WASHINGTON -- The stands of these 2008 presidential candidates on a selection of issues:

Democrats: Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Republicans: Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, California Rep. Duncan Hunter, Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo.

ABORTION: Favor abortion rights?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Yes.

• Clinton: Yes.

• Dodd: Yes.

• Edwards: Yes.

• Kucinich: Yes.

• Obama: Yes. As Illinois lawmaker, opposed restrictions on public financing of abortions.

• Richardson: Yes.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: No.

• Giuliani: Yes, but says he would appoint justices "very similar" to Samuel Alito and John Roberts, who he thinks will vote for abortion restrictions.

• Huckabee: No. Favors constitutional abortion ban.
Hunter: No.

• McCain: No. Says Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

• Romney: No. Would let states decide. Opposes constitutional amendment banning abortion. Previously supported abortion rights.

• Tancredo: No. Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

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GAY MARRIAGE: Support same-sex marriage?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Asked in 2003 whether gay marriage is inevitable, said: "I'm not sure. I think probably it is." Opposed constitutional amendment against it.
Clinton: Unclear. Has said opposes in the past, but now says rethinking the issue. Opposed constitutional amendment against it.

• Dodd: Would let states decide. Opposed constitutional amendment against it

• Edwards: "I don't know the answer."

• Kucinich: Yes.

• Obama: Would let states decide. Opposes constitutional amendment against it.

• Richardson: No.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: No. Voted for constitutional amendment to ban it.

• Giuliani: No.

• Huckabee: No. Amend Constitution to ban it, as Arkansas did with state constitution when he was governor.

• Hunter: No. Amend Constitution to ban it.

• McCain: Would let states regulate it. Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it.

• Romney: No. Amend Constitution to ban it. Also opposes same-sex civil unions.

• Tancredo: No. Voted for constitutional amendment to ban it.

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GLOBAL WARMING: Support federal emission controls?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Favors negotiation of new treaty to curb emissions. Voted for 2003 bill that would have capped 2010 emissions at 2000 levels, increasing energy costs.

• Clinton: Voted for the 2003 bill.

• Dodd: Voted for the 2003 bill.

• Edwards: Supports tougher vehicle fuel efficiency standards. Says people must make sacrifices in energy use, including changing vehicles they drive. As senator, missed vote on 2003 bill.

• Kucinich: Supports the Kyoto Protocol treaty to curb emissions of greenhouse gases.

• Obama: Joined McCain in sponsoring legislation that would set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions and boost energy costs. Plan would require emissions to return to 2004 levels by 2012 and to 1990 levels by 2020.

• Richardson: Favors U.S. joining Kyoto treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions and going "well beyond" its requirements, boosting fuel economy standards and undertaking massive spending on renewable energy to slash oil imports from 65 percent of fossil fuel use to 10 percent in 15 years.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: Voted against 2003 bill that would have capped 2010 emissions at 2000 levels, saying it would have increased energy costs.

• Giuliani: Not sure how much global warming is caused by human activity. Consider expanding nuclear power as well as alternative energy.

• Huckabee: Favors private-sector innovation as the means to control emissions. Opposed Kyoto treaty.

• Hunter: Favors federal subsidies for increased ethanol production.

• McCain: Chief co-sponsor of a bill to set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions, which would boost energy costs. Plan would require emissions to return to 2004 levels by 2012 and to 1990 levels by 2020.

• Romney: As Massachusetts governor, backed out of regional pact to curb carbon dioxide emissions from power plants because it did not cap the higher energy costs it might place on business and consumers.

• Tancredo: Not convinced human activity has contributed to global warming or that warming is anything more than cyclical. "Certainly, we should pay attention to these changes and study them -- but we should refrain from imposing a litany of state, federal and international restrictions."

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HEALTH INSURANCE: How to deal with the 46 million uninsured?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Expand health insurance for children and for catastrophic care, look to states for ideas on moving toward universal coverage.

• Clinton: Seeks national consensus before proceeding with universal health care plan. "I want to figure out how we provide universal health care without putting billions more into the system." Goal of universal coverage in eight years. Led an unsuccessful health care reform effort in 1993.

• Dodd: Sponsored legislation to expand coverage for young, old and poor. Goal of universal coverage; details and costs not specified.

• Edwards: Achieve universal health coverage by 2012 with a system of expanded federal health insurance, family tax credits, and coverage requirements on employers, insurance companies and individuals. Increase taxes to pay for program's cost of up to $120 billion a year.

• Kucinich: Favors national health insurance program covering medical, dental, mental health and long-term care, as well as prescription drugs. "My plan doesn't provide for a role for for-profit insurance companies."

• Obama: Goal of universal coverage by 2012; details and costs not specified.

• Richardson: Priority is to insure all children under 5. Work with market and state to expand access for others. For New Mexico, favors expansion of health insurance through combination of private sector and government reforms instead of through state-sponsored universal health care.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: "Market-based solutions, not government-run health care."

• Giuliani: "Market-driven" expansion of coverage, not government-sponsored universal coverage.

• Huckabee: Favors market solutions, state innovation. "We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funding through ever-higher taxes."

• Hunter: Supported expansion of health insurance through tax breaks, not government-sponsored universal coverage.

• McCain: Has a record of promoting prescription drug coverage for elderly and expanded insurance for children, but not universal coverage.

• Romney: As governor, signed health care law aimed at ensuring universal coverage through a mix of subsidies, sliding scale premiums and penalties for those who do not get insurance. Says that plan might eventually become a national model.

• Tancredo: Market reforms instead of more federal spending to expand health coverage.

