November 3, 2007
Obama: The No-Show Candidate
CNN is finally recognizing Barack Obama’s appalling missed-vote record, leading the coverage with the fact that Obama has missed more votes than any of the other congresscritters running for president, and pointing out that while he’s all over Hillary for her IWR vote, he missed the Kyl-Lieberman amendment vote because — you guessed it — he was out campaigning, in New Hampshire.
His handlers are saying he didn’t know about the Kyl-Lieberman vote in time to get back to D.C. — which is funny, since all the presidential candidates in Congress are notified of upcoming votes in advance, and somehow everybody else managed to get there in time, including Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.
What’s also funny is that we found, via Travelocity, no less than 29 regularly-scheduled commercial flights Obama could have taken from New Hampshire to Washington, D.C., or one of its nearby airports — including three nonstops, none lasting more than an hour and 44 minutes.
But that point is completely moot, since:
A few candidates, including Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, both Democrats, have decided not to take corporate flights at all, opting instead to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more each year to charter their own jets.
In other words, Obama has a private aircraft — that, judging by the arrival times of many recent commercial flights (thank you, FlightAware!) on the same route, could have made the trip in as little as an hour and a half — at his disposal, yet his campaign is saying he still couldn’t drag himself back to Washington “in time.”
Failing that excuse, Obama’s flunkies are now saying that it’s a matter of deciding which Senate votes are “crucial”…
Lou Dobbs (of whom we are no fans) remarked yesterday, voice dripping with sarcasm: “Well, it’s so nice to believe these people can decide what is crucial, and what is not,” and then opined that maybe we should cut back the time Congress is in session by 20%, so it will be more convenient to the candidates.
(On the other hand, maybe we’re overlooking something here: It’s entirely possible Obama missed the Kyl-Lieberman vote deliberately; after all, he’s on record as being open to bombing Iran. Could it be that he couldn’t afford to be accused of flip-flopping if he voted against Kyl-Lieberman now — and then made the decision as president to attack Iran later? That’s a very disturbing thought — which is exactly what makes it worth considering.)
But here’s something we didn’t know: Obama has missed nearly 80% of all Senate votes since September!
And, overall:
Barack Obama missed 137 of 1040 votes (13%) since Jan 6, 2005 (Very Poor relative to peers).
CNN finally put up an article late Friday evening:
Obama making less than a quarter of Senate votes
Sen. Barack Obama has missed the most votes of any Democratic presidential hopeful in the Senate over the last two months, including a vote on an Iran resolution he has blasted Sen. Hillary Clinton for supporting.
The Illinois Democrat has missed nearly 80 percent of all votes since September.
. . .
Obama’s campaign argues that looking at the last two months is arbitrary.
Obama missed a vote on a resolution that declared the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, an elite part of the Iranian military, a terrorist organization. He has criticized Clinton for voting for it, saying it would give President Bush a “blank check” to invade Iran. …
. . .
Obama was campaigning in New Hampshire when the vote was taken. His campaign blamed his absence on the short notice given when the vote was scheduled. But two senior Democratic Senate aides said senators were advised the night before that the vote would occur the next day.
A spokesman for Obama, however, was adamant Obama did not have enough time to return to Washington for the vote.
Obama has also missed votes on a Democratic priority, the expansion of the federally funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)…
. . .
With the mounting fight with the White House over key bills, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is putting all the contenders on notice. …
“Obama’s campaign points out that Biden missed the most votes if the whole year is considered, followed by Dodd, then Obama.” = “They do it tooooo!”
What’s more, a shocking number of Obama supporters we’ve encountered on the Web are scrambling to justify this ugly blot on Obama’s “flawless” voting record — which appears to be their pattern: When they find a comparable situation to rag on any other the other candidates about, they treat it with equal gravity; i.e., Hillary’s two anti-gay SC chairs = just as bad as the Donnie McClurkin fiasco; Joe Biden missing 68% of Senate votes = just as bad as Obama missing 80%; and so on and on, ad nauseam.
And we’re not buying the argument that Obama’s statement of opposition to Kyl-Lieberman — nor his statement of support for SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) — as just as good as a vote. Talking the talk without walking the walk does not have any effect on whether legislation is made or broken.
But Kyl-Lieberman was hardly the only “critical” vote Obama missed. To illustrate the breadth of votes Obama didn’t consider “critical” enough to show up for, this very abbreviated look at his no-shows is illuminating:
Nov 1, 2007 5:15 PM No Vote H.R. 3963: Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 64-30, 6 not voting
Senate Roll #402. . .
Oct 31, 2007 3:48 PM No Vote Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R. 3963: Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007
Cloture Motion Agreed to 62-33, 5 not voting
Senate Roll #400. . .
Oct 3, 2007 2:00 PM No Vote Feingold Amdt. No. 3164, H.R. 3222: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Rejected 28-68, 4 not voting
Senate Roll #361. . .
Oct 1, 2007 5:59 PM No Vote H.R. 1585: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 92-3, 5 not voting. . .
Sep 26, 2007 12:44 PM No Vote Kyl Amdt. No. 3017 as Modified, H.R. 1585: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 76-22, 2 not voting. . .
Sep 24, 2007 5:51 PM No Vote H.R. 1495: Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (On the Conference Report)
Conference Report Agreed to 81-12, 7 not voting. . .
