I just came across this very interesting piece in the NY Daily News, where all the major presidential candidates were asked to put their specific positions on various critical issues "on the record." I thought the answers were very revealing, in terms of seeing which candidates have substantive policies, and which candidates are trying to get by on soundbites and vague rhetoric.  

To get the candidates on the record with specific answers on the critical issues facing our country, New York's Hometown Newspaper laid down the Daily News Candidate Challenge. We posed questions on 12 topics and gave the contenders 500 words to answer...

"This race has so many big issues, and so much need for answers - more than any that I can think of in modern history," said former Gov. Mario Cuomo. "So I think what The Daily News is doing will have real consequences, all of them good."

The questionnaires were sent to all the candidates drawing 4% or more in recent polls. They included Democrats Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and Bill Richardson, and Republicans Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney.

So how did they do? Find out more on the flip.