With the Iraq war, economy and gas prices dominating the political landscape, the traditional hot-button issues of abortion, gay rights and gun control haven't surfaced much in the 6th Congressional District race.

Roskam, a state senator from Wheaton, opposes abortion rights and most gun control measures while supporting a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran from Hoffman Estates, supports abortion rights and key gun control measures while opposing a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

•Abortion/stem cell research. Roskam opposes abortions except to save the mother's life, saying he'll continue retiring Rep. Henry Hyde's legacy of being a leading voice in Congress on the issue.

Duckworth supports abortion rights and criticizes Roskam for not making an exception for cases of rape and incest. “If an adult woman were raped, he wouldn't trust her to make a decision,” she said.

Roskam called Duckworth extreme for opposing laws requiring parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion. He boils Duckworth's position down to “abortion at any time for any reason” and argues that doesn't fit the district. Duckworth's position on parental notification changed a couple of times during the primary campaign before she settled on opposing it.

Stem cell research is the latest front in the longstanding abortion debate, and Duckworth repeatedly has criticized Roskam for his opposition to federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

“He's trumping science with ideology and that shouldn't happen, especially when people's lives are at stake,” said Duckworth, who sides with scientists who say the research could help them find cures for numerous diseases.

Roskam said he backs putting money into research that uses adult stem cell and umbilical cord blood as more effective. “By Election Day, we'll have a very informed electorate on this question,” he said.

Duckworth said a good first step would be to allow scientists to use the estimated 3 percent of leftover embryonic stem cells from in vitro fertilizations that otherwise would be thrown away. Roskam said that if research on embryonic stem cells was so promising, private companies would be pouring more money into it.

•Gun control. In 1994, the conservative Hyde bucked his party to vote for the federal assault weapons ban, which Congress let expire a decade later. Democrat Duckworth sides with Republican Hyde in arguing the nation needs another ban.

“Not only do they not belong on our streets, they're the wrong tool to use to defend your home,” said Duckworth, who handled such weapons while serving in the Army.

As a state senator, Roskam was criticized last year for pushing a measure to require background checks for purchasers at gun shows that also would have destroyed records on who buys firearms after 90 days. Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed Roskam's legislation, signing a separate version that simply closed the gun-show loophole.

Roskam pointed out he voted for both versions, but Duckworth accused him of trying to “squirm away” from his pro-gun voting record. Roskam said the federal government destroys gun records after one day, so bringing Illinois to a 90-day limit was a compromise. “At what point are you maintaining a data file on law-abiding people?” he said.

As for allowing people to carry concealed weapons with a permit, Roskam didn't rule out voting in favor, but said he has yet to see legislation with enough restrictions to get him to do so. Duckworth opposes concealed-carry laws.

“Our Constitution is just fine, thank you very much,” said Duckworth, who argued such an amendment would “demonize and discriminate” against gays and lesbians.

As an Illinois House member, Roskam voted for the state's defense of marriage act in 1996 and favors action on the federal level. “It's too bad the proponents of tradition have to amend the Constitution because the Constitution has been threatened by activist judges,” he said.

Duckworth also took issue with Roskam's 2004 vote against adding sexual orientation to the list of classes of people who can't be discriminated against in jobs or housing in Illinois. Roskam said every state senator within the 6th District opposed the measure, which Blagojevich signed into law.

This is cache, read story here