Click here for a printable chart summarizing the differences on key issues (.pdf file). Here's the web version:
Iraq War
Ensign: More of the same.
Carter: Supports a stick and carrot approach to working with the Iraqi government. Believes that our troops staying should be contingent on progress toward stability.
National Deficit
Ensign: Says he believes in balanced budgets, but has contributed to ballooning deficit spending by the Republican Congress.
Carter: Supports a return to Clinton-era Pay as you go spending rules and common-sense business practices.
Health Care
Ensign: Has focused on tort reform in medical malpractice cases.
Carter: Believes that Medicare should be able to use its size to negotiate lower drug prices. Small businesses should also be allowed to pool their resources to get lower prices. Points out that medical malpractice lawsuits are responsible for only 2% of health care costs.
Energy
Ensign: Has voted in support of drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Carter: Has a comprehensive plan to reduce dependence on foreign oil, including increasing car fuel efficiency standards and promoting alternative fuels. Believes that drilling for oil in ANWR will yield a small amount of oil; it is not worth the environmental damage.
Immigration
Ensign: Supports sending National Guard troops to secure the border. Believes illegal immigrants should be treated as criminals.
Carter: Believes that illegal immigrants should be penalized, but that a path to citizenship must be available. Existing border control measures should be enforced. If National Guard troops are used, it should be a short-term deployment.
Free Speech
Ensign: Believes that people who disagree with war efforts should not say so.
Carter: Believes that dissent is an important part of a healthy Democracy.
Abortion
Ensign: Opposes Abortion rights.
Carter: Supports Abortion rights. Believes we should reduce the number of abortions through sex education and better access to contraceptives.
Wasteful spending
Ensign: Failed to investigate wasteful spending in Iraq War reconstruction costs after initially supporting such an investigation.
Carter: Supports investigations into money distribution in Iraq War reconstruction costs.