This is an update of an article we originally wrote back in early July.
There was a time in this country when the main stream media would do more than just repeat the talking points of political candidates. A time when they reported the facts, and checked to them for accuracy. Obviously that time has passed, and whether it is out of adoration for Senator Obama or just negligence the media has been a willing accomplice in spreading Obama campaign rhetoric.
In recent weeks, Senator Obama has increased his attacks upon John McCain, once again trying to define him as no longer being the 'maverick' that he was once perceived as. During his acceptance speech Obama pointed out the John McCain has voted with George Bush 90% of the time, a sentiment echoed in the remarks of Joe Biden a day earlier when he stated McCain voted with Bush 95% of the time. So which one is, 90%, 95%, or is does the argument have any actual weight.
First, on a lighter note, let me state that it is 100% impossible for John McCain to have voted with President Bush, after all the President has no voting powers in the Senate. But that's just a laughable technicality. In reality, however, the problem with the McCain/Bush voting argument and the attempts to paint McCain as some radical right winger is that there are organizations that track the votes of congressional members. According to the Washington Post's Votes Database Project, Obama and the DNC's claims are 100% false.
McCain, unlike his Democratic Rival, has continued to maintain one of the highest levels of independence demonstrated by any US Senator since 2000. For instance, during the 110th Session of Congress, McCain ranked 65th among his colleagues having voted along party line 88% of the time, a far cry from the 12th place rank of Obama. Yet, McCain's voting record during the current session of Congress is likely to hold closer to party lines due to the nearly 50 bills that contained an Troop Withdrawal Timeline. During the 109th session of congress, McCain ranked 94th out of 100 Senators, having voted along party lines 79.4% of the time. This ranking and percentage are nearly identical to his 93rd place rank during both the 107th and 108th Congressional Sessions.
McCain has not voted with his party or George Bush 90% or 95% of the time. Obama's statistics are not based upon any actual statistical data, but rather a soundbite taken years ago at a highly partisan rally in which McCain made a misstatement. But then again, that misstatement would be no different from the fact that even Obama and Biden can't seem to keep the rhetoric straight. McCain should take Obama to task on the partisan voting issue, after all, Barack Obama, the self-proclaimed moderate, has voted along party lines more often than even Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have.
That's right, according to The Votes Database, During the 110th Congressional session running from Jan 2007 to now, Senator Obama ranked 12th among 100 Senators, having voted along party lines 96% of the time; an amazingly high percentage for someone who claims to be able to reach across the isle. The Obama campaign and pundits will argue that Obama's voting record during this session was driven by a need to shore up support among his base supporters. Yet, if that were true then we would expect his record during the 109th session of Congress to reflect a greater level of moderation. According to the Vote Database Project, During the 109th session Obama was ranked 5th in the Senate having voted along party lines 94.8% of the time. Ironically, during both sessions of congress, Obama voted along party lines more often the Senator Kennedy, Senator Reid, and Senator Kerry. For a candidate who talks about unity and his ability to work with the side, he certainly has not demonstrated it. After all, how can a candidate claim moderation when the current Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, has crossed party lines during the past two sessions of congress more often than Obama?
Summary - Candidates voting with their party.
Rank & % of time voted with party
2007-2008
Obama - 12th - 96.0%
McCain - 65th - 88.0%
2005-2006
Obama - 5th - 94.8%
McCain- 94th - 79.4%
2003-2004
Obama - NOT IN CONGRESS
McCain - 93rd - 84.5%
2001-2002
Obama - NOT IN CONGRESS
McCain - 93rd - 76.2%
These numbers are interesting, because I still don't see the 90% or 95% represented anywhere. But then again, I suppose that I could go through the voting record and find a three month period somewhere when McCain did vote along the same position as Bush and the party 95% of the time. But, by those standards, I could also take the 1 week period last year, when Obama supported the President's Immigration position and state that Obama voted with the president 100% of the time.
Obama is no centrist or moderate, he is a panderer willing to say anything based upon what group he is talking too, so long as it forwards his position. His voting record does not demonstrate any reasonable level of non-partisanship and has proven that he is beholden only to party leaders. His base of support has not come from moderate Democrats, it has come from the far-left power brokers intent upon control of the government.
John McCain's voting record has proven consistent with that of a candidate who unwilling to sacrifice his principles and beliefs in order to appease party leadership. He has upheld his ability to work with both sides of the isle. Democratic leadership can attempt to demonize McCain as a mini-me Bush, but the record will never support that claim.
J Brown
September 2nd, 2008
There was a time in this country when the main stream media would do more than just repeat the talking points of political candidates. A time when they reported the facts, and checked to them for accuracy. Obviously that time has passed, and whether it is out of adoration for Senator Obama or just negligence the media has been a willing accomplice in spreading Obama campaign rhetoric.
In recent weeks, Senator Obama has increased his attacks upon John McCain, once again trying to define him as no longer being the 'maverick' that he was once perceived as. During his acceptance speech Obama pointed out the John McCain has voted with George Bush 90% of the time, a sentiment echoed in the remarks of Joe Biden a day earlier when he stated McCain voted with Bush 95% of the time. So which one is, 90%, 95%, or is does the argument have any actual weight.
First, on a lighter note, let me state that it is 100% impossible for John McCain to have voted with President Bush, after all the President has no voting powers in the Senate. But that's just a laughable technicality. In reality, however, the problem with the McCain/Bush voting argument and the attempts to paint McCain as some radical right winger is that there are organizations that track the votes of congressional members. According to the Washington Post's Votes Database Project, Obama and the DNC's claims are 100% false.
