Jerrrol LeBaron, a resident of Los Angeles, has created Honor In Office for those Americans who want laws passed to make our representatives in Congress read bills before they are allowed to vote on them. This group calls for honesty, integrity, common sense, and a focus that the members of Congress work for the People, and not use their office to further their own interests.
A higher standard for our members of Congress is demanded. Ethics have to be central to all those who aspire to represent the American people.
Passing bills in the dead of night before other members of Congress can object is not the American way. It is amateurish, and does not have the professional stance Americans want from their representatives at the highest levels of government.
Why didn't they make MyBO an independent blog (see the part called, sarcastically, "Jetsons vs Flintstones") is beyond me, but the MSM playing their games, as usual, it's no wonder why there seems to be a communication issue. (Though I think some debate and analysis of the stimulus package is necessary, but many of you won't agree.)
Anyway, blogs and news reports are talking about Cheney mentioning that the "country's in danger" over and over again, but what's he up to really...HR 645? Is California's situation one of his ideas for getting that bill to pass?
Pay attention to these bills, including HR 645:
IRS Revisions: HR 161, HR 162, & HR 779
Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act: HR 156
Federal Reserve Abolition Act: HR 111
Now this one's not really important, but this is one is fun to look at: HR 778.
These are just my thoughts, but look at the bills that I have up, except HR 778, which I put up for fun!
EMK
I have always been a supporter of Universal Health Care, and now I find myself in the position of example. My wife (not my wife at the time though) had to have emergency care due to chest pains. I took her to the only hospital in our town - to the ER - and they admited her and treated her with heart medications including Nitro and kept her overnite.. I went through the motions and filled out their paperwork and answered their questions. We weren't married at the time so my insurance wouldn't cover her. They admited her anyway (as they should). I really didn't know what else to do, cause it would be irresponsible and plain cruel to not take her to the hospital, so I took her - knowing that I could not pay for it. They treated her knowing that i could not pay for it. The two of us could never afford this even with both of us working.
Anyway, after recieving bills and collection notices and the like, I am now being garnished. I already could not afford the bill in the first place (yes, not even payments) as rent and food and power is more important to me. Now I may not make my rent, and/or other bills. I know they are legally in the right and my wife and I do owe them the money so I need to just suck it up I guess. There are millions of Americans in this same situation who would not be if some form of nationalized health care were in place in our country.
This is an example of something that would not happen if we had nationalized health care.
I am just saying...
I can honestly say I've never experienced a range of emotions like the ones I've felt these past weeks.
I was hanging on pins and needles all through the Barack/Hillary primary. Yes, I was for Hillary, and now I am proudly and loudly for Barack.
Then the saga of McCain began, with his slanderous television advertising, his bizarre VP pick, his perpetually erratic behavior, and his constant bending the truth.
My gas and grocery bills are outrageous.
My life savings is at risk, and all Congress and Wall Street are able to do are point fingers at each other.
We're still at war, and although it breaks my heart, I always stop to pay homage when I read of another soldier coming home to rest. We never see THESE images on television. Shame on the Bush administration for blocking the truth. But then again, all Bush has done for eight years in Washington is block the truth.
I am really tired. Some nights I can't sleep. I'm glued to the news. I'm making phone calls for Barack, donating money, buying merchandise, and I want to help on Election Day to make it easier for people to get to the polls. I will be voting as soon as the polls open in Indiana.
I don't expect Barack has all the answers, but he is the voice of change, and that is like a breath of fresh air to me.
How is everyone else doing? I'd really like to know, if anyone wants to write a reply.
September 18, 2008-09-18
Dear Mr. Obama
After watching the news and the pundit’s last night weigh in on the state on the Presidential race so far I decided to make my way to bed. After tossing and turning for a few minutes I realized that wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon as thoughts of the economy and the day to day concerns not only for my family but for every American were keeping me awake.
The list below is a brief synopsis of bills that Barack Obama has either sponsored or co-sponsored since his election to the Senate. All of these can be searched and accessed via the media pundit and dollar free site of:
http://thomas.loc.gov/
S. 133
To promote the national security and stability of the economy of the United States by reducing the dependence of the United States on oil through the use of alternative fuels and new technology, and for other purposes. (1/4/2007)
S. 768
S. 155
To promote coal-to-liquid fuel activities. (1/4/2007)
S. 230
To provide greater transparency in the legislative process. (1/9/2007)
S. 1606
To provide for the establishment of a comprehensive policy on the care and management of wounded warriors in order to facilitate and enhance their care, rehabilitation, physical evaluation, transition from care by the Department of Defense to care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and transition from military service to civilian life, and for other purposes. (1/13/2007)
S. 2377
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes. (1/16/2007)
To provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans (4/10/2007)
S. 2330
To authorize a pilot program within the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development with the goal of preventing at-risk veterans and veteran families from falling into homelessness, and for other purposes. (1/8/2007)
S. 681
To restrict the use of offshore tax havens and abusive tax shelters to inappropriately avoid Federal taxation, and for other purposes. (2/17/2007)
S. 242
So, I'll repeat one of their questions: What exactly has Senator Obama accomplished in the IL State Senate and during his tenure thus far in the US Senate? Detractors try to tell you dismissively that he's only good for a speech; detractors who have co-sponsored Bills with him in the US Senate.
Fighting back the knee-jerk response of calling them outright liars (in public), I decided to visit the Library of Congress website at http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search for all Bills and Amendments sponsored or co-sponsored by Senator Obama. Take a look at the bulk of the Bills he has sponsored - Bills that have not yet been voted into law - and you will see some of what a President Obama has planned for education, veterans and military benefits, healthcare, the economy, the environment, foreign policy, energy, the reduction of poverty, and more. Note below, that as early as 2003 in the IL State Legislature, Obama supported preditory mortgage lending legislation aimed at averting home foreclosures. Soak it in. Judgment! Foresight! Bipartizanship! Accomplishment! Then laugh in their lying faces!
