What Have We Gotten Ourselves Into?

How well do you know the man who was just sworn in at noon on Tuesday?

*On economic policy: "We should be guided by what works."

*On minimum wage: advocates raising it to $9.50 per hour (do you really want to pay $9.50 for a value meal at McDonalds?)

*On education: opposes school choice vouchers, opposes the teaching of intelligent design as fact, and supports merit pay raises to teachers, with the standards being set by... teachers.

* On energy: opposes the construction of nuclear plants, called McCain's proposal for 45 new plants "not serious, not new" and "not the kind of energy policy that will give families the relief they need." (Meanwhile, his home state of Illinois has more than half of its energy produced by nuclear power plants.)

* On vehicle energy: wants to ban the production of any vehicle that does not get at least 50 miles per gallon by 2030.

* On health care: wants universal health care by 2012, and plans to fine companies who do not provide health care for their employees.

* On housing: proposes a 33% increase in capital gains taxes on the sale of homes.

* On immigration: opposes deporting illegals; supports giving drivers' licenses to illegals; voted against declaring English to be the official language of the federal government.

* On foreign policy: does not believe that Iran, Cuba, or Venezuela pose a serious threat to the U.S.

* On the military: supports growing the number of troops, but wants to kill our missile defense system and slow the growth of Future Combat Systems (the primary military modernization program). Also would make Selective Service Registration mandatory for women as well as men.

* On abortion: has consistently refused to label himself as either pro-life or pro-abortion; voted for funding to provide contraceptives to students.

* On marriage and sexuality: voted against the amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman; supports giving "civil unions" the same status as married partners; "I do not agree... that homosexuality is immoral." "I strongly believe that African-Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights." (LGBT is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender.)

Ladies and gentlemen, your president, Barack Obama!