Dreaming of Simplicity

Remember that 3.am call? Well at 3.am this morning, Barack Obama supporters got the text that they had been waiting for.

"Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!"

So, there it is, Delaware Senator Joe Biden will be Democratic Presidential candidate Obama's running mate.

So where does he stand on the issues? Let us have a look.

On...

• Crime - he supports rehabilitation and community policing
• Education - he supports teachers unions but also supports abstinence education. He is against student voucher systems and voluntary prayers in schools. He also supported the abolition of an education grant fro prisoners.
• Energy - he opposes drilling in the Arctic, supports the creation 0f a new treaty on climate change and supports the idea of a cap and trade scheme.
• Environment - he called for the US to be a part of UN climate change negotiations
• Gun control - he is pro-gun control scoring a healthy 'F' on the NRA's rankings.
• Immigration - he supports giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
• Security - voted for the PATRIOT Act but voted to limit wire tapping. Supports restoration of habeas corpus for Gitmo detainees. 60% approval rating by ACLU indicating a mixed record.
  
• Economics - he is against Bush's tax cuts for the rich and supports a balanced budget. He is scored 100% by the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) indicating a pro-union record. One of the few Democrats that supported NAFTA. Supports funding for healthcare for all.
• Foreign policy - voted in favour of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has since withdrawn support for Iraq war. Supports repositioning troops to Sudan to end the Darfur genocide. Opposes abstinence only HIV-AIDS prevention programs. Strongly supports Israel and a two state solution. Supports sanctions on Iran but also proposes a sort of 'promise tree' (my words) that would show Iran what it could look forward to if it complied with American demands.
• Abortion - he has voted against parental notification, scored 100% by the NARAL Pro-Choice America but scored just 36% in 2003. Supports federal funding for stem-cell research.
• Drugs - he supports removing drug users from the prison system into specialist facilities and opposes stronger drug laws.
• LGBT rights - voted in favour of the Defence of Marriage Act but against the Federal Marriage Ammendment. Supports civil unions and adding sexual orientation to hate crime laws.

Parts of this article have been summarised from the Wikipedia article on the Political Positions of Joe Biden.