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IMMIGRATION: Support legal status for illegal aliens?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Backed 2006 bill offering legal status to illegal immigrants who have been in the country for at least five years, subject to conditions including English proficiency and payment of back taxes and fines, with tougher conditions for those who have been in the U.S. for shorter time. Favors tightening U.S.-Mexico border with fences.

• Clinton: Voted for the 2006 bill and for border fence.

• Dodd: Voted for the 2006 bill and against border fence.

• Edwards: Supports path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who speak English and meet other conditions.

• Kucinich: Legalize "hardworking, taxpaying" illegal immigrants.

• Obama: Voted for the 2006 bill and for the fence.

• Richardson: Favors conditional path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, opposes border fence.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: Voted for the 2006 bill. Supports border fence.

• Giuliani: Open to conferring legal status if proficiency in English is among conditions.

• Huckabee: Favors conditional path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the country. As Arkansas governor, opposed banning state services for illegal immigrants.

• Hunter: Favors deporting the millions of illegal aliens. A sponsor of legislation authorizing construction of Mexico border fence.

• McCain: Voted for the 2006 bill. Supports border fence.

• Romney: Criticized plans in Congress to offer illegal immigrants a path to legal status. Supports building a border fence with Mexico and stationing National Guard troops there. Favors penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. As governor, reached an agreement with Washington allowing state troopers to enforce federal immigration law, including arresting illegal immigrants and seeking their deportation.

• Tancredo: Opposes legal status for illegal immigrants. Says mass deportation is impractical, but illegal immigrants will "self-deport" if penalties on businesses that hire them are made so tough that the market for their labor dries up. Also favors deep cut in legal immigration.

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IRAN: Negotiate directly with Iran?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Yes.

• Clinton: Yes, also with Syria.

• Dodd: Yes, also with Syria.

• Edwards: Yes, also with Syria

• Kucinich: Supports convening regional conference including Iran, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

• Obama: Yes. Also proposed regional conference that includes Iran, Syria and other neighbors, aimed at stabilizing Iraq. Holds out possibility of military action if Iran is not dissuaded from developing nuclear weapons by other means.

• Richardson: Yes, also with Syria.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: Spend $100 million this year, a tenfold increase, on "democracy building, civil society building, and civil disobedience building" inside Iran and on external ways to support pro-democracy and human rights groups opposed to the government. Appoint special human rights envoy to increase international pressure on Iran.

• Giuliani: Doubtful negotiations with Iran or Syria would work.

• Huckabee: Yes.

• Hunter: Said it would be a mistake to enlist the help of Iran in stabilizing Iraq.

• McCain: Reluctant. Wants international pressure on Iran and Syria, not "unconditional dialogues with these two dictatorships from a position of weakness." Bolster U.S. forces in region to deter Iranian intervention in Iraq.

• Romney: No. Supports economic and diplomatic isolation of Iran, rather than engagement.

• Tancredo: Yes, with certain preconditions.

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IRAQ: How to end the war?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Withdraw most U.S. troops by end of year, leaving about 20,000 in or near Iraq, as part of plan to see Iraq governed as largely autonomous Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish regions. Opposes deployment of 21,500 more troops. Led Senate effort to pass resolution declaring war is against U.S. interest.

• Clinton: Opposes troop increase, favors cap on troop levels and starting withdrawal in three months, with U.S. extricated by 2009. Has opposed using congressional spending power to end war.

• Dodd: Opposes troop increase, would cap force at about 130,000 unless Congress approves more, has not specified withdrawal timetable, would not cut off money. Begin withdrawing troops now from worst parts of Baghdad.

• Edwards: Favors immediate withdrawal of 40,000 to 50,000 troops, would block money for troop increase.

• Kucinich: Opposed U.S. invasion, favors troop withdrawal and cutting off additional money to continue the war.

• Obama: Supports capping troop levels at 130,000, beginning withdrawal May 1 and completing pullout of combat brigades by March 31, 2008.

• Richardson: Says U.S. troops should be redeployed by the end of the year to other parts of the Persian Gulf and to Afghanistan.

WAR AUTHORIZATION: Democrats who were in the Senate when the war was authorized -- Biden, Clinton, Dodd and Edwards -- voted in favor of the authorization and now say they would not have voted that way in retrospect. Obama, who was not in the Senate then, opposed war at the start.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: Opposes troop increase, says ethnic partition of Iraq might have to occur.

• Giuliani: Supports troop increase.

• Huckabee: Opposes abrupt withdrawal.

• Hunter: Opposes immediate withdrawal and opposes cutting additional money for the war.

• McCain: Supports troop increase, opposes scheduling a withdrawal.

• Romney: Supports troop increase, favors adding five brigades in Baghdad and two regiments in Anbar province.

• Tancredo: Voted last year to reject timetable for withdrawal.

WAR AUTHORIZATION: Republicans who were in Congress when the war was authorized -- Brownback, Hunter, McCain and Tancredo -- voted in favor of the authorization.

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STEM CELL RESEARCH: Relax restrictions on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research?

DEMOCRATS:

• Biden: Yes.

• Clinton: Yes.

• Dodd: Yes.

• Edwards: Yes.

• Kucinich: Yes.

• Obama: Yes.

• Richardson: Yes.

REPUBLICANS:

• Brownback: No.

• Giuliani: Yes.

• Huckabee: No.

• Hunter: No.

• McCain: Yes.

• Romney: As governor, tried to stop legislation that encouraged expanded embryonic stem cell research of the kind opposed by President Bush. Veto was overturned.

• Tancredo: No. "The government has no business making taxpayers subsidize the destruction of human life."