September 1, 200818 yr Give me his accomplishments in the Senate. Here are some: After a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years. Obama joined forces with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators and banned gifts from lobbyists. Before the law was passed, one organization ranked Illinois worst among 50 states for its campaign finance regulations. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. 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 has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting. In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis began. 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. Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on both parties and proposed ethics legislation that was described as the "gold standard" for reform. It was because of their leadership that ending subsidized corporate jet travel, mandating disclosure of lobbyists' bundling of contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law. Now, you may post some of McCain's.
September 1, 200818 yr I don't recall saying you lied. If you can find me using that word describing you, please show it to me. What else would you be insinuating with this post? They are indeed hard to find, anything of significance that is. I thought you weren't a fan of Obama, I have to say, listening to you lately, you sure sound like a supporter. :sssh: This will be my last post on this specific matter.
September 1, 200818 yr Author OK RM, I'll play along. Since I know how much environmental issues mean to you, here are some of McCain's accomplishments in that area alone. CLIMATE CHANGE Senator McCain has done more than just say the right things, or vote the right way on climate change. Since well before the issue became politically popular, he has exercised strong leadership and exhibited a dedication to the issue that is unparalleled in the U.S. Congress. Here are some points worth noting: #1. Since 2003, Senator McCain (along with Senator Joseph Lieberman) has repeatedly introduced bipartisan cap-and-trade legislation that would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in the face of opposition by his own party leaders, used his political capital to secure votes on the legislation. The bills he introduced include: The Climate Stewardship Act of 2003 (S. 139) The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2005 (S. 1151) The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007 (S. 280) The 2007 version, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 67 percent by 2050, is co-sponsored by both Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY). #2. McCain has worked diligently to educate colleagues in both Houses and on both sides of the aisle on the necessity of fighting climate change. He has sponsored numerous educational trips to persuade Senators and Congressmen of the need to address climate change: He sponsored a fact-finding trip to Alaska in 2005 with Senators Clinton, Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Graham, who had been “on the fence” before the trip, returned from Alaska convinced that climate change is real. He sponsored a fact-finding trip to Antarctica in 2006 with Senators Collins and John Sununu (R-NH) along with a delegation from the House of Representatives. In a May 14, 2007 article in the Portsmouth (NH) Herald, Senator Collins commented: “McCain is as persistent as he is energetic. When he tackles a problem, he does not let go until he has identified a plan for solving it, and he has built the support necessary to implement his plan. Such has been his approach with climate change.” He sponsored a fact-finding trip to Greenland in 2006 with Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Mel Martinez (R-FL), and Graham, as well as the wife of Senator Richard Burr (R-NC). #3. McCain has been outspoken on the need for stronger action on climate change. In an April 23, 2007 speech on energy policy, McCain said about climate change: “Some urge we do nothing because we can't be certain how bad the problem might become or they presume the worst effects are most likely to occur in our grandchildren's lifetime. I'm a proud conservative, and I reject that kind of live-for-today, 'me generation,' attitude. It is unworthy of us and incompatible with our reputation as visionaries and problem solvers. Americans have never feared change. We make change work for us.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENERGY Senator McCain understands the nexus between energy security, climate protection, and national security. He is a strong supporter of diversifying and conserving our energy sources. One of his top priorities is to substantially reduce the impact that our energy consumption has on the planet. Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 2005, McCain voted against HR 6, an energy bill focused heavily on fossil fuel production. In explaining his opposition, McCain cited the legislation’s failure to address climate change and promote conservation and renewable energy. In his June 28, 2005, floor statement, McCain said: “When it comes to solving America’s pressing energy problems, this bill simply does not go far enough. It will not reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it won’t assure the growing threat of global warming is addressed in a meaningful way, and it won’t effectively reduce the price of gasoline at the pump.” #2. McCain has cast numerous votes in favor of protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling and signed numerous "Dear Colleague" letters urging that budget legislation not be used as a vehicle to authorize drilling. He called Senator Ted Stevens’ 2005 gambit