Sep 10, 2007 3:30 PM No Vote Murray Amdt. No. 2792, H.R. 3074: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 60-33, 7 not votingSep 10, 2007 11:29 AM No Vote Confirming Janis Lynn Sammartino, of California, to be U.S. District Judge
Nomination Confirmed 90-0, 10 not votingSep 10, 2007 11:06 AM No Vote Confirming William Lindsay Osteen, of North Carolina, to be U.S. District Judge
Nomination Confirmed 86-0, 14 not votingSep 7, 2007 10:15 AM No Vote H.R. 2669: Higher Education Access Act of 2007 (On the Conference Report)
Conference Report Agreed to 79-12, 9 not votingSep 6, 2007 9:46 PM No Vote H.R. 2764: Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 81-12, 7 not voting. . .
Sep 6, 2007 12:16 PM No Vote H.R. 2642: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 92-1, 7 not voting. . .
Sep 4, 2007 6:08 PM No Vote Confirming Jim Nussle, of Iowa, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Nomination Confirmed 69-24, 7 not voting. . .
Jul 30, 2007 5:32 PM No Vote Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 976: Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007
Cloture Motion Agreed to 80-0, 20 not voting. . .
Jul 26, 2007 10:49 PM No Vote H.R. 2638: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 89-4, 7 not voting. . .
Jul 26, 2007 11:39 AM No Vote H.R. 1: Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (On the Conference Report)
Conference Report Agreed to 85-8, 7 not voting. . .
Jul 24, 2007 4:44 PM No Vote H.J.Res. 44: Joint resolution approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, and for other purposes. (On the Joint Resolution)
Joint Resolution Passed 93-1, 6 not votingJul 24, 2007 12:46 PM No Vote S. 1642: Higher Education Amendments of 2007 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 95-0, 5 not votingJul 24, 2007 12:22 PM No Vote Kennedy Amdt. No. 2381, as Modified, S. 1642: Higher Education Amendments of 2007 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 93-0, 7 not voting. . .
Jul 20, 2007 12:36 AM No Vote H.R. 2669: Higher Education Access Act of 2007 (On Passage of the Bill)
Bill Passed 78-18, 4 not voting. . .
Jul 13, 2007 9:29 AM No Vote Dorgan Amdt. No. 2135, as Amended, H.R. 1585: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 87-1, 12 not voting. . .
Jul 9, 2007 6:12 PM No Vote Confirming Janet T. Neff, of Michigan, to be U.S. District Judge
Nomination Confirmed 83-4, 13 not votingJul 9, 2007 5:43 PM No Vote Confirming Liam O’Grady, of Virginia, to be U.S. District Judge
Nomination Confirmed 88-0, 12 not voting. . .
Jun 12, 2007 5:46 PM No Vote Bayh Amdt. No. 1508, H.R. 6: Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 63-30, 6 not votingJun 11, 2007 6:16 PM No Vote Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R. 6: Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007
Cloture Motion Agreed to 91-0, 8 not voting. . .
Jun 5, 2007 7:46 PM No Vote Feingold Amdt. No. 1176, S. 1348: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 67-26, 6 not voting. . .
May 22, 2007 5:47 PM No Vote Dorgan Amdt. No. 1153, S. 1348: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (On the Amendment)
Amendment Rejected 31-64, 5 not votingMay 21, 2007 5:43 PM No Vote Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider S. 1348: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007
Cloture Motion Agreed to 69-23, 8 not voting. . .
May 7, 2007 5:09 PM No Vote Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Committee Substitute as Modified and Amended to S. 1082: Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act
Cloture Motion Agreed to 82-8, 10 not votingMay 7, 2007 4:05 PM No Vote Cochran Amdt. No. 1010, S. 1082: Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act (On the Amendment)
Amendment Agreed to 49-40, 11 not voting. . .
Are these, or are these not, “critical” votes? Does Obama not consider these issues “critical” enough? Not even a bill which could lead us into war with Iran? And for all his chatter about the importance of healthcare for the some nine million children without health insurance in this country, failing to show up for a “critical” vote on the SCHIP bill reveals all that chatter as just so much empty rhetoric.
This week was another key week in the battle to re-authorize and expand the vital S-CHIP program. After the Bush veto of the first S-CHIP re-authorization bill, it was extremely important for Congressional Democrats to let the President know that they aren’t backing down when it comes to providing access to health care for America’s children.
As you may know, on October 25th the U.S. House voted 265 - 142 to send another S-CHIP bill to the President’s desk. Yesterday, the U.S. Senate followed suit and voted 64 - 30 to send House Resolution 3963 to the White House for another anticipated Bush veto.
Over in the House, America’s children were 25 votes away from gaining increased access to health care. In the House, every Democrat save one voted for the revised S-CHIP bill. Over in the Senate, America’s children fell 3 votes short of overriding the Bush veto against their health and well-being.
Three votes, ladies and gentlemen; and one of those three votes could’ve been supplied by Senator Barack Obama of Illinois if…
…he had even bothered to show up and vote.
The only “critical” vote Obama made in the past month was a nay on the Southwick confirmation — but perhaps he just happened to be in town that day.
In any case, Obama’s inexcusable pattern of missed votes is only more proof of how Barack Obama is more focused on recruiting supporters for his presidential campaign — at any cost — than he is about doing the right thing, which, in this case, is his job.
If you missed that many days of work because you were out looking for another job — and your boss knew it — you’d be canned in a New York minute.
Permalink | Trackback | Filed under: Barack Obama, Donnie McClurkin, Election 2008, Health & Wellness, Hillary Clinton, Insurance, Iran, John Edwards, U.S. Congress
