McCain's 26-years in Congress Yield Zero Achievements on Energy Independence
A legislative record spanning 26 years and no one can come up with a single accomplishment "Exxon John" McCain has in ushering the U.S. towards energy independence. Yesterday, it was historian Mitt Romney. This time, it was ousted Hewlett Packard chief, Carly Fiorina:
Comments (23) «
He'd better get those talking points out there quick, before he runs out of potential VPs.
This Carly gal has something very sleezy about her. Anytime I watch her, I watch to take a shower!
Finding a good surrogate to talk about this will be challenging, given McCain's flimsy legislative record. Perhaps the best spinmeister will become McCain's VP. Let's see what Tim Pawlenty has to say about it.
Well, like Mitt Romney, I'm no historian, but unlike McCain, I know how to use the Internet and access www.thomas.gov and search on authors of bills. See results below.
Ms Fiorina, your suggestion of "We would welcome a comparison of McCain's legislative record of 26 years with Obama's record" was an excellent idea, along with the emphasis on what we need to do NOW on energy policy.
Here's what Helenann posted on Daily Kos after researching Obama's legislative accomplishments in the U.S. Senate:
"Senator Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored 570 bills in the 109th and 110th Congress. [2005-2008]
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 . . . 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)"
Read more details on Obama's legislative accomplishments at:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/21/164117/783?new=true
So here's my 5 minute analysis of McCain's legislative accomplishments:
Of 38 bills authored by McCain in the 110th Congress (2007-8), only one was introduced in 2008 (Yes, only one bill sponsored by McCain the whole of 2008), and it deals with energy, proposing a 'highway fuel tax holiday.'
S.2890 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a highway fuel tax holiday.
Sponsor: Sen McCain, John [AZ] (introduced 4/17/2008) Cosponsors (9)
Committees: Senate Finance
Latest Major Action: 4/17/2008 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Co-sponsors (9): Lieberman plus a handful of Republicans, of which the ones running for re-election are Chambliss, Graham, Sununu, Wicker. [per Wikipedia] Maybe they can tell us how McCain's proposed 'fuel tax holiday' will solve our 'energy crisis.'
Sen Burr, Richard [NC] - 4/17/2008
Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] - 4/17/2008
Sen Graham, Lindsey [SC] - 4/17/2008
Sen Kyl, Jon [AZ] - 4/17/2008
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 4/17/2008
Sen Martinez, Mel [FL] - 4/17/2008
Sen Sununu, John E. [NH] - 4/17/2008
Sen Warner, John [VA] - 4/17/2008
Sen Wicker, Roger F. [MS] - 4/23/2008
WHEN JOHN McCAIN TALKS ABOUT CROSSING THE ASILE
TO WORK WITH DEMOCRATS HOW COME HE DOSEN'T MENTION
THE KEATING FIVE AND HOW THE SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE CRITICIZED HIM FOR EXERCISING POOR
JUDGMENT
WHEN JOHN McCAIN TALKS ABOUT CROSSING THE ASILE
TO WORK WITH DEMOCRATS HOW COME HE DOSEN'T MENTION
THE KEATING FIVE AND HOW THE SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE CRITICIZED HIM FOR EXERCISING POOR
JUDGMENT
Carly Fiorina destroyed Lucent and many American jobs, and almost destroyed HP corporation. She represents a prime example of the overpaid, under qualified, incompetent CEO showmen that have taken over corporate USA.
Does that make her a good candidate for McCain's VP?
Carly Fiorina destroyed Lucent and many American jobs, and almost destroyed HP corporation. She represents a prime example of the overpaid, under qualified, incompetent CEO showmen that have taken over corporate USA.
Does that make her a good candidate for McCain's VP?
What is it with this DNC forum? It used to be efficient and smooth and now a poster gets sent to never never land....never knowing if the post was accepted or rejected.
I would suggest that someone in charge either fix it or let users know what is going on ...otherwise one might assume that the DNC is unable to manage their own forum, let alone the USA.
How in the world did the Democrats get cornered with the energy policy? Suddenly, offshore drllling is the thing to do.
Look, we need to keep stressing the fact that through 7 years of Republican leadership, the Party has failed to pass 'National Security' energny policies.
