Kudos to Ryan Anderson from NewNebraska.netfor helping me compile this:
(Don't forget to PLEDGE for KLEEB! We are nearing our goal of 100 people!)
Abortion: "Kleeb is opposed to abortion on moral grounds but does not oppose abortion in cases of rape or incest, according to campaign spokesman Ben Lumpkin. Kleeb does not support a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion, Lumpkin said, because he does not want to 'criminalize' abortion for women who choose to have one." (OWH 9/8/06) As with most issues, Kleeb's primary focus is on the need to transcend our divisive debate and focus more energy on achieving our common goals: "we must all work together to reduce the number of abortions." (Dailykos liveblog: http://www.dailykos.com/... )
"This is not just a Christian issue, or a Republican issue. This is a profound moral issue for all Americans. I would work to reduce abortions by doing all we can to encourage women to carry a child to term. That means access to counseling and supportive networks. It means access to medical care. It means tuition assistance and job placement for young mothers working to become financially self-sufficient. It means incentives for adoption. Recent history makes it clear that we can be successful in greatly reducing the number of abortions now if we support these critical programs." (NTV questionnaire, 10/06)
Agriculture: "In Nebraska - and in Iowa and Illinois, Kansas and Colorado - economic pressures are driving independent farmers to sell out to agribusiness conglomerates or real estate speculators. With the prices of farming inputs like diesel, nitrates and fertilizer set to reach record levels, this trend toward consolidation is sure to accelerate in 2006. Government cannot reverse these economic pressures, but it must do more to provide family farms and ranches the tools they need to stay competitive. American agriculture is at a crossroads, and federal agriculture policy is not keeping up." (Campaign website, http://scottkleeb.com/...)
"Right now with the federal farm bill, 70% of all payments go to less than 10% of all farmers... [we need to be] taking some of that money and investing it in new opportunities for new farmers and ranchers." (Grand Island Town Hall, http://youtube.com/...) "I... pledge to support tax incentives in the New Homestead Act that would create economic opportunities for young Nebraskans and boost our rural economies." (Declaration of Nebraska Independence, http://scottkleeb.com/...)
Energy: "Standing in a field of yellow flowers near Scotts Bluff National Monument, Democrat Scott Kleeb suggests that the seeds planted in this small field are the future of America's energy policy. In a voice both calm and intense, Kleeb criticizes the 2004 energy bill, suggesting that the $22 million allocated to alternative fuel research is the federal government's equivalent of 22 cents. The brown mustard and canola seeds in this field, he says, could be harnessed as a source of clean-burning fuel." (The Hill, 6/6/06)
"Kleeb held a press conference to highlight his support of ethanol and criticize Cheney for 'entrenching the power of big oil in Washington.' The Democrat said Nebraska could lead the way to energy independence if Washington would be more supportive of alternative fuels." (OWH, 6/27/06) "I... pledge to increase investment in Nebraska renewable energy sources (ethanol, wind power, biomass) to a level that allows us to obtain 25 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2025." (Declaration of Nebraska Independence, http://scottkleeb.com/...)
