Bush.
Barack Obama
Democratic nominee Barack Obama, 47, was born in Hawaii and moved to Chicago in 1985. He served in the Illinois State Senate between 1997 and 2004 before being elected to the U.S. Senate. Obama became the first African-American to win the presidential nomination for a major party after a tight battle with Hillary Clinton earlier this year.
Iraq
McCain
McCain has not set a strict timeline for troop withdrawal. He insists that forces must remain in the country until the war is won and Iraq can safely govern its own people. McCain has said, however, that he hopes to have most of the U.S. troops stationed in Iraq home by 2013.
Obama
Obama said he plans to bring home one or two combat brigades a month for 16 months, culminating in an almost total withdrawal by the summer of 2010. After this, only a residual force would remain in Iraq to conduct counter-terrorism missions. Obama has also said that greater military effort should be concentrated in Afghanistan.
Economy
McCain
McCain proposes using $300 billion of the $700 billion bailout fund to buy bad mortgages and replace them with fixed-rate government-guaranteed ones, allowing homeowners to keep their homes. McCain said he also plans to freeze spending on all government programs except defense, veteran affairs and entitlement benefits.
Obama
Obama wants to put a hold on all home foreclosures for 90 days and plans to allow people to withdraw up to $10,000 from their retirement accounts, without penalty. Obama also proposes spending $50 billion to jump-start the economy and save more than 1 million jobs.
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