U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION MEET THE CANDIDATES

There are many candidates running for President in the 2008 election. Find out where they stand on issues, like education, Social Security, the environment, and the war in Iraq.

Choose your candidate based on several of the issues you believe to be important. Listen to their speeches, watch them on TV interviews, and read about them in newspapers.

Do not vote for a candidate based on one issue alone. Do not vote because your favorite celebrity likes him or her. Vote on the candidate who has the best ideas and the ability to keep our country free and strong. Here's how the leading Democrats and Republicans running for office stand on some of the nation's most important issues.

DEMOCRATS

Hilary Clinton
Age: 60
Resides: Chappaqua, NY
Political experience: U.S. senator from New York since 2000
On Iraq: Opposed the Iraq "troop surge" earlier this year. She has supported setting a timeline for a withdrawal from Iraq.
On taxes: Would let some of the Bush tax cuts for higher income households expire. She also wants to address the alternative minimum tax.
On health care: Wants universal health-care coverage by the end of her second term.
On immigration: Supports allowing illegal immigrants to earn legal status by paying fines and back taxes and learning English.

John Edwards
Age: 53
Resides: Raleigh, NC
Political experience: U.S. senator from North Carolina from 1998 to 2004; vice presidential candidate in 2004
On Iraq: Supports withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
On taxes: Says President Bush's tax cuts hurt the middle class. He wants to eliminate the tax cuts for households earning more than $200,000.
On health care: Supports a plan to provide health care for all Americans.
On immigration: Supports allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship by paying fines and learning English.

Barack Obama
Age: 46
Resides: Chicago, IL
Political experience: U.S. senator from Illinois since 2004
On Iraq: Has opposed the war from the start and wants most troops withdrawn from Iraq as soon as possible.
On taxes: Supports reversing some of President Bush's tax cuts.
On health care: Wants to provide universal health insurance coverage by 2012.
On immigration: Supports allowing illegal immigrants to earn legal status by paying a fine, obeying the law and learning English.

Joseph Biden
Age: 64
Resides: Wilmington, DE
Political experience: U.S. senator from Delaware since 1972; Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
On Iraq: Has opposed war from the start and wants troops withdrawn from Iraq by summer 2008. Created plan to give equal power to Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis under a central government.
On taxes: Wants to take away President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy and for oil corporations.
On health care: Has a four-part plan to revise health care system, cover all children and adults without insurance.
On immigration: Supports allowing illegal immigrants to earn legal status.

Dennis Kucinich
Age: 61
Resides: Cleveland, OH
Political experience: U.S. Congressman Ð Ohio's 10th district since 1997; Mayor of Cleveland 1977-1979
On Iraq: Only candidate who voted against the war and against funding its continuation
On taxes: Wants to end President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%; keep tax cuts for the middle class and poor; protect Social Security
On health care: Has a plan for universal health care
On immigration: Supports giving immigrants living in the U.S. for 5 or more years, legal permanent residence.

Also running for President as Democrats are: Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd; New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel and Retired U.S.General Wesley Clark.

REPUBLICANS

Rudolph Guiliani
Age: 63
Resides: New York City, NY
Political experience: New York City mayor from 1994 to 2001
On Iraq: Strongly supports current strategy, including troop surge.
On taxes: Strongly supports Bush's tax cuts and favors enacting others.
On health care: Supports using the free market to give Americans more control over and access to health care. He does not support universal health care.
On immigration: Supports President Bush's guest worker program, which allows illegal immigrants to earn legal status. He would allow illegal immigrants to earn legal status under certain conditions.

John McCain
Age: 71
Resides:
Phoenix, AZ
Political experience: U.S. senator from Arizona since 1987
On Iraq: Consistent supporter of the war and "troop surge" strategy.
On taxes: Voted against President George Bush's tax cuts twice because they favored the wealthy.
On health care: Has focused on improving the veterans' health care system.
On immigration: Sponsored immigration reform bill in 2006. He supports a guest worker program.

Mike Huckabee
Age: 51
Resides: North Little Rock, AK
Political experience: Former governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007; past chairman of the National Governors' Association; former lobbyist for the oil and gas industry
On Iraq: Supports the war in Iraq and troop build up.
On taxes: Wants to end all federal income and payroll taxes
On health care: Opposes universal health care; supports preventive health
On immigration: Supports border security; does not support amnesty or sanctuary for illegals; opposes driver's licenses for illegals; supports fines and penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Mitt Romney
Age: 60
Resides: Belmont, MA
Political experience: Massachusetts governor from 2002 to 2006
On Iraq: Supports Iraq strategy but has been critical of how war has been handled.
On taxes: Supports lower taxes and making President Bush's tax cuts permanent.
On health care: Wants to extend health care coverage to all Americans through market-driven reforms.
On immigration: Opposed 2006 immigrant reform bill. He also opposes a guest worker program. Romney said it would create amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Fred Thompson
Age: 65
Resides: Lawrenceburg, TN
Political experience: U.S. senator from Tennessee from 1994 to 2002
On Iraq: Supports the war and says large-scale withdrawal would be dangerous.
On taxes: Supports President Bush's tax cuts. He favors scrapping the current tax code in favor of one that is fairer.
On health care: Has said that every American should have access to affordable health insurance.
On immigration: Opposed 2006 immigration reform bill and the guest worker program. He called it amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Other Republicans running for President are: Duncan Hunter, U.S. congressman from California; Alan Keyes, former Assistant Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan; Ron Paul, U.S. congressman from 14th District of Texas; and Tom Tancredo, U.S. congressman from the 6th District of Colorado.