to attach a Refuge drilling provision to a defense authorization bill “disgraceful.” #3. McCain has been a consistent supporter of increasing motor vehicle fuel economy standards. In 2002, he sponsored the Fuel Economy and Security Act (S. 1923) to increase motor vehicle fuel economy standards to 36 mpg by 2016. In 2005, he opposed an amendment by Senators Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Carl Levin (D-MI) that would have made it harder for EPA to strengthen fuel economy standards. #4. McCain has shown true courage in speaking the truth, even when doing so would hurt him politically. On October 9, 2007, at a time when his Republican primary opponents were pandering to the auto industry, McCain told the Detroit Economic Club: “We need to work together to increase CAFE standards to a level that is practical and achievable for all new vehicles, foreign and domestic, because improved fuel economy will help our nation achieve national energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and improve local and regional air quality.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATER RESOURCES Senator McCain has been one of Congress’ most aggressive leaders in trying to reform the way that Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan major water projects such as dams and levees. Too often these projects are pork-barrel boondoggles pushed by parochial special interests. Often, such projects waste taxpayers’ money and severely degrade or even destroy wetlands, rivers and other aquatic ecosystems. Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 2006, McCain sponsored bipartisan legislation (S. 2288) requiring independent review of the Army Corps of Engineers’ water projects and for Corps projects to meet Clean Water Act standards. #2. In 2006 and 2007, McCain co-sponsored legislative amendments to establish an independent review commission to provide oversight to the Army Corps of Engineers and to force the Corps to set rational project priorities. (Senator Obama voted against both amendments.) #3. In 2005, McCain opposed efforts to shield producers and refiners of the chemical MTBE, a gasoline additive that has contaminated groundwater, from pollution liability. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLEAN AIR Senator McCain has been outspoken in support of strong enforcement of clean air policies, which protect public health and important natural treasures, including our national parks. Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 2005, McCain voted for a Senate resolution (SJR 20) that would have overturned an EPA rule exempting coal-fired power plants from strict air toxic control provisions of the Clean Air Act. (On February 8, 2008, EPA’s action was overturned by an appeals court ruling.) #2. In 2004, McCain signed a bipartisan senators’ letter urging then-EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt to take “prompt and effective action to clean up mercury pollution from power plants.” #3. In 1990, McCain voted to adopt the Clean Air Act Amendments (PL 101-549). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WILDERNESS and PUBLIC LANDS Senator McCain has been true to Theodore Roosevelt’s land conservation ethic and is recognized as a strong advocate for National Parks, wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and trails. In 2006, Senator McCain was awarded the Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award by the National Park Trust. In presenting the award, NPT President Paul Pritchard said, “Over the past decade, Senator McCain has led efforts as diverse as legislation to create bonds for needed National Park repairs, protection of new parks and monuments in Arizona, climate change legislation, protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and greater environmental awareness of Antarctica. Like President Teddy Roosevelt, John McCain's legacy is diverse and meaningful." Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 1984, as a member of the House of Representatives, McCain worked with Congressman Morris Udall (D-AZ), to pass the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 (PL 98-406), which protected 1 million acres of forests. #2. McCain was instrumental in congressional negotiations that led to passage of the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990 (PL 101-628), which protects 2.4 million acres of range, desert, and wildlife habitat. The lands protected in this bill include Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, the largest wilderness reserve within a national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. #3. He sponsored and won passage of the National Parks Overflights Act of 1987 (PL 100-91), which protects natural quiet in Grand Canyon and other national parks by limiting overflights. #4. He voted in 2005 to support an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill (HR 2361) cutting off funds for building new logging roads in the Tongass National Forest, a rare coastal temperate rainforest. #5. In 2007, McCain introduced legislation (S. 86) to designate Fossil Creek, a tributary of the Verde River in Arizona, as a Wild & Scenic River. #6. In 2007, McCain introduced the Arizona National Scenic Trail Act (S. 1304), to add an 807-mile non-motorized trail to the National Trails System. #8. McCain supports establishment of National Park Centennial Fund to eliminate backlog of park operations and maintenance projects. Obama looks like a bit of a lightweight in comparison.
September 1, 200818 yr Author What else would you be insinuating with this post? This will be my last post on this specific matter. So, you sure sound like a supporter = liar? Hmmm...
