(If you would like to see an outline of what the Democratic candidates think about the death penalty, look at the previous post.)

I got such a charge out of the Death Penalty platform post, that I’ve decided to immediately follow it up with another one. This one is related, in my mind, as it gets to the basic question of how the candidates view life and death politically.

Today's other issue: Bush's wars (in Iraq, in Afghanistan, on Terror, and otherwise)

I should note that Afghanistan is not a topic that engages most of the candidates very much.

Clark: questions how Bush has done, but supports basic concepts of Bush's wars; mostly wants exit strategies and diplomacy and whatnot.

Dean: opposed the Iraq war from jump street and thinks Bush is doing an awful job with it now; supported the war in Afghanistan (as near as I can tell) but thinks Bush is doing a less than good job with it now; supports the broad concept of a War on Terror but . . .

Edwards: supported Iraq war, questions how bush has done; supported Afghanistan war, questions how Bush has done; supports the War on Terror but wants US to work more closely with allies (would create a separate anti Terror agency).

Gephardt: supported both wars, not much to say about either; supports War on Terror and says it is being fought "right here on the streets of our heartland."

Kerry: supported Iraq war, but wishes he hadn't; supported Afghanistan war and played "a prominent role in crafting legislation authorizing the use of force to remove the Taliban and destroy al Qaeda's terrorist infrastructure"; supports the War on Terror but wants more work with allies.

Kucinich: opposed the Iraq war from jump street; same thing with Afghanistan; thinks terrorism is best dealt with by questioning the causes and dealing with things in a generally more diplomatic and legal manner.

Lieberman: supported Iraq war (doesn't have much to say about it); supported Afghanistan war (ditto); supports War on Terror (ditto).

Mosley-Braun: opposed the Iraq war from jump street; ditto for Afghanistan; see Kucinich.

Sharpton: See M-B and Kucinich.


On the question of the Bush wars, KUCINICH, MOSLEY-BRAUN, SHARPTON and (perhaps) DEAN could get my vote.