Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer |
Al Franken |
|
Health Care |
Supports a comprehensive, national single-payer health care system.“I support a comprehensive national single payer health care system that would: provide universal high-quality care; control costs (eliminate duplicate services and paperwork; end advertising; and restrict profits); emphasize prevention and wellness; offer parity for physical (including dental) and mental health; be portable; and be adequately funded through a progressive tax system.” |
Supports an each state goes their own way strategy.“I would require every state to cover every one of its citizens, and the federal government to provide funding to fulfill that requirement. Each individual state would be free to offer a variety of options, as long as they add up to universal coverage, giving us 51 laboratories... to figure out which system works best. I would add one constraint: each state must cover every child 18 and under with a single-payer system similar to Medicare.” [Franken website, February 2008] |
Iraq |
Has spoken out courageously against the war since before it began.“I spoke out against the War before it started, debating Congressman Jim Ramstad in August 2002 and by advising Senator Paul Wellstone on his 2002 Iraq vote. I’m the only DFL candidate who opposed the war from the beginning. All of our hopes and dreams are held hostage to the Iraq war. The $12 billion per month we spend on the war not only hurts Iraqis, it also cripples domestic efforts to address pressing environmental, health, education and other needs at home.” |
Thinks he would have voted for the war, though “torn,” has become an opponent of the war.“I think I would have voted for the use of force, ‘cause I would have believed, I believed Colin Powell.” [Al Franken, Al Franken Air America Show, 06/16/2006] “Al's been very open about the fact that he was torn in the lead-up to the Iraq war and thus did not publicly oppose it – and he’s been very clear that he regrets that fact.” [Al Franken website, February 2008] |
Nuclear Power |
Opposes expansion of nuclear power.“I oppose any expansion of nuclear power. No new nuclear power plant will be built in this country without massive public subsidies for construction, insurance, decommissioning and waste storage. There is no safe way to dispose of nuclear wastes. Also, climate change requires immediate action and it will take at least a decade to bring new plants on line. We can’t waste hundreds of billions of dollars on an unsafe energy source that wouldn’t be built in time to help us. We need conservation, efficiency gains and a determined effort to build a renewable energy economy. I will will push to reduce oil usage in America by 85 percent in 10 years.” |
Supports using nuclear power as long as safety can be improved.“I’m not reflexively against nuclear power...The obvious disadvantage to it — I don’t think the safety issue is the biggest issue...I think the issue is the waste — which in itself is a safety issue, and a long-term safety issue... That waste is going to be around for thousands and thousands of years...I’m kind of counting on the technology of storing the waste to keep up with it...” [“Major issue in U.S. Senate race in Minnesota will be energy” - ECM Publications /HometownSource.com, 08/16/2007] |
Clean Air |
Supports the "1 Sky" initiative, which would ban the construction of new coal-fired power plants.“The only one willing to sign on to it [1 Sky] point-by-point is DFLer Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. He says the urgency of the 1 Sky appeal matches the urgency of the global warming problem. ” [MPR, 11/05/2007] |
Won't support the ban on new coal plants.“A spokesman for DFLer Al Franken's campaign says Franken is open to various approaches. He really likes the green jobs idea, but he wouldn't commit to the ban on new coal-fired power plants. He says we should develop technology to capture the greenhouse gas emissions.” [ MPR, 11/05/2007] |