September 1, 200818 yr Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials... His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn... Obama joined forces with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass... As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama... He traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin... Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting... Obama has...helped pass bipartisan legislation to limit the abuse of no-bid federal contracts. Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on... Can't this guy do anything on his own, without riding on someone else's coattails?
September 1, 200818 yr OK RM, I'll play along. Since I know how much environmental issues mean to you, here are some of McCain's accomplishments in that area alone. CLIMATE CHANGE Senator McCain has done more than just say the right things, or vote the right way on climate change. Since well before the issue became politically popular, he has exercised strong leadership and exhibited a dedication to the issue that is unparalleled in the U.S. Congress. Here are some points worth noting: #1. Since 2003, Senator McCain (along with Senator Joseph Lieberman) has repeatedly introduced bipartisan cap-and-trade legislation that would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in the face of opposition by his own party leaders, used his political capital to secure votes on the legislation. The bills he introduced include: The Climate Stewardship Act of 2003 (S. 139) The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2005 (S. 1151) The Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007 (S. 280) The 2007 version, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 67 percent by 2050, is co-sponsored by both Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY). #2. McCain has worked diligently to educate colleagues in both Houses and on both sides of the aisle on the necessity of fighting climate change. He has sponsored numerous educational trips to persuade Senators and Congressmen of the need to address climate change: He sponsored a fact-finding trip to Alaska in 2005 with Senators Clinton, Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Graham, who had been “on the fence” before the trip, returned from Alaska convinced that climate change is real. He sponsored a fact-finding trip to Antarctica in 2006 with Senators Collins and John Sununu (R-NH) along with a delegation from the House of Representatives. In a May 14, 2007 article in the Portsmouth (NH) Herald, Senator Collins commented: “McCain is as persistent as he is energetic. When he tackles a problem, he does not let go until he has identified a plan for solving it, and he has built the support necessary to implement his plan. Such has been his approach with climate change.” He sponsored a fact-finding trip to Greenland in 2006 with Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Mel Martinez (R-FL), and Graham, as well as the wife of Senator Richard Burr (R-NC). #3. McCain has been outspoken on the need for stronger action on climate change. In an April 23, 2007 speech on energy policy, McCain said about climate change: “Some urge we do nothing because we can't be certain how bad the problem might become or they presume the worst effects are most likely to occur in our grandchildren's lifetime. I'm a proud conservative, and I reject that kind of live-for-today, 'me generation,' attitude. It is unworthy of us and incompatible with our reputation as visionaries and problem solvers. Americans have never feared change. We make change work for us.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENERGY Senator McCain understands the nexus between energy security, climate protection, and national security. He is a strong supporter of diversifying and conserving our energy sources. One of his top priorities is to substantially reduce the impact that our energy consumption has on the planet. Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 2005, McCain voted against HR 6, an energy bill focused heavily on fossil fuel production. In explaining his opposition, McCain cited the legislation’s failure to address climate change and promote conservation and renewable energy. In his June 28, 2005, floor statement, McCain said: “When it comes to solving America’s pressing energy problems, this bill simply does not go far enough. It will not reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it won’t assure the growing threat of global warming is addressed in a meaningful way, and it won’t effectively reduce the price of gasoline at the pump.” #2. McCain has cast numerous votes in favor of protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling and signed numerous "Dear Colleague" letters urging that budget legislation not be used as a vehicle to authorize drilling. He called Senator Ted Stevens’ 2005 gambit to attach a Refuge drilling provision to a defense authorization bill “disgraceful.” #3. McCain has been a consistent supporter of increasing motor vehicle fuel economy standards. In 2002, he sponsored the Fuel Economy and Security Act (S. 1923) to increase motor vehicle fuel economy standards to 36 mpg by 2016. In 2005, he opposed an amendment by Senators Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Carl Levin (D-MI) that would have made it harder for EPA to strengthen fuel economy standards. #4. McCain has shown true courage in speaking the truth, even when doing so would hurt him politically. On October 9, 2007, at a time when his Republican primary opponents were pandering to the auto industry, McCain told the Detroit Economic Club: “We need to work together to increase CAFE standards to a level that is practical and achievable for all new vehicles, foreign and domestic, because improved fuel economy will help our nation achieve national energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and improve local and regional air quality.