We need to stress that it is time for new leadership. It is time for change. It is time to move this country forward, in a new direction.
The Republican Party had their chances. In fact, they had seven years and they failed. IT's time to move on. It's time for change.
We cannot continue a 3rd Bush term. They have had seven years and they have failed. It's time for change.
We gave them seven years. They have failed. It's time for a new Party. It's time for a new vision. It's time for new leadership.
I watched the Rick Warren McCain/Obama show and I was impressed with McCain, but not with Obama.
Obama studdered a lot. He needs to come on strong and start proposing solutions for problems. He needs to turn into Hillary to win his election. He was dull and boring.
If Hillary was the nominee. She would have talked about saving America, moving America forward, and reversing the negative effects BUsh has had on America.
I watched CNN and David Gergen was on and after hearing him discuss the nation's economy. The crisis is so huge, we need 3 Franklin Roosevelt.
Right now, America is like a dam. It is holding all the world's problems. It's holding all the waters of the world. The leadership was given to a man by the name of Bush. Under his leadership, the dam has three cracks.
The next President will have to be smart enough to hold and repair the three leaking cracks on the dam's wall.
For sure, McCain cannot hold the pressure. He's too old. I was watching the debate and he had a few slight seconds of senior moments. It's not good.
Obama is still young and under the pressure, he'll make it.
Here is I will not vote for Senator McCain
My father and his friends saw a lot of combat action in World War II and the Korean War and they never bragged about it, never wrote a book about it, seldom talked about it and when they did, it was usually to relate a story about one of their wounded or fallen comrades. (So and so was wounded or a prisoner at Bataan. So and so had it rough at Pusan.) Most of my father's war time combat I knew of from his buddies. None of them would have ever thought of using their war time experiences for any kind of profit, much less political gain. My father was eligible for military disability but never attempted to collect it, he was too proud.
We all have enormous respect for what John McCain must have endured as a prisoner of war. Unfortunately, it appears that 26 years in Congress has tarnished him.
At the first sign of a faltering campaign, he hitches his wagon to the Bush/Rove dirty campaign people, even though lines in the Naval Academy Conduct Code he swore to, say,” Any midshipman unable to conduct himself at all times in a manner indicating the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and manliness, is unfit to hold a commission in the Navy. Therefore, any midshipman guilty of offenses of a dishonest nature, such as Falsehood (including any form of deception or attempt to deceive) or Fraud... becomes immediately subject to a recommendation for dismissal from the Naval Service"
In 2000 when those same Bush people attacked Senator McCain he had this to say "I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those. “
He has denounced the divisiveness of partisan politics, but he has continued to support the causes of the political party responsible for the slandering of a fellow wounded combat veteran. ('Swiftboat'/'Unfit for Command'/ Senator Kerry negative ads)
He has denounced the big oil and big money people of Washington but staffs his campaign with over 50 of their lobbyists. Once, conveniently, a maverick environmentalist, now with corporate oil money for the RNC at stake, it is drill, drill, drill.
He has supported tax relief for oil companies but denied it for victims of hurricane Katrina.
He says he wants to clean up corruption in Washington but before the RNC convention was over he already had campaign staff lawyers trying to slow down or halt the Sarah Palin highway patrol corruption, court proceedings.
Says he's for energy independence but votes against alternative energy and conservation measures.
John McCain says he is for the working man but he has consistently voted down legislation that supports organized labor, low income educational funding and the middle class.
He has voted down funding for veteran benefits. Apparently the everyday fighting man is not worthy of special monetary and educational considerations? Is this what he means by being fiscally responsible?
He has also hitched his wagon to Joe Lieberman to highlight his aggressive military views to Jewish voters concerned about open ended military support for Israel. He has promised to continue Bush's policy of endless middle eastern war. Estimated already as high as $2 trillion. Fiscally responsible?
John McCain is known by many of his colleagues to be a quick tempered, shoot from the hip, George Bush, kind of guy. His family has lived and breathed the warrior ethos for three generations. Do we really want an even more unilaterally aggressive foreign policy than Bush/Cheney, he has already helped reawakened the Russian bear with his inept foreign policy views?
He has earlier put down Reverend Falