What do these people really stand for? Some have told us

Voters looking for the straight stuff on many of the candidates for office in next Tuesday’s primary have a place to look.

Project Vote Smart is a national non-profit organization that collects voting records, tracks campaign contributions, and assembles ratings on many candidates from various special interest groups. A printed "Voter’s Self Defense Manual" is just out. But Project Vote Smart’s web page contains even more information, including information from a Political Courage Test that probes candidates’ positions on numerous issues.

Vote Smart spokesman Brandon Horton says a lot of candidates, however, do a disservice to voters by refusing to reveal their positions.

He says some political parties are telling candidates not to reveal their positions—because information about what they stand for can be used against them.

If you want to see which Missouri candidates are willing to tell you what they stand for, check our Missourinet website for a link to the information on the Project Vote Smart website.

The Project Vote Smart home page is at http://www.votesmart.org/