CANDIDATE FACT SHEET

Mitt Romney
BAILOUTS

Ron Paul
Paul strongly opposed the bailout and the stimulus, voting against both. Paul argued that the bailout was morally wrong and unconstitutional. He also stated that it was just propping up Wall Street by dumping the bad debt on Main Street.

Newt Gingrich
Gingrich supported the bailout, stating that if he were in the House he would have reluctantly voted for it. He also supported the prior bailout of Savings & Loans under Clinton. He opposed the stimulus, yet pushed to add $27 billion to it that his clients profited from.

Rick Santorum
Santorum said he would have opposed the bailout. However, he voted in favor of bailouts of the Airline and Steel industries. Santorum also condemned the stimulus, but has a record of defending spending increases, declaring in 2003 I am no longer a deficit hawk.

Romney supported the bank bailout, and in 2010 said that It was the right thing to do. He also expressed support for the 2009 all Democrat stimulus writing in his book that It will accelerate the timing of the start of the recovery. Now claims to be against both.

FEDERAL RESERVE

Believes that the Federal Reserve (the Fed) should remain "Independent." He supports the Feds artificial manipulation of interest rates, which has been implicated in multiple economic crashes, including the housing bubble of 2008, and the Great Depression in 1929.

A partial audit that Paul pushed for revealed the Fed gave out $16 trillion in secret loans to U.S. and foreign banks. Paul has introduced legislation to bring full transparency to the Fed. Paul has been the Feds most outspoken opponent for 30 years.

In 1995, supported the backdoor Clinton bailout of Mexican bonds through the Fed and the Treasury Department. Goldman Sachs happened to be a key benefactor of the bailout. Gingrich went against his own party and over 80% of the public who opposed the bailout.

Supports the Fed policy of artificially manipulating interest rates. This manipulation has been implicated in the housing bubble crash of 2008, and even in the crash of 1929 that commenced the Great Depression.

GUN RIGHTS

GRADED BY GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA

In 1994, said "I Ddon't line up with the NRA." In his 2002 campaign, Romney supported a federal assault weapons ban. As Governor, he signed the nation's first ban on assault weapons and steeply increased fees on gun owners by 400%. The GOA says Ron A+ Paul is a "powerful advocate for the 2nd Amendment," and that he has been one of the most consistent defenders of the 2nd Amendment in Congress. Received an endorsement from the National Association for Gun Rights along with Michele Bachmann. Paul accurately predicted the housing bubble in a speech before Congress in 2001. Stated that government backed loans, such as those from Freddie Mac, were responsible for the bubble. His warnings went unheeded and were considered fringe ideas -every expert now agrees that Paul was correct. Breaking his promC ise to stop any gun control laws from coming up for a vote as Speaker, Gingrich supported several antigun laws including the infamous Lautenberg gun ban as well as "safe zones." Supported a national biometric thumbprint database for gun owners. Gingrich said he was aware of the bubble prior to the collapse, but did not notify the public. He was hired by the head of Freddie Mac's Lobbying Operations and was paid $1.8 million for his consulting between 2000-2008. Just after his contract ended Freddie Mac received a $170 billion taxpayer-funded bailout. Supported the BLautenberg gun ban, which lowered the threshold for losing ones Second Amendment rights to a mere non-violent misdemeanor. Supported anti-gun Arlen Specter over pro-gun Republican Pat Toomey in the 2005 Pennsylvania Senate race.

HOUSING BUBBLE

As Governor, Romney aggressively promoted policies that were contributing to the bad assets on the books of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He proclaimed in a 2004 press release "fair and affordable housing should be a right, not a privilege." He then pledged roughly $350 million in state and federal funds to assist low-income borrowers with special mortgage financing.

Encouraged policies which pushed the mortgage giants to take on more subprime debt. In 2005, when Senate Republicans were trying to tighten the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Santorum was pushing to orient them to accomplish Democrats affordablehousing goals.

Mitt Romney
PERSONAL LIBERTY

Ron Paul
Voted against the Patriot Act and has vehemently condemned Obama's signing of the NDAA. Says that when we give up our liberties for an increased sense of security we are ushering in a police state.

Newt Gingrich
Fully supports the Patriot Act, which violates the 4th Amendment by allowing unwarranted search and seizure, and illegal secret surveillance of U.S. citizens. Has said he would further strengthen it.

Rick Santorum
Voted in favor of the Patriot Act and its reauthorization. Doesnt believe that the NDAA changes the law. It does, however, give the President the power to indefinitely detain U.S. citizens without trial, an unprecedented violation of the Constitution. Supports a pre-emptive war policy, saying he would start a war with Iran unless they dismantle their nuclear program. Santorum voted for foreign aid every time its come up, and has said he would continue to send billions of dollars in aid to other countries, including Pakistan. Santorums top contributors are Universal Health Services, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Achristavest. The largest contributor to his Super Pac is Foster Friess, a wealthy mutual fund manager.

Supports the illegal secret surveillance of U.S. citizens with the Patriot Act, and has said he would have signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allows for indefinite detainment of U.S. citizens without trial.

FOREIGN POLICY

Would like to increase the size of the military by at least 100,000 troops. Romney has expressed no intention of reducing Americas nation-building and worldwide military presence. He has not explained how he would pay for these expenditures.

Paul says no nationbuilding; dont be policeman of the world. Stated that overseas bases and troops benefit foreign economies at the expense of U.S. taxpayers. Believes restoring domestic bases as well as providing security for our borders would be a better use of our military. Paul's top contributors are active duty personnel of the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. Receiving more than twice the donations from military than all the other candidates combined. Paul generates nearly all of his campaign contributions from small donors, and has raised the most money in a single day in U.S. History.
Committed to cutting spending, will eliminate five government departments and will only take a $39,336 Presidential salary (The Presidents base salary is normally $400,000). He has vowed to honor Social Security and Medicare, stating that they will remain funded using savings from halting foreign aid and ending our overseas conflicts. Has the only plan to cut $1 trillion his first year, and balance the budget in his first term.

Gingrich voted numerous times in Congress to increase and expand unconstitutional foreign aid. Now claims he would rethink it in some cases. Gingrich also supported an act of war against Libya without Congressional approval, violating the Constitutions War Powers Clause. Gingrich's top contributors are Rock-Tenn Co, Poet LLC, First Fiscal Fund. Receives most of his money from his Super PAC, where his largest single contributor to date, casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, has contributed $10 million to his campaign

CONTRIBUTIONS

Romney's top contributors are Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America, Also receives millions of dollars from anonymous donors through his Super PACs.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Helped write the health care law which became the blue print for Obamacare. In 1994 supported a federal mandate to force acceptance of homosexuals in the work place. In 2006, supported amnesty for illegal immigrants. Now claims to be against it. Refused to sign a "no new taxes" pledge; raised taxes/fees seven times as Governor.

Gingrich supported Obama's individual mandate as well as Clinton's universal health care. Now claims he is against individual mandates. Had 84 ethics charges brought against him while serving as Speaker of the House; was fined $300,000. Charges were dropped just before his resignation from the Speakership. Gingrich also has promoted the idea of a "cap and trade" carbon trading scheme.

Took the most money in Congress from lobbyists in 2006. Voted for No Child Left Behind, further federalizing education, and doubling the size of the Department of Education. Voted to expand prescription drug entitlements with his support of Medicare Part D, which is now a $7 Trillion unfunded liability. Voted to raise the debt ceiling 5 times, increasing the debt by $3.5 trillion.