Mark Clayton's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
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Mark Clayton refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
Issue Positions
For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2012.
- Mark Clayton. Greeneville Sun Questionnaire - Interview 18 July 2008. “I am pro-life. As more and more people become educated about the reality of what abortion truly entails, America is becoming increasingly pro-life. I personally do not believe that the Democratic Party can maintain itself as the party of abortion for much longer, or we will have little success against the dangerous neo-conservative agenda. Neo-conservatives like George Bush and Alexander like to trick Christians into voting for them over abortion just so they can get more power. I credit America's opposition to abortion as being one of the fatal reasons that George Bush's campaigns were able to trick many people into supporting his tragic election and re-election.” (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Issue Position: Pro-Life/Traditional Marriage Only. 1 January 2012. “We believe that abortion kills millions of innocent people.” (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Issue Position - Follow the Constitution, Period. 1 January 2012. “Stop non-declared, endless war policy in Washington. Non-declared, unlimited war is a fundamental danger to liberty as it is endless war from which the Orwellian Super-State derives its power. The U.S Constitution REQUIRES that Congress declare war and THEREFORE PROHIBITS the President from waging unlimited war as long as Congress continues approving funds. A constitutional war declaration necessarily requires Congress to define our enemies as well as what constitues victory. Ask ten US Senators why we are in Iraq today and you get ten different opinions. If Congress would submit to the Constitution, this confusion would not exist. The last time which Congress declared war was World War II.” (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Facebook: Timeline. 26 August 2012. “We need someone who will make this a more open democracy, or just take it back to a democracy in general; someone who will stand up to Wall Street and the bankers who have way too much political influence; we need someone who can get things done, and get the people behind him; and we need someone who will pull out troops and greatly decrease our involvement overseas.” (www.facebook.com)
- Mark Clayton. Greeneville Sun Questionnaire – Interview. 18 July 2008. “America cannot afford any more debt to the Communist Chinese over the Iraq conflict, nor can we afford, morally or financially, to be a global empire […] Furthermore, the 'War on Terror' is just a fruitless excuse to take away our rights and cut at our Constitution. We should have either captured or killed bin Laden in 1994 or 1995 when he first declared war on America." (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Tenn. Senate candidate is an unconventional Democrat. 12 August 2012. “He's pro-military — and was briefly a part of it — but says it has 'gone overboard.'” (www.usatoday.com)
- Mark Clayton. Greeneville Sun Questionnaire – Interview. 18 July 2008. “America cannot afford any more debt to the Communist Chinese over the Iraq conflict, nor can we afford, morally or financially, to be a global empire […] Furthermore, the 'War on Terror' is just a fruitless excuse to take away our rights and cut at our Constitution. We should have either captured or killed bin Laden in 1994 or 1995 when he first declared war on America." (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Clayton Campaign Issues Statement Condemning Regressive Tax Policies for Working Americans. 15 April 2008. “As your senator, Mark Clayton will introduce legislation imposing a moratorium on all income taxes for those who earn $50,000 or less individually. The legislation will also impose a moratorium on all IRS collection activities on wage earners and self-employed who earn $100,000 or less. The Clayton campaign believes the income tax moratorium to be vital and necessary for any realistic economic stimulus package.” (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Issue Position: If Elected, Mark Clayton Will... 1 January 2012. “STAND UP FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBLILITY AND AGAINST WASTEFUL SPENDING BY AN OUT-OF-CONTROL CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT.” (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Mark Clayton. Greeneville Sun Questionnaire – Interview. 8 July 2008. “The illegal immigration problem began over two-decades ago and almost nobody took action. Now the problem is being used by political opportunists who have no intention of ending their bread-basket issue. First, the answer is to pass a civil rights bill in conjunction with a deportation treaty with Mexico. While deportation is the answer for illegal immigrants, civil rights must take precedence in all cases. The fact that America's population now includes an underclass of undocumented and frightened people is a disgrace to our long-standing tradition of asserting civil rights for all. In the 1990s, Mexico purposefully pursued a policy of exporting its unemployment to the United States. When the deportation schedule begins, Mexico must pay its part of the tab and ensure the safety of deportees. Maybe Jimmy Carter can go build some real homes for deportees as opposed to the shacks illegal immigrants live in here. Also, I support birthright citizenship and will defend it against amendment.” (votesmart.org)
- Andy Sher. Chattanooga Times Free Press. U.S. Senate candidate Clayton urges Obama to back off support of same-sex marriage. 7 Aug. 2012. “I’m very close to voting for Obama this time,” Clayton told reporters at a news conference this afternoon. “But I’m like many of the supporters. We want President Obama to come home, be for traditional marriage between a man and a woman.” (www.timesfreepress.com)
- Mark Clayton. Issue Position: Pro-Life/Traditional Marriage Only. 1 January 2012. “We also believe that marriage is between only a man and a woman. The government, as under both Bush and Obama, has no business waging tax-funded propaganda campaigns pitting perverted and immoral behavior against religious liberty law and mainstream family values.” (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Greeneville Sun Questionnaire – Interview. 18 July 2008. “America cannot afford any more debt to the Communist Chinese over the Iraq conflict, nor can we afford, morally or financially, to be a global empire […] Furthermore, the 'War on Terror' is just a fruitless excuse to take away our rights and cut at our Constitution. We should have either captured or killed bin Laden in 1994 or 1995 when he first declared war on America." (votesmart.org)
- Mark Clayton. Issue Position - Follow the Constitution, Period. 1 January 2012. “Stop non-declared, endless war policy in Washington. Non-declared, unlimited war is a fundamental danger to liberty as it is endless war from which the Orwellian Super-State derives its power. The U.S Constitution REQUIRES that Congress declare war and THEREFORE PROHIBITS the President from waging unlimited war as long as Congress continues approving funds. A constitutional war declaration necessarily requires Congress to define our enemies as well as what constitues victory. Ask ten US Senators why we are in Iraq today and you get ten different opinions. If Congress would submit to the Constitution, this confusion would not exist. The last time which Congress declared war was World War II.” (votesmart.org)
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