In addition to Bills sponsored in the US Senate, I also discoverd that there are several pieces of legislation, voted into law, that was sponsored by Senator Obama. Note too, I have grouped the Bills found on the Library of Congress website by category for easier perusal. There are over 100 Bills and Amendments sponsored by Senator Obama this past year alone; since his arrival in the US Senate, 4 Bills he sponsored or co-sponsored have been signed into law. The Library of Congress database only goes back to the beginning of 2007, and I do need to locate their archive for prior Bills. However, note that two of Senator Obama's Bills were passed into US law in 2006 - evidence that his work predates the current database entries. No "empty suit" here. Read on.
· Bill: S 1438 - Conference Report to Accompany S. 1438; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Date/time: December 13, 2001, 5:03 p.m. Voted No: John McCain ·
Bill: H R 3338 - Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 3338; Department of Defense and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States Act, 2002 Date/time: December 20, 2001, 3:13 p.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Phil Graham·
Bill: H R 5010 - Vote description: Conference Report H.R. 5010; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2003 Date/time: October 16, 2002, 2:32 p.m. Did not Vote: John McCain, Wayne Allard, Michael Enzi, Timothy Hutchinson, , Jeff Sessions ·
Bill: H R 1 - Vote description: H.R. 1 Conference Report; Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 Date/time: November 25, 2003, 9:23 a.m. No Votes: John McCain, Donald Nickles, John Sununu, Lincoln Chafee, John Ensign, Lindsey Graham, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Trent Lott ·
Amendment num: S.Amdt. 3409 - Motion To Waive CBA Daschle Amdt. No. 3409 As Amended; To assure that funding is provided for veterans health care each fiscal year to cover increases in population and inflation. Date/time: June 23, 2004, 10:43 p.m. NO Votes: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Ben Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Peter Fitzgerald, Bill Frist, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Donald Nickles, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Ted Stevens, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Amendment num: S.Amdt. 3303 - Vote description: Motion To Waive CBA RE: Corzine Amdt. No. 3303; To amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the age for receipt of military retired pay for nonregular service from 60 to 55. Date/time: June 23, 2004, 1:47 p.m. No Votes: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Ben Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Peter Fitzgerald, Bill Frist, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Donald Nickles, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: S RES 356 - Vote description: S. Res. 356; Condemning Iraq Abuse of Prisoners resolution Date/time: May 10, 2004, 5:31 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Norm Coleman, Lisa Murkowski, Arlen Specter ·
Bill: S CON RES 95 - Vote description: Nelson Amdt. No. 2745; To create a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive tax loopholes. Date/time: March 10, 2004, 9:34 p.m. NO Votes: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Ben Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Peter Fitzgerald, Bill First, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Donald Nickles, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: H R 2863 - Vote description: H.R. 2863 Conference Report; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 Date/time: December 21, 2005, 9:57 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, Jim DeMint, Judd Gregg, ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Nelson (FL) Amdt. No. 2424; To repeal the requirement for the reduction of certain Survivor Benefit Plan annuities by the amount of dependency and indemnity compensation and to modify the effective date for paid-up coverage under the Survivor Benefit Plan. Date/time: November 8, 2005, 4:35 p.m. Did Not Vote: John McCain ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Durbin Amdt. No. 2473, as modified; To provide for eligibility for retired pay for non-regular service. Date/time: November 9, 2005, 6:04 p.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Richard Burr, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Bill First, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Dorgan Amdt. No. 2476; To establish a special committee of the Senate to investigate the awarding and carrying out of contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and to fight the war on terrorism. Date/time: November 10, 2005, 11:35 a.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Richard Burr, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Bill First, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Talent Amdt. No. 2477; To modify the multiyear procurement authority for C-17 aircraft. Date/time: November 10, 2005, 12:04 p.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Wayne Allard, Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions, John Sununu, Craig Thomas ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Warner Amdt. No. 2518; To clarify and recommend changes to the policy of the United States on Iraq and to require reports on certain matters relating to Iraq. Date/time: November 15, 2005, 11:47 a.m. NO Votes: John McCain, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions, John Thune, David Vitter ·
Vote description: Motion to Proceed to Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1815; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 Missed the Vote: John McCain, Richard Burr ·
Bill: H R 2863 - Vote description: H.R. 2863 Conference Report; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 A simple majority of those present and voting is required for approval or passage. Date/time: December 21, 2005, 9:57 p.m. Missed the Vote: John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, Jim DeMint, Judd Gregg, ·
Bill: H R 1585 - Vote description: Boxer Amdt. No. 2947; To reaffirm strong support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and to strongly condemn attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization. Date/time: September 20, 2007, 11:58 a.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, John Barrasso, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, , Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Roberts, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, John Sununu, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Vote description: Motion to Concur in the Amendments of the House to the Amendments of the Senate to H.R.976; Support for Injured Servicemembers Act Date/time: September 27, 2007, 7:54 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Sam Brownback ·
Bill: H R 1585 - Vote description: H.R. 1585 as Amended; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Date/time: October 1, 2007, 5:59 p.m. Not Voting : John McCain ·
Vote description: Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R.3963; Support for Injured Servicemembers Act Date/time: November 1, 2007, 4:45 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, John Warner ·
Bill: H R 3963 - Vote description: H.R.3963; Support for Injured Servicemembers Act Date/time: November 1, 2007, 5:15 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, John Warner ·Bill: H R 1585 - Vote description: H.R. 1585 Conference Report; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Date/time: December 14, 2007, 1:26 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain ·
Bill: H R 4986 - Vote description: H.R.4986; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Date/time: January 22, 2008, 5:32 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, John Thune, John Warner ·
Bill: S CON RES 70 - Vote description: Boxer Amdt. No. 4368 as Modified; To increase funding for the Department of Justice for the vigorous enforcement of laws protecting children. Date/time: March 13, 2008, 8:45 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain ·
Bill: S RES 501 - Vote description: S. Res. 501; A resolution honoring the sacrifice of the members of the United States Armed Forces who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Date/time: April 3, 2008, 2:48 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain Saxby Chambliss, ·
Vote description: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S.1315; Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 Date/time: April 22, 2008, noon Not Voting: John McCain, Pete Domenici, David Vitter ·
Bill: S 1315 - Vote description: Burr Amdt. No. 4572; To increase benefits for disabled U.S. veterans and provide a fair benefit to World War II Filipino veterans for their service to the United States. Date/time: April 24, 2008, 12:16 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Jim DeMint ·
Bill: H R 980 - Vote description: Motion to Table Graham Amdt. No. 4763; To improve educational assistance for members of the Armed Forces and veterans in order to enhance recruitment and retention for the Armed Forces. Date/time: May 14, 2008, 2:50 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain ·
Vote description: Motion To Concur In House Amdts To Senate Amdt To House Amdt To Senate Amdt To H.R. 2642; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 Date/time: June 26, 2008, 9:42 p.m. Not Voting : John McCain Voted No: Wayne Allard, Tom Coburn, Larry Craig, Jim DeMint, Jon Kyl, George Voinovich
·Lets also not forget Jim Webbs GI Bill this year that McCain voted against and his comments backing President Bush’s threatened veto.
Here is an article to put it all into context: http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9559andhttp://www.thenation.com/doc/20080602/beutler
McCain claims that veterans overwhelmingly support him for President, my only question is why? He does not support them as this record shows. I would also like to point out that the last time McCain showed up in the senate to vote was April 8th, consecutively.Here is an article I think is also intresting McCain Questioanble Record:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-klein/mccains-secret-questionab_b_107409.html
Since the begining of Obama's campaign It has really been bothering me - the charges that Obama is all talk and no action. Those of us who support him and have reviewed his record know there is no basis to this charge, but just to make sure, I went to the Congressional Record (www.thomas.gov) and did a search for bills sponsored or co-sponsored by Senator Obama in his three short years in the US Senate. I searched the 109th and 110th Congresses which cover the years 2005-2007. The republicans are going to spend Millions trying to prove a thin resume'. So what a better way to defeat lies and misinformation when empowered with information. I suggest also reading through Obama's "Blue Print for America" to put everything into context.
In a nut shell I found:
Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 570 bills in the 109th and 110th Congress.Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 15 bills that have become LAW since he joined the Senate in 2005.Senator Obama has also introduced amendments to 50 bills, of which 16 were adopted by the Senate.His record is in fact quite impressive for a junior Senator from Illinois. Details below...
I summarize Senator Obama's legislative record in the US Senate. First I list the bills he sponsored that have become law. Next I summarize the bills that he has sponsored or cosponsored since he became a US Senator in 2005.I have only included major pieces of legislation and have not summarized continuing resolutions or naming post offices, for example.His record suggests several priorities and the bills he supports address many of our most pressing problems.Most of his legislative effort has been in the area of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change (25 bills), health care (21 bills) and public health (20 bills), consumer protection/labor (14 bills), the needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces (13 bills), Congressional Ethics and Accountability (12 bills), Foreign Policy (10 bills) Voting and Elections (9 bills), Education (7 bills), Hurricane Katrina Relief (6), the Environment (5 bills), Homeland Security (4 bills), and discrimination (4 bills).
Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:
Two addressed foreign policy: -Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125) -Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).
Three addressed public health: -Improve mine safety (2803) -Increased breast cancer funding (597) -Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).
Two addressed openness and accountability in government: -Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488) -Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)
Two addressed national security: -Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467) -Amend the Patriot Act (2167)
One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces:-Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).
Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:
25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change -Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115) -Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133) -Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768) -Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151) -Reduce green house gas emissions (1324) -Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389) -Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202) -Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269) -Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794) -Alternative diesel standards (3554) -Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623) -Renewable diesel standards (1920) -Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555) -Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025) -Alternative energy refueling system (2614) -Climate change education (1389) -Low income energy assistance (2405) -Oil savings targets (339) -Fuel economy reform (3694) -Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617) -Nuclear release notice (2348) -Passenger rail investment (294) -Energy relief for low income families (2405)21 addressed Health Care -Drug re-importation (334) -Health information technology (1262, 1418) -Discount drug prices (2347) -Health care associated infections (2278) -Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824) -Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784) -Emergency medical care and response (1873) -Stem cell research (5) -Medical Malpractice insurance (1525) -Health centers renewal (901, 3771) -Children’s health insurance (401) -Home health care (2061) -Medicare independent living (2103) -Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823) -Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569) -Gynological cancers (1172) -Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976) -Paralysis research and care (1183)
20 addressed Public Health: -Violence against women (1197) -Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880) -Viral influenza control (969) -End homelessness (1518) -Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790) -Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625) -Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024) -Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066) -Health impact assessments (1067, 2506) -Healthy communities (1068) -Combat methamphetamines (2071) -Paid sick leave (910) -Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818) -Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132) -Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)
14 address Consumer Protection/Labor -Stop unfair labor practices (842) -Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829) -Internet freedom (2917) -Credit card safety (2411) -Media ownership (2332) -Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484) -Working family child assistance (218) -Habeus Corpus Restoration (185) -Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092) -FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201) -Working families flexibility (2419).
13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces: -Improve Benefits (117) -Suicide prevention (479) -Needs of homeless veterans (1180) -Homes for veterans (1084) -GI Bill enhancement (43) -Military job protection -Dignity in care for wounded vets (713) -Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084) -Military children in public schools (2151) -Military eye injury research and care (1999) -Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271) -Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885) -Security of personal data of veterans (3592)
12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability: -Lobbying and ethics reform (230) -Stop fraud (2280) -Legislative transparency and accountability (525) -Open government (2180, 2488) -Restoring fiscal discipline (10) -Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261) -Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179) -Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590) -Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal contract (674) -Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts (2147) -Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)
10 addressed Foreign Policy: -Iraq war de-escalation (313) -US policy for Iraq (433), -Divestiture from Iran (1430) -Sudan divestment authorization (831) -Millennium Development Goals (2433) -Multilateral debt relief (1320) -Development bank reform (1129) -Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).
9 address Voting/Elections: -Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453) -Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737) -Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975) -Senate campaign disclosure parity (185) -Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030) -Election jamming prevention (4102) -Campaign disclosure parity (223) -Presidential funding (2412) -Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)
11 addressed Education: -Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513) -Establish teaching residency programs (1574) -Increase early intervention services (2111) -Middle school curriculum improvements (2227) -Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428) -Summer learning programs (116) -TANF financial education promotion (924) -Higher education (1642) -Build capacity at community colleges (379) -Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228) -Support for teachers (2060).
6 addressed Hurrican Katrina: -Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319) -Emergency relief (1637) -Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647) -Working family tax relief (2257) -Fair wages for recovery workers (1749) -Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)
5 addressed the Environment: -Drinking water security (218, 1426) -Water resources development (728) -Waste water treatment (1995) -Combat illegal logging (1930) -Spent nuclear fuel tracking ;and Acountability (1194) -Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.726.IS ]
4 addressed Discrimination -Claims for civil class action based on discrimination (1989) -Domestic partnership benefits (2521) -Unresolved civil rights crimes (535) -Equality or two parent families (2286)
4 addressed Homeland Security: -Judicial review of FISA orders (2369) -National emergency family locator (1630) -Amend US Patriot Act (2167) -Chemical security and safety (2486)
Bellow is more detailed information on his Senate record:
-Obama passed legislation with Republican Senator Jim Talent to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend.
-He traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world.
-Obama sponsored legislation to combat predatory payday loans, and he also was credited with lobbied the state to more closely regulate some of the most egregious predatory lending practices.
-Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.
-Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.
-Obama has introduced and helped pass bipartisan legislation to limit the abuse of no-bid federal contracts.
I really could list many, many more but I fear it would be too much to take in at one time. I hope this helps some of you know him a little better. Everyone seems to be jumping on his "Change" bandwagon. However, he does have the record to back it up
Progressives Must Guard Against Helping to Promote Republican Narrative That Alleges Obama "Flip Flops"
By Robert Creamer via www.huffingtonpost.com
The Republican spin machine is locked and loaded to promote the notion that Barack Obama is a "flip flopper." Four years ago it was their principal line of attack against Kerry and it worked like a charm.
In 2004, the goal of this narrative was to convince swing voters that Kerry had no core values -- that his positions and commitments were blown by the winds of public opinion just as he was blown right and left in the notorious campaign ad of Kerry wind-surfing.
Not long after the 2004 election, I was in a New Jersey taxicab. The driver was a typical male New Jersey cabbie. "So what do you think of Corzine?" I asked. "Oh, Corzine, tough guy. Like him," he replied about the then-Senator.
"What do you think of Bush?" I asked. "Like him too. Tough guy. Stands up for what he believes," came the answer.
"What about Kerry?" I asked. "Kerry? Can't stand him. Flip-flopper."
People want leaders who are firmly committed to their values. The key thing that affected the New Jersey cabbie's view wasn't the positions or views of the candidates. It was whether they stood up for what they believed. There are many independent voters just like him.
I believe that John Kerry has very clear values, but he left himself open to be defined to swing voters as if he didn't.
Barack Obama is firmly committed to progressive values that contrast sharply with the values implicit in necon foreign policy and dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest Bush-McCain economic policies.
Obama is much less likely than Kerry was to allow himself to be characterized as a flip-flopper without core values, because his entire campaign is rooted in the discussion of values. It has drawn very sharp distinctions with Republicans on the critical symbolic questions of Iraq, the economy and health care. But that won't keep Republicans from doing everything they can to try to make Obama look like he is a "typical politician" without a moral core the same way they did with Kerry.
Last week's near-frenzy in the media over Obama's alleged "move to the center" on Iraq had no substance whatsoever. It was fed, virtually entirely, by the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign that simply asserted that his statements on Iraq represented a "change " from earlier positions. That narrative was picked up and parroted by various media pundits as if it were true.
Unfortunately, some Progressives fell prey to the media wave and actually gave credence to this non-story, when the fact is that Obama has consistently supported ending the war in Iraq and withdrawing all combat troops within 16 months, at a pace that is responsive to the situation on the ground.
Progressives have to remember that the Republicans don't care about the nuances of these issues. Their goal is simple: make Obama look like he is changing his position.
All Progressives don't agree with every position Barack Obama has taken, but the fact is that very few of his positions have changed since the campaign began.
Progressives who disagree with Barack Obama but at the same time don't want to help Republicans usher in a third Bush term need to remember three things:
1). Go right ahead and disagree with an Obama position or statement -- but disagree on the substance. Don't impute some venal motive. Remember that even when you disagree with him on an issue or policy, Obama shares our progressive values.
2). Don't reinforce the Republican narrative that Obama is a "flip flopper." Disagreeing with an Obama position is very different from arguing that he agreed with you once, but now has changed positions just to win favor with the voters. First, that is generally wrong. Second, if Obama emphasizes one aspect of a position instead of another in order to attract a particular group of voters, that does not mean he "changed" his position. Third, remember that the Republicans are desperate to get Progressives to confirm their narrative and convince guys like my New Jersey taxi driver to elect John McCain.
3). Remember that there is a huge gulf between the values of Obama and McCain. Obama stands clearly in the progressive tradition of giving every human being equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. McCain stands squarely on the side of ultra-conservative values that protect the power and prerogatives of the wealthiest among us.
Obama stands firmly against the neocon foreign policies of preemptive war and unilateral action that lay at the root of the worst American foreign policy disaster in a generation. McCain stands just as firmly for the neocon vision and the Bush approach to the rest of the world.
Obama believes that economic growth happens from the bottom up and doesn't trickle down on the rest of us. He supports the rights of workers to organize to defend their standard of living, and a world where we're all in this together, not all in this alone. McCain intends to continue Bush's economic policies that have assured that all of the economic growth in the last seven years has gone to the wealthiest 1% of Americans.
Obama understands that our world faces the greatest environmental crisis in history as we seek to prevent human beings from altering our climate. First and foremost, John McCain's loyalties lie with the oil industry.
We need to remember that John McCain's campaign is managed by lobbyists from the biggest special interests in America, while Barack Obama understands the need to mobilize tens of millions of Americans to change Washington from the ground up.
Progressives should go right ahead and question Obama's positions on issues -- and they should continue to hold him accountable when he is elected president. But remember that the Republicans are desperate to convince independent voters that Obama is "just another politician" whose values flow from the latest poll instead of his own commitment to principle. Don't help them. If you do you will be wrong, and you will also help the Republicans fulfill their unthinkable fantasy of a third Bush term.
* My Words*
I've come to the conclusion that we have this "problem" because we think of Obama as a two dimensional politician when he is actually three dimensional, if not more. A very easy thing to do when in the past all we had were two dimensional politicians. It's time for us to keep up with the times, the changes we are going to see and stop allowing ourselves and other to over simplify our Next President, Mr Obama. As he has said all along that he wants us to change how we think of politics in general. It isn't about Repulican, democrate, black or white, far right or far left. It's about us...all of us and thinking outside of our normal two dimensional political box. We have to stay on message and know it like the back of our hand. In the coming months the Repuglicans will spoend millions of dollars to make Obama out to be ssomething he is not which is a typical two deminsional politician; even using his own words from his books. We can't allow it.
Also cross-posted on DailyKos (be sure to rec!)
As we all know, the Clinton campaign has had some financial difficulties. I did some reading today to get a better overall picture of the Clinton finances, and I am sharing my findings in this diary.
While I didn't uncover much new information, I did get a better overall picture of the Clinton campaign finances, and I came to the realization that the Clinton campaign's financial standing is worse than it appears. The Clinton campaign lost its edge in fundraising much earlier than it should have, mismanaged the funds on hand, and operated consistently in the red for all of 2008 and in part of 2007. This is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts -- when you look at each of the financial problems individually, it looks bad, but when considering all of the financial problems combined, the big picture is devastating.
Join me below the fold for a comprehensive review of Hillary's primary campaign finances...
Senator Clinton vs Senator Obama's Legislative Record
The following information gathered from the Library of Congress on the Legislative experience Junior Senator Hillary Clinton and Junior Senator Barack Obama. Please Feel free to check these records for yourself and draw your own conclusion. Senator Clinton, who has served only one full term, which is 6 years and another year campaigning, has authored and passed 20 twenty pieces of legislation in her term of six years into law. These bills can be found at (wwwhomas.loc.gov).
Senator Clinton has passed. (1) Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site. (2) Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month. (3) Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. (4) Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall. (5) Name courthouse after James L. Watson. (6) Name post office after Jonn A. O'Shea. (7) Designate Aug. 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day. (8) Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day. (9) Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death. (10) Congratulate the Syracuse Univ. Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship. (11) Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship. (12) Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program. (13) Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda. (14) Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death. (15) Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty. Only five of Clinton's bills are more substantive. (16) Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11. (17) Pay for city projects in response to 9/11 (18) Assist landmine victims in other countries. (19) Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care. (20) Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the wilderness preservation system. She has a nice list, but note that these are The Fact's straight from the Senate Record; Therefore, it is not made up.
Now, It is time to post Senator Obama's record from the Library of Congress.I have to mention that Senator Obama's list is too substantive, one is coalesced to categorize. Since its alot, remember you can go to the Library of Congress website, and check it out yourself, but I am just summarizing his first 8 months.
During Senator Obama's first 8 eight months of elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. He introduced 233 bills regarding healthcare reform, 125 bills on poverty and public assistance, 112 bills on crime fighting, 97 economic bills, 60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills, 21 ethics reform bills, 15 gun control, 6 veterans affairs and many others. In his first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These included: (1)the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 that became LAW, (2)The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act that became LAW, (3)The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act that passed the Senate, (4)The 2007 Government Ethics Bill that became LAW, (5)The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill that is in committee just to name a few.
In all since he entered the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096. An impressive record, for someone who supposedly has no legislative record. Read the facts and not emotion.
a couple days ago, i wrote a blog entitled "which senator has executive experience?"
i received an email to day from OBAMA FOR AMERICA... can you believe we raised $55 million dollars in february?!! even with lobbyist and special interest contributions, republicans and clinton have never touched on OBAMA's new record. $55 million from united, average americans is what i deem true, never-before-seen executive management and leadership. running a successful multi-million dollar enterprise is something the other two senators left in the race can't claim or deny.the chicago tribune reported, "the total came from contributions from nearly three-quarters of a million donors, including about 385,000 who were donating for the first time. vrtually all of the money - $45 million – was raised online."
a couple days i had already begun asserting this argument:
none of the senators running (McCain, Clinton, OBAMA) have outright executive experience. so, by what do we judge one's ability to lead or manage? the logical choice is by the candidates' campaigns which represent multi-million dollar enterprises... larger than a small business. analysts have drawn this conclusion also. OBAMA is clearly the best qualified leader by many respects including his ability to run cultivate a multi-million dollar enterprise and accomplish what he has done in just more than a year. OBAMA may very well be recorded as having built and managed the greatest presidential campaign in history. OBAMA achieved, in a short period of time, what most politicians fail to do in a lifetime.
again, $55 million from united, average americans is what i deem true, never-before-seen executive management and leadership. running a successful multi-million dollar enterprise is something the other two senators left in the race can't claim or deny.
if only a country could be run so well.
~ j
here is the email i received:
Jonathan --
I want to add some more news to David's note about the state of the race.
As you know, we've won 27 of 41 contests and have maintained our commanding lead among pledged delegates.
But today I want to share another staggering number: supporters like you donated more than $55 million to this campaign in the month of February.
That's a humbling achievement, and I am very grateful for your support.
No campaign has ever raised this much in a single month in the history of presidential primaries. But more important than the total is how we did it -- more than 90% of donations were $100 or less, and more than 385,000 new donors in February pushed us past our goal of more than 1,000,000 people owning a piece of this campaign.
From the beginning, this campaign has always been funded by a movement of grassroots supporters giving whatever they can afford. And unlike Senator Clinton and Senator McCain, we have never taken money from lobbyists or PACs.
Senator Clinton has decided to use her resources to wage a negative, throw-everything-including-the-kitchen-sink campaign. John McCain has clinched the Republican nomination and is attacking us daily. But I will continue to vigorously defend my record and make the case for change that will improve the lives of all Americans.
Despite your generosity in February, I need your help to continue this battle on two separate fronts.
Please make a donation of $100 today:
https://donate.barackobama.com/themath
Thank you for your support,
Barack
THE TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA AND HIS SENATE RECORDS:
Barack Obama has passed more progressive legislation in his lifetime than Hillary Clinton. As an Illinois Senator he passed over 200 of the bills he wrote. These bills include: 1. A bill that expanded healthcare to over 100,000 people in Illinois. 2. A bill that set up community health centers to serve underserved populations. 3. A bill that provided the earned income tax credit to thousands of Illinois families. 4. A bill that reformed the death penalty that had sent innocent people to death row 5. A bill that banned gifts and meals from lobbyists.
I will also point out this link to a PDF published based on the NEW YORK TIMES that illustrates OBAMA's Illinois record clearly. http://manchester.ucsd.edu/misc/obama-state-senate.pdf
Finally, I will point out that Barack OBAMA was so well accomplished and productive as a state senator that OBAMA won his US Senate seat by the largest margin of victory in congressional history... now what was his about nil?
While Hillary Clinton has spent more time in the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama has gotten more substantive legislation that affects the American people passed while he's been there. 1. A bill with Senator Richard Lugar which bans the development of nuclear weapons. 2. A bill that created a public database where average Americans can see how the government is spending their money. 3. A bill that provided important assistance to address the situation in the Congo. 4. A bill that Nancy Pelosi calls "one of the toughest ethics reform" bills in this history of the Congress.
Anyway you cut it... as the US Senator, Obama authored/co-sponsored more bills in his first two years than Clinton achieved in her first two years or in her last two years of her first term... either way... what was this about nil?
On a final note, keep in mind that when it comes to EXPERIENCE:
Barack Obama will have held elected office for 12 years before becoming President. Hillary Clinton will only have held office for 8 years.
While Clinton claims experience from her husband's presidency, she will not release her White House papers to let us know specifically what that experience is. Meanwhile, policies she once championed, she now disagrees with, i.e. "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and NAFTA
Barack Obama will be older than Bill Clinton, Teddy Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy were before they took the presidency. Hillary Clinton voted for the Iraq War, while Barack Obama opposed the war from the start.
Hillary Clinton was the last Democrat to support the torture pledge.
Obama voted to ban the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas. Hillary Clinton voted against the ban. Cluster bombs have a high failure rate and are often mistaken by children for toys. They are indiscriminate and result in thousands of civilian deaths.
Barack Obama has gotten more anti-poverty legislation signed into law in his lifetime than Hillary Clinton has. He passed numerous bills during his work in Illinois.
Barack Obama passed the toughest ethics reform legislation in the U.S. Senate since Watergate.
The League of Conservation Voters gave Barack Obama a higher score on his environmental voting record than all the other Democratic nominees.
The Washington Post gave Barack Obama an A- for his economic stimulus plan and gave Hillary Clinton a C+.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG0PfADEbDs
(Reprint; Courtesy of the Barnes Family)
Let's take a closer look at who's really qualified and or who's really working for the good of all of us in the Senate. Obama or Clinton.Records of these two candidates should be scrutinized in order to make an informed decision.
by hilzoy
I, too, endorse Obama for President, to no one's surprise. Since Katherine has already written a lot of what I would have wanted to say about his rhetoric, and since I've already talked about one of my most important reasons for supporting him, namely the fact that he got Iraq right from the outset, I'll say something about the peculiar idea that Barack Obama is all style and no substance.
I came to Obama by an unusual route: as I explained here, I follow some issues pretty closely, and over and over again, Barack Obama kept popping up, doing really good substantive things. There he was, working for nuclear non-proliferation and securing loose stockpiles of conventional weapons, like shoulder-fired missiles. There he was again, passing what the Washington Post called "the strongest ethics legislation to emerge from Congress yet" -- though not as strong as Obama would have liked. Look -- he's over there, passing a bill that created a searchable database of recipients of federal contracts and grants, proposing legislation on avian flu back when most people hadn't even heard of it, working to make sure that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan were screened for traumatic brain injury and to prevent homelessness among veterans, successfully fighting a proposal by the VA to reexamine all PTSD cases in which full benefits had been awarded, working to ban no-bid contracts in Katrina reconstruction, and introducing legislation to criminalize deceptive political tactics and voter intimidation. And there he was again, introducing a tech plan of which Lawrence Lessig wrote:
"Obama has committed himself to a technology policy for government that could radically change how government works. The small part of that is simple efficiency -- the appointment with broad power of a CTO for the government, making the insanely backwards technology systems of government actually work. But the big part of this is a commitment to making data about the government (as well as government data) publicly available in standard machine readable formats. The promise isn't just the naive promise that government websites will work better and reveal more. It is the really powerful promise to feed the data necessary for the Sunlights and the Maplights of the world to make government work better. Atomize (or RSS-ify) government data (votes, contributions, Members of Congress's calendars) and you enable the rest of us to make clear the economy of influence that is Washington. After the debacle that is the last 7 years, the duty is upon the Democrats to be something different. I've been wildly critical of their sameness (remember "Dems to the Net: Go to hell" which earned me lots of friends in the Democratic party). I would give my left arm to be able to celebrate their difference. This man, Mr. Obama, would be that difference. He has as much support as I can give."
But the big part of this is a commitment to making data about the government (as well as government data) publicly available in standard machine readable formats. The promise isn't just the naive promise that government websites will work better and reveal more. It is the really powerful promise to feed the data necessary for the Sunlights and the Maplights of the world to make government work better. Atomize (or RSS-ify) government data (votes, contributions, Members of Congress's calendars) and you enable the rest of us to make clear the economy of influence that is Washington.
After the debacle that is the last 7 years, the duty is upon the Democrats to be something different. I've been wildly critical of their sameness (remember "Dems to the Net: Go to hell" which earned me lots of friends in the Democratic party). I would give my left arm to be able to celebrate their difference. This man, Mr. Obama, would be that difference. He has as much support as I can give."
Imagine my surprise, then, when I heard people saying that Obama wasn't "substantive". It was exactly like my experience in 2004 when, after hearing Wes Clark for the first time, I went and looked up his positions on a whole host of issues of concern to me, and only then started reading media accounts of him in which I "learned" that no one knew what his positions were.
As some of my students would say: I was like, wtf?
I was also surprised ...
... by the number of people who said: well, all this bipartisanship stuff sounds very nice, but how do we know it actually works? Isn't this just happy talk that will evaporate in the face of reality? Or, alternately: doesn't this sort of thing involve selling our souls to our supposed partners in compromise? Curiously, Obama has an actual legislative record, and so it is possible for us to see both how he approaches bipartisan cooperation and what results it yields. And it turns out that Obama does achieve results by working with Republicans, and doesn't tend to compromise on core principles.
Last year, I considered some of his bipartisan initiatives in the Senate -- notably on nonproliferation and ethics reform -- and concluded that what Obama actually does has nothing to do with the sort of bipartisanship that people rightly object to:
"According to me, bad bipartisanship is the kind practiced by Joe Lieberman. Bad bipartisans are so eager to establish credentials for moderation and reasonableness that they go out of their way to criticize their (supposed) ideological allies and praise their (supposed) opponents. They also compromise on principle, and when their opponents don't reciprocate, they compromise some more, until over time their positions become indistinguishable from those on the other side. This isn't what Obama does. Obama tries to find people, both Democrats and Republicans, who actually care about a particular issue enough to try to get the policy right, and then he works with them. This does not involve compromising on principle. It does, however, involve preferring getting legislation passed to having a spectacular battle. (This is especially true when one is in the minority party, especially in this Senate: the chances that Obama's bills will actually become law increase dramatically when he has Republican co-sponsors.)"
This isn't what Obama does. Obama tries to find people, both Democrats and Republicans, who actually care about a particular issue enough to try to get the policy right, and then he works with them. This does not involve compromising on principle. It does, however, involve preferring getting legislation passed to having a spectacular battle. (This is especially true when one is in the minority party, especially in this Senate: the chances that Obama's bills will actually become law increase dramatically when he has Republican co-sponsors.)"
Consider a different example:
"Consider a bill into which Obama clearly put his heart and soul. The problem he wanted to address was that too many confessions, rather than being voluntary, were coerced -- by beating the daylights out of the accused. Obama proposed requiring that interrogations and confessions be videotaped. This seemed likely to stop the beatings, but the bill itself aroused immediate opposition. There were Republicans who were automatically tough on crime and Democrats who feared being thought soft on crime. There were death penalty abolitionists, some of whom worried that Obama's bill, by preventing the execution of innocents, would deprive them of their best argument. Vigorous opposition came from the police, too many of whom had become accustomed to using muscle to "solve" crimes. And the incoming governor, Rod Blagojevich, announced that he was against it. Obama had his work cut out for him. He responded with an all-out campaign of cajolery. It had not been easy for a Harvard man to become a regular guy to his colleagues. Obama had managed to do so by playing basketball and poker with them and, most of all, by listening to their concerns. Even Republicans came to respect him. One Republican state senator, Kirk Dillard, has said that "Barack had a way both intellectually and in demeanor that defused skeptics." The police proved to be Obama's toughest opponent. Legislators tend to quail when cops say things like, "This means we won't be able to protect your children." The police tried to limit the videotaping to confessions, but Obama, knowing that the beatings were most likely to occur during questioning, fought -- successfully -- to keep interrogations included in the required videotaping. By showing officers that he shared many of their concerns, even going so far as to help pass other legislation they wanted, he was able to quiet the fears of many. Obama proved persuasive enough that the bill passed both houses of the legislature, the Senate by an incredible 35 to 0. Then he talked Blagojevich into signing the bill, making Illinois the first state to require such videotaping."
Obama proposed requiring that interrogations and confessions be videotaped.
This seemed likely to stop the beatings, but the bill itself aroused immediate opposition. There were Republicans who were automatically tough on crime and Democrats who feared being thought soft on crime. There were death penalty abolitionists, some of whom worried that Obama's bill, by preventing the execution of innocents, would deprive them of their best argument. Vigorous opposition came from the police, too many of whom had become accustomed to using muscle to "solve" crimes. And the incoming governor, Rod Blagojevich, announced that he was against it.
Obama had his work cut out for him.
He responded with an all-out campaign of cajolery. It had not been easy for a Harvard man to become a regular guy to his colleagues. Obama had managed to do so by playing basketball and poker with them and, most of all, by listening to their concerns. Even Republicans came to respect him. One Republican state senator, Kirk Dillard, has said that "Barack had a way both intellectually and in demeanor that defused skeptics."
The police proved to be Obama's toughest opponent. Legislators tend to quail when cops say things like, "This means we won't be able to protect your children." The police tried to limit the videotaping to confessions, but Obama, knowing that the beatings were most likely to occur during questioning, fought -- successfully -- to keep interrogations included in the required videotaping.
By showing officers that he shared many of their concerns, even going so far as to help pass other legislation they wanted, he was able to quiet the fears of many.
Obama proved persuasive enough that the bill passed both houses of the legislature, the Senate by an incredible 35 to 0. Then he talked Blagojevich into signing the bill, making Illinois the first state to require such videotaping."
Getting legislation like this passed is a real achievement. Getting it passed unanimously is nothing short of astonishing. Mark Kleiman, who knows this stuff extremely well, put it best:
"1. Obama was completely right, and on an issue directly relevant to the more recent debates about torture. Taping interrogations is an issue that really only has one legitimate side, since there's no reason to think it prevents any true confessions, while it certainly prevents false confessions (over and above the legal and moral reasons for disapproving of police use of "enhanced interrogation methods"). 2. Pursuing it had very little political payoff, as evidenced by the fact that Obama has not (as far as I know) so much as mentioned this on the campaign. Standing up for the rights of accused criminals in a contemporary American legislature requires brass balls. 3. Getting it through required both courage and skill. The notion that Obama is "too nice" to get things done can hardly survive this story: he won't face tougher or less scrupulous political opponents than the self-proclaimed forces of law and order. Yes, in this case the change was helpful to the cause of crime control, since every innocent person imprisoned displaces a guilty person. But that didn't make the politics of it any easier."
2. Pursuing it had very little political payoff, as evidenced by the fact that Obama has not (as far as I know) so much as mentioned this on the campaign. Standing up for the rights of accused criminals in a contemporary American legislature requires brass balls.
3. Getting it through required both courage and skill. The notion that Obama is "too nice" to get things done can hardly survive this story: he won't face tougher or less scrupulous political opponents than the self-proclaimed forces of law and order. Yes, in this case the change was helpful to the cause of crime control, since every innocent person imprisoned displaces a guilty person. But that didn't make the politics of it any easier."
***
Similarly, people often wonder whether Obama's call for a new kind of politics is just empty words. Here again, I think he has a real record to point to. He has consistently worked for ethics reform. In Illinois, where he helped pass what the WaPo called "the most ambitious campaign reform in nearly 25 years, making Illinois one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure." In the US Senate, he was the Democrats' point man on ethics, and was deeply involved in the ethics legislation passed this year. He didn't get all he wanted -- for instance, he and Russ Feingold couldn't get a bill establishing an Office of Public Integrity to deal with Congressional scandals. But he accomplished a lot, and wants to accomplish more.
Moreover, he is very interested in open government. The searchable database of government grant and contract recipients that I mentioned above is part of that. But Obama's proposals (pdf) go further. For instance, consider these proposals:
* Centralize Ethics and Lobbying Information for Voters: Obama will create a centralized Internet database of lobbying reports, ethics records, and campaign finance filings in a searchable, sortable and downloadable format. * Create a Public “Contracts and Influence” Database: As president, Obama will create a "contracts and influence" database that will disclose how much federal contractors spend on lobbying, and what contracts they are getting and how well they complete them. * Expose Special Interest Tax Breaks to Public Scrutiny: Barack Obama will ensure that any tax breaks for corporate recipients — or tax earmarks — are also publicly available on the Internet in an easily searchable format. * End Abuse of No-Bid Contracts: Barack Obama will end abuse of no-bid contracts by requiring that nearly all contract orders over $25,000 be competitively awarded. * Sunlight Before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days. * Make White House Communications Public: Obama will amend executive orders to ensure that communications about regulatory policymaking between persons outside government and all White House staff are disclosed to the public. * Conduct Regulatory Agency Business in Public: Obama will require his appointees who lead the executive branch departments and rulemaking agencies to conduct the significant business of the agency in public, so that any citizen can see in person or watch on the Internet these debates.
* Create a Public “Contracts and Influence” Database: As president, Obama will create a "contracts and influence" database that will disclose how much federal contractors spend on lobbying, and what contracts they are getting and how well they complete them.
* Expose Special Interest Tax Breaks to Public Scrutiny: Barack Obama will ensure that any tax breaks for corporate recipients — or tax earmarks — are also publicly available on the Internet in an easily searchable format.
* End Abuse of No-Bid Contracts: Barack Obama will end abuse of no-bid contracts by requiring that nearly all contract orders over $25,000 be competitively awarded.
* Sunlight Before Signing: Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them. As president, Obama will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.
* Make White House Communications Public: Obama will amend executive orders to ensure that communications about regulatory policymaking between persons outside government and all White House staff are disclosed to the public.
* Conduct Regulatory Agency Business in Public: Obama will require his appointees who lead the executive branch departments and rulemaking agencies to conduct the significant business of the agency in public, so that any citizen can see in person or watch on the Internet these debates.
These are all proposals designed to allow public scrutiny of the business of government. As I read it, one of Obama's goals in introducing them is to permanently alter the incentives politicians have. As long as legislators did not have to disclose their earmarks, there was no way of finding out that the person who stuck a favor for an obscure casino in one state into an appropriations bill was from another state entirely. There was therefore no way for that person's constituents to wonder why s/he was expending political capital on people outside the district, and no way for reporters to see just who was doing that casino favors. Once legislators have to own up to their earmarks, however, that changes. It won't make abuse go away, of course, but it does make it a lot easier for people to notice and object to the fact that their representatives are doing inexplicable favors for people they have no obvious reason for caring about.
Likewise, if all bills had to be posted to the internet five days before they were voted on signed (oops), it would be much, much more difficult for Congress to sneak some appalling provision through in the dead of night. If all contracts over $25,000 had to be competitively bid, certain sorts of corruption would be a lot more difficult to carry out. And if there were a database of tax breaks and tax earmarks, not to mention a database of lobbyists, it would, again, be much, much easier to track who was doing favors for whom, and why. (And I haven't even started on Obama's proposals (pdf, p. 5) to strengthen FOIA: "Barack Obama would restore the tradition of free information by issuing an Executive Order that information should be released unless an agency reasonably foresees harm to a protected interest.")
I think of these proposals, collectively, as a means of empowering journalists, bloggers, and random citizens to discover corruption and the abuse of power, and to bring the power of shame to bear on politicians who practice it. This clearly isn't all that Obama means when he talks about changing the way politics is practiced in this country. But it's part of it. And I think it's pretty powerful.
A very thoughtful and well documented effort by Liz Rich to look at legislative experience of Obama and Clinton.
The next President is going to have some MAJOR challenges. I refuse to buy into the hype, on either side, but especially on that of Obama. However the "empty rhetoric" v. "history of accomplishments" arguments have prompted me to check it out on my own, not relying on any candidate's website, book, or worst of all supporters' diaries, like this one.
I went to the Library of Congress Website. The FACTS of what each did in the Senate last year sure surprised me. I'm sure they will surprise you, too. Whether you love or hate Hillary, you will be surprised. Whether you think Obama is the second coming of JFK or an inexperienced lightweight, you will surprised. Go check out the Library of Congress Website. After spending some time there, it will be clear that there is really only one candidate would is ready to be the next president, even better than Gore. If you don't want to spend an hour or two doing research, then I'll tell you what I discovered on the jump.
You can read her full article w/ all the Senate activity records here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633
Please pass on to moms/people in TX, OH & PA.
Also, there was a fantastic article on Michelle Obama in Newseek.
Cheers,
Gretchen
