The 2004 Democratic Presidential Candidates

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Senator John Kerry

note: (*) = link to source

Equality, Civil Liberties and Minorities:

Kerry wishes to preserve affirmative action and end racial profiling. He supports expansion of hate crime legislation and an end to job discrimination.
He wants to reform the election process so that each ballot is counted.(*)

Kerry supports passage of the Family Opportunity Act which will allow states to choose to increase Medicaid for children with disabilities.(*)

He supports giving same-sex couples the right to pensions, family medical leave and other benefits granted to heterosexual couples.(*)

Economy:

Kerry will repeal President Bush's tax cuts while increasing tax credits to the middle class for tuition and health care. He intends to create a fund of $50 billion over two years to help states avoid cuts in education, health care and security.
Kerry wants to give tax breaks to companies that manufacture goods in the U.S., keeping more jobs from going overseas. He'll create tax breaks for companies that upgrade.(*)

Education:

Kerry does not support school vouchers. He does, however, support public school choice programs. He favors issuing government bonds to help state and local areas pay for repairs and new construction of schools.
Kerry feels schools should be tested by other measures of learning besides just a single standardized test.
He supports creation of an Education Trust Fund that will include mandatory funding for public schools.(*)

Iraq:

Kerry feels the handling of Iraq should be an international effort, not one done by America alone. He wants the UN to be in charge of reconstuction and creation of a government in Iraq. He also favors training and monitoring an Iraqi security force to promote reconstruction and help decrease attacks on American troops.(*)

Women:

Kerry believes in women's right to choose and will support only judges who feel the same way for the Supreme Court. He also supports making insurance companies cover contraceptives like any other medication. He favors giving women better access to OB/GYNs through a better Patient's Bill of Rights.
Kerry wishes to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act.(*)

For more on these and other issues, visit Kerry's campaign site.