TheIssues.Org: A Guide to Politicians Stances on All Issues

In this era of 10-second soundbites being pretty much all the general public knows about a politician, it would be nice if you and I - the "little guys" - had a way to find out exactly what a particular politician is all about. Not just the image they present on television, at campaign stops and through their slick, market-research-enhanced websites, but in how they have voted.

Are you concerned about how your favorite candidate might vote on a particular issue? Does it worry you that John Edwards claims to be for the little guy, but made close to $300,000 in 2006 by giving a mere 9 speeches on poverty to college students? Does it worry you that Rudy Giuliani says he is against abortion in his private life, but also says he supports abortion as a right for women, while at the same time saying he would not hesitate to confirm judges who would rule against abortion? Does Hilary Clinton's daily evisceration of corporate America seem to jibe with the fact that she used to be on the board of directors of WalMart? And what of John McCain, who wants to take the mantle of a conservative, but who seems to side with Democrats on what many conservatives see to be core issues?

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a place where people could go to find out what these candidates have done when the chips are down? When there are no reporters shouting questions, no glare of the media's spotlight, when it comes time to vote "yea" or "nay" on an issue?

Now there is.

A website called OnTheIssues.org has taken upon itself to cull through every announced and possible candidate's voting and speaking record. This includes both Democrats and Republicans, and both first-tier candidates and those who are not getting the national press coverage of a Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, John McCain or Barack Obama.