In the short sprint to tomorrow's special election, Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley have voiced increasingly divergent viewpoints on issues from war and spending to abortion and health care. Here's a look at the stances taken by Brown, a state senator from Wrentham, and Coakley, of Medford, the state's attorney general.
Coakley Supports. Opposed House amendment that would restrict abortion access but supports Senate version, which would keep funding separate.
Coakley supports Roe v. Wade. Opposes Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. Volunteered as a lawyer to help young women without parental consent get court orders allowing abortions. As attorney general, sued the Bush administration over regulations that would protect health care workers who refuse to provide services or prescriptions on religious grounds.
Coakley opposes president's plan, saying efforts should be focused on areas where Al Qaeda is now.
Coakley supports new, tighter regulation on financial industry.
Coakley supports the wind farm. Supports a national cap and trade program on greenhouse gases.
Coakley supports President Obama's proposal to tax large financial institutions to recoup taxpayers' investment in the economic recovery. Supports letting Bush tax cuts on the top 2 percent of taxpayers expire.
Coakley opposes waterboarding. Supports trials for suspected terrorists in civilian courts, pointing to the consecutive life sentences that shoe bomber Richard Reid is serving after trial in federal court in Boston.
