An opponent of granting amnesty for illegal immigrants, Keating said employers also need to be held accountable. Keating says immigration policy is a federal, not a state issue.

Seeking an end to the war in Afghanistan and a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, Keating would have opposed a $37-billion war appropriations bill in summer 2010. Keating supports the July 2011 pullout deadline, though said he would like to operation to wind down sooner. He said to "remain bogged down in Afghanistan" the U.S. would remain stretched to stop terrorism in Yemen, Pakistan and other parts of the world.

On social issues, Keating supports abortion rights and was a supporter of legalizing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. He also advocates ending the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Originally opposed to the nation's first offshore wind farm known as Cape Wind, Keating only embraced the project following the April 2010 BP oil spill. Keating says the project is a step toward making the U.S. less dependent on oil. Keating said his "knee-jerk" reaction to the plans was "can't it be somewhere else than here?"

The Economy and Fiscal Policy

A supporter of extending the Bush tax cuts for those earning less than $250,000 a year, Keating said he would vote for an extension for all income levels only if certain parts of the budget were specifically identified to address the deficit.

Keating said without the $787-billion 2009 stimulus bill the economy would have been in worse shape, though he would have preferred a better focus on infrastructure spending.

An opponent of privatizing Social Security, Keating also opposes raising the retirement age."Studies have shown Social Security will remain solvent for 27 years. Sixty seven is the retirement age for most Americans now," Keating said.

Critical of the "bailout first" approach to financial reform, Keating did support the July 2009 financial-reform package, particularly provisions creating a new consumer protection agency.

Health Care

While he was generally satisfied with the 2010 health-care reform bill, Keating said more work was necessary to contain costs and promote preventive over emergency care.

Keating said some provisions were popular, including barring insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting condition, extending Medicare and allowing children to stay on parents' insurance until age 26. He called the legislative process "disgraceful," saying the bill should have gone straight to the floor rather than through the reconciliation process.

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