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATER RESOURCES Senator McCain has been one of Congress’ most aggressive leaders in trying to reform the way that Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan major water projects such as dams and levees. Too often these projects are pork-barrel boondoggles pushed by parochial special interests. Often, such projects waste taxpayers’ money and severely degrade or even destroy wetlands, rivers and other aquatic ecosystems. Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 2006, McCain sponsored bipartisan legislation (S. 2288) requiring independent review of the Army Corps of Engineers’ water projects and for Corps projects to meet Clean Water Act standards. #2. In 2006 and 2007, McCain co-sponsored legislative amendments to establish an independent review commission to provide oversight to the Army Corps of Engineers and to force the Corps to set rational project priorities. (Senator Obama voted against both amendments.) #3. In 2005, McCain opposed efforts to shield producers and refiners of the chemical MTBE, a gasoline additive that has contaminated groundwater, from pollution liability. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLEAN AIR Senator McCain has been outspoken in support of strong enforcement of clean air policies, which protect public health and important natural treasures, including our national parks. Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 2005, McCain voted for a Senate resolution (SJR 20) that would have overturned an EPA rule exempting coal-fired power plants from strict air toxic control provisions of the Clean Air Act. (On February 8, 2008, EPA’s action was overturned by an appeals court ruling.) #2. In 2004, McCain signed a bipartisan senators’ letter urging then-EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt to take “prompt and effective action to clean up mercury pollution from power plants.” #3. In 1990, McCain voted to adopt the Clean Air Act Amendments (PL 101-549). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WILDERNESS and PUBLIC LANDS Senator McCain has been true to Theodore Roosevelt’s land conservation ethic and is recognized as a strong advocate for National Parks, wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and trails. In 2006, Senator McCain was awarded the Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award by the National Park Trust. In presenting the award, NPT President Paul Pritchard said, “Over the past decade, Senator McCain has led efforts as diverse as legislation to create bonds for needed National Park repairs, protection of new parks and monuments in Arizona, climate change legislation, protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and greater environmental awareness of Antarctica. Like President Teddy Roosevelt, John McCain's legacy is diverse and meaningful." Here are some points worth noting: #1. In 1984, as a member of the House of Representatives, McCain worked with Congressman Morris Udall (D-AZ), to pass the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 (PL 98-406), which protected 1 million acres of forests. #2. McCain was instrumental in congressional negotiations that led to passage of the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990 (PL 101-628), which protects 2.4 million acres of range, desert, and wildlife habitat. The lands protected in this bill include Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, the largest wilderness reserve within a national wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states. #3. He sponsored and won passage of the National Parks Overflights Act of 1987 (PL 100-91), which protects natural quiet in Grand Canyon and other national parks by limiting overflights. #4. He voted in 2005 to support an amendment to the Interior appropriations bill (HR 2361) cutting off funds for building new logging roads in the Tongass National Forest, a rare coastal temperate rainforest. #5. In 2007, McCain introduced legislation (S. 86) to designate Fossil Creek, a tributary of the Verde River in Arizona, as a Wild & Scenic River. #6. In 2007, McCain introduced the Arizona National Scenic Trail Act (S. 1304), to add an 807-mile non-motorized trail to the National Trails System. #8. McCain supports establishment of National Park Centennial Fund to eliminate backlog of park operations and maintenance projects. Obama looks like a bit of a lightweight in comparison. McCain has been working on cap and trade since 2003? Didn't we have a republican president and republican majority then. The guy sure doesn't get much done, does he?
September 1, 200818 yr "OBama loves the future because thats where his accomplishments lie"!!! LOL. Very funny line!!! Yes it is.
September 1, 200818 yr I don't like half of John McCain's Senate accomplishments but to say that he does not have a long list of real accomplishments during his career is unbelievable. I cannot think of a single accomplishment that Ted Kennedy has to his credit in the US Senate that I supported (I am sure that there are a few) but the fact that I disagree with him on so many issues does not blind me to the fact that Kennedy has been a very active and effective legislator and the same goes for McCain. I cannot believe how some people allow their political point of view to deny the obvious. Obama's name has been tacked on to several bills to make his resume look a little less silly. To portray Obama as a Senate mover and shaker in the same class as McCain borders is nothing short of bizarre. :lol:
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