Faith: "My religious faith teaches me to celebrate the mystery of life and welcome its many gifts with awe and a sense of profound gratitude. If we value what we have appropriately, then we will never have cause to despair. My religious faith also teaches me to be humble, and to devote my life not to personal gain, but to doing what I can to make life better for my fellow man." (NTV Questionnaire, 10/06)
Free Trade: "Elected officials in this state tend to talk about free trade as though it were a self-fulfilling prophecy.... In reality, Nebraska wasn't ready for free trade, and these deals have been hard on our rural communities. Can freer trade make us stronger than we have ever been before? Of course. Nebraska has some of the best schools in the country, high quality affordable housing, low crime rates, clean air, and first-class transportations systems—we are a globalization success story waiting to happen. But we need to invest in the systems, infrastructure and people that will enable us to take advantage of this new environment." (Campaign biography, http://scottkleeb.com/... )
Gay Marriage: "I oppose gay marriage because I believe a marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman, but I don't have a personal problem with civil unions. However, this is a state issue that has been decided by the Nebraska voters. I respect their vote, and I will uphold the law." (OWH, 9/8/06)
Global Warming: "Smith, a state senator from Gering, doubts human actions are to blame for global warming as 'climate change, in large part, is a natural occurrence.' While Smith is concerned regulations to reduce emissions could hinder Nebraska economically, Kleeb suggested action needs to be taken soon to slow global warming and that 'we can both be green and economically viable.'" (LJS 6/9/06)
Gun Control: " I will stand guard over 2nd Amendment rights in Washington. Raised on a military base, I've grown up around guns my whole life, and I recognize the historic role that an independently armed citizenry has played in keeping our country free. I recognize the recreational role of guns as well. In the past three weeks alone, I held a campaign event at the Bunker Hills trap shoot range outside of Hastings, and shot clay pigeons again at the Platte River Charity Shoot." (NTV Questionnaire, 10/06)
Health Care: "Nebraskans understand that if you increase the access to preventive health care for thousands of Americans, then you will reduce the costs of hospital care by tens of millions of dollars. As one doctor friend explained it to me, if a man takes a pill to control high blood pressure, then he won't have to be treated for a stroke in the emergency room. And so we must support expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program, which would help 5.3 million uninsured parents gain access to insurance and lower prices for healthcare services. We must support the use of tax credits and purchasing associations to help small and medium size companies provide more - and better - coverage to their employees." (Campaign website, http://scottkleeb.com/... )
"Nationally, a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health estimated that 62 percent of those who couldn't afford the medical care they needed in 2004 actually did have health insurance. In other words, health care costs have gone up so much that health insurance can no longer do what it was designed to do: guarantee that you will be able to afford the care you need when you need it." (NTV Questionnaire, 10/06) "Do I have all the answers? No, I don't. But I do know that we can save a heck of a lot of money by switching over and encouraging more hospitals to switch over to electronic records... so we can actually spend money on the things we like to spend money on, which is increasing the number of people who have insurance. " (Grand Island Town Hall, http://youtube.com/... )
Iraq: "As we now know, however, the threat posed to Americans and the world by Saddam Hussein was not as dire and immediate as it was portrayed. The decision to go to war was made on faulty intelligence. Our intelligence gathering failed us at a critical time. Even more serious, our civilian leadership exercised poor judgment in making the decision to invade. They chose to go into Iraq with an invasion force one-half the size recommended by senior military officers. They failed to anticipate and plan for a prolonged guerilla war..."
"But, for me, that is where that particular discussion ends....We, as a nation, cannot afford to dwell on these mistakes any longer. We must focus our attention on finding solutions to the very serious challenges we face today." (Campaign website, http://scottkleeb.com/... ) "I am frustrated with this war. I am frustrated that from day one we have not been asking questions, that from day one we fire generals rather than take their advice... We forgot the single most important lesson of the Cold War, which is that diplomacy can be strong, especially when you use it with military might." (Grand Island Town Hall, http://youtube.com/...) "Why don't we talk to [Iran]? Why don't we talk to Syria? Why don't we talk to other countries which do have an interest in the region?" (Grand Island Independent, http://theindependent.com/...)
Rural Development: "It will be critical to close the digital divide with broadband Internet connections, he says, and recognize how new information technology can level the playing field for small towns and rural areas." (LJS, 4/15/06)
Social Security: "I... pledge to preserve Social Security by fighting efforts to divert Social Security payroll taxes to private accounts." (Declaration of Nebraska Independence, http://scottkleeb.com/... )
Stem Cell Research: "The starkest contrast occurred in response to a question about whether the candidates would support the use of medicines developed via research on fetal tissue. Smith said there have been great medical advances using adult stem cells instead of fetal tissue. "We need to respect life," he said. Kleeb said Americans can respect life by allowing researchers to use all avenues to develop treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's." (OWH, 9/8/06)