McCain, unlike his Democratic Rival, has continued to maintain one of the highest levels of independence demonstrated by any US Senator since 2000. For instance, during the 110th Session of Congress, McCain ranked 65th among his colleagues having voted along party line 88% of the time, a far cry from the 12th place rank of Obama. Yet, McCain's voting record during the current session of Congress is likely to hold closer to party lines due to the nearly 50 bills that contained an Troop Withdrawal Timeline. During the 109th session of congress, McCain ranked 94th out of 100 Senators, having voted along party lines 79.4% of the time. This ranking and percentage are nearly identical to his 93rd place rank during both the 107th and 108th Congressional Sessions.
McCain has not voted with his party or George Bush 90% or 95% of the time. Obama's statistics are not based upon any actual statistical data, but rather a soundbite taken years ago at a highly partisan rally in which McCain made a misstatement. But then again, that misstatement would be no different from the fact that even Obama and Biden can't seem to keep the rhetoric straight. McCain should take Obama to task on the partisan voting issue, after all, Barack Obama, the self-proclaimed moderate, has voted along party lines more often than even Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have.
That's right, according to The Votes Database, During the 110th Congressional session running from Jan 2007 to now, Senator Obama ranked 12th among 100 Senators, having voted along party lines 96% of the time; an amazingly high percentage for someone who claims to be able to reach across the isle. The Obama campaign and pundits will argue that Obama's voting record during this session was driven by a need to shore up support among his base supporters. Yet, if that were true then we would expect his record during the 109th session of Congress to reflect a greater level of moderation. According to the Vote Database Project, During the 109th session Obama was ranked 5th in the Senate having voted along party lines 94.8% of the time. Ironically, during both sessions of congress, Obama voted along party lines more often the Senator Kennedy, Senator Reid, and Senator Kerry. For a candidate who talks about unity and his ability to work with the side, he certainly has not demonstrated it. After all, how can a candidate claim moderation when the current Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, has crossed party lines during the past two sessions of congress more often than Obama?
Summary - Candidates voting with their party.
Rank & % of time voted with party
2007-2008
Obama - 12th - 96.0%
McCain - 65th - 88.0%
2005-2006
Obama - 5th - 94.8%
McCain- 94th - 79.4%
2003-2004
Obama - NOT IN CONGRESS
McCain - 93rd - 84.5%
2001-2002
Obama - NOT IN CONGRESS
McCain - 93rd - 76.2%
These numbers are interesting, because I still don't see the 90% or 95% represented anywhere. But then again, I suppose that I could go through the voting record and find a three month period somewhere when McCain did vote along the same position as Bush and the party 95% of the time. But, by those standards, I could also take the 1 week period last year, when Obama supported the President's Immigration position and state that Obama voted with the president 100% of the time.
Obama is no centrist or moderate, he is a panderer willing to say anything based upon what group he is talking too, so long as it forwards his position. His voting record does not demonstrate any reasonable level of non-partisanship and has proven that he is beholden only to party leaders. His base of support has not come from moderate Democrats, it has come from the far-left power brokers intent upon control of the government.
John McCain's voting record has proven consistent with that of a candidate who unwilling to sacrifice his principles and beliefs in order to appease party leadership. He has upheld his ability to work with both sides of the isle. Democratic leadership can attempt to demonize McCain as a mini-me Bush, but the record will never support that claim.
J Brown
September 2nd, 2008
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10 comments:
AISLE dude. Not isle. They're not reaching from island to island.
an interesting analysis would be times Obama votes Yes on bills signed by the Pres. vs how many he votes No on bills signed.
I guess my question is...when does the President ever cast a vote?!? How can you compare the voting record with someone who never casts a vote in Congress?
he casts a vote when he signs a bill into law. when he vetos it is a NO.
so i'd venture to guess obama sides with the president a goodly high percentage of the time since bush doesnt veto many bills
What happens when you remove all of the unanimous votes like naming a post office and denoting National Watermelon month?
Yep, because the figures that they use from fact check include all of the uni votes that never undergo debate and include ridiculous items such as that. By using their figures Obama himself has voted with the President over 50% of the time during the small period in which they are referencing. Of course, they also don't take into account failed legislation. It's a ridiculous comparison, and the better comparison to see who are the radicals are to compare their party line votes.
Sorry, don't try posting spin here. That dog just won't bark.
Love the article, J. However I believe the phrase is, "That dog don't hunt."
Obama gives me the creeps. He has "would-be dictator" written all over him. I believe he has a hidden agenda, which could end in either tyranny, civil war or both.
1. Heaven forbid that one day 'voting along party lines' could mean that everyone in the congress agrees for the most part on legislating something undeniably useful for the country. What? D's and R's agreeing with each other on something?!
2. How many times did Obama actually bother to show up for a vote and just vote "present"? Talk about spineless. DO something to earn that paycheck, and those campaign contributions please.
3. The sick thing is that before all this, it's my understanding that McCain and Hillary worked well together crossing the aisle, producing legislation that may have actually been passed... I may be talking out of my ass here... but I vaguely recall that it is indeed possible for Ds and Rs to be civil to each other in order to get stuff done... and some people actually WORK to get things done in congress for at least part of the year. SOME people.
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