McCain:  McCain believes the fight against terror is central to national security and to the role of the presidency. He supports forming a stronger military to protect Americans. This would include increasing its size and the level of training soldiers receive. He also supports enhancing current intelligence gathering.

He has been critical of the Bush administration's incarceration and interrogation policies, and would close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, which holds hundreds of suspected terrorists. He opposed the Supreme Court's decision allowing foreign terrorist suspects the right to challenge their detention in civil court.

Quote: "America faces a dedicated, focused, and intelligent foe in the war on terrorism. This enemy will probe to find America's weaknesses and strike against them. The United States cannot afford to be complacent about the threat, naive about terrorism intentions, unrealistic about their capabilities, or ignorant to our national vulnerabilities."

 McCain voted for the Patriot Act and its reauthorization.

Obama: Obama supports efforts to limit nuclear proliferation to keep terrorists from getting a nuclear weapons. He would step up diplomatic talks with world leaders and divide aid to allies based on their commitment to fight terrorism. He believes America is still not fully prepared for a terrorists attack, and would implement the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.

He would also close Guantanamo Bay, but supported teh Supreme Court's decision to let detainees challenge their case in civil court.

Quote: "Every democracy is tested when it is faced with a serious threat. As a nation we have to find the right balance between privacy and security, between executive authority to face threats and uncontrolled power."

Obama also voted to reauthorize the Patriot act, but says it needs to be revised.