Opposes abortion rights except in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's life is endangered.

Supports abortion rights and would only nominate Supreme Court justices who share that view.

Record deficits in a time of war, terrorism and tax cuts; says deficits can be cut by half in five years.

Cut deficit by half, at least, in first term, in part through repeal of Bush tax cuts for wealthier Americans.

Supports

Opposes except for terrorists

Passed $1.7 trillion in tax cuts and stimulus; favors $3,000 accounts to help unemployed with job-search expenses; make temporary tax cuts permanent; ease business regulations; more than 900,000 jobs lost during presidency.

Repeal tax cuts for richest Americans; spend on highways, school construction, pollution cleanup, energy projects and more to create 3 million jobs in 500 days.

Tightened standards for teachers, schools and student achievement; favors vouchers to help some poor students attend private schools.

$3.2 billion plan for high school students that would pay for four-year public college tuition; backed tougher school standards but says emphasis on test scores should be reduced; opposes vouchers.

Proposes constitutional amendment banning gay marriage; has continued "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays in military.

Opposes gay marriage and constitutional amendment against it; supports right to civil unions; supports letting gays serve openly in military.

Won passage of prescription drug benefit for older Americans; new tax-free medical savings accounts in place; number of uninsured has risen by 5 million since 2000.

Subsidies for children, unemployed, small companies and more; government to help pay for extraordinary medical costs for insurers and employers that keep premiums down.

Swift military victory followed by violent aftermath; won passage of $87 billion for continued military operations, aid in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Supported going to war but now says he did so based on faulty U.S. intelligence; opposed $87 billion package; would seek to bring home U.S. troops in four years.

Supports more free trade deals.

Supported North American and world trade agreements and China's elevated trade status.

Give younger workers the option of putting part of their payroll tax into personal retirement accounts, in return for smaller Social Security benefits.

Opposes partial privatization of Social Security.