Wolf Howling: voting record

Friday, August 29, 2008

Change To What?

Change is a neutral word. All things change. It is a constant. The question is whether the change is positive or negative.

Obama tosses out the vague word "change" and accuses McCain of being a clone of Bush. Of course, there is also a question what "change" Obama has in mind. Factcheck.org takes a look at both.

In terms of their records, McCain is a conservative willing to break from his party and President on occasion. Obama is a doctrinaire liberal who votes the straight party line. This from Factcheck.org:

. . . According to Congressional Quarterly's Voting Studies, in 2007 McCain voted in line with the president's position 95 percent of the time – the highest percentage rate for McCain since Bush took office – and voted in line with his party 90 percent of the time. However, McCain's support of President Bush's position has been as low as 77 percent (in 2005), and his support for his party's position has been as low as 67 percent (2001).

. . . Obama voted in line with fellow Senate Democrats 97 percent of the time in 2007 and 2005, and 96 percent of the time in 2006, according to CQ.

. . . To sum up, McCain has indeed voted to support the unpopular Bush 95 percent of the time most recently, but less so in earlier years. And Obama has voted pretty close to 100 percent in line with fellow Democrats during his brief Senate career.

Read the entire article. The change Obama promises is not a bi-partisan one. It is a hard turn to the left.

Interesting News - 6 January 2008

Why is this allegation that a high-ranking State Dept. official who sold American nuclear secrets to elements in the Middle East not playing in American newspapers? The whistle blower is Sibil Edmonds. More on this here. The State Dept. official is former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Marc Grossman.

One would think that discussions at the highest levels of our government about expanding aggressive COVERT action inside Pakistan to attack al Qaeda and the Taliban would be CLASSIFIED. So why are we reading about it in the NYT within days of the event? Will anyone stop the leaks, or is our executive branch so cowed that they just roll over and accept this as one leak in what has been a criminal string of leaks damaging to our national security.

At the debates, Obama makes the outrageous claim that the Anbar Awakening occurred in response to the Democratic election victory in November, 2006 . . . the Anbar Awakening started in February, 2006.

Fred Barnes fact checks the Democrats on the surge. And via Gateway Pundit, watch the Democrats dance at the debate when ABC Anchor Gibson lays out the accomplishments of the surge.

Is there anyone more of an irrelevant walking train-wreck of a Democrat than Jimmy Carter? If you answered George McGovern, you’re right. McGovern is arguing for impeachment of Bush and Cheney for, among other high crimes and misdemeanors, that "their barbaric policies have reduced our beloved country to a historic low in the eyes of people around the world." You can’t make this stuff up.

"Foreign policy and national security are a president's top responsibilities, especially in time of war. Obama is devoid of experience in either field. His gaffes – threatening to invade Pakistan, offering prompt negotiations with anti-American despots – bespeak his amateur standing on matters vital to the safety and security of the American people." And as to bringing people together, its happy talk. Obama’s voting record is straight liberal.

Shall we save Willie or save America? Evidently that was not a tough choice for Judge Florence-Marie Cooper who has issued rules that will prevent the U.S. Navy from conducting all of its necessary training in the Pacific in order to protect marine mammals. Any guesses on who appointed her to the federal bench?

"Climate science isn't a religion, and those who dispute its leading theory are not heretics. Much remains to be learned about how and why climate changes, and there is neither virtue nor wisdom in an emotional rush to counter global warming - especially if what's coming is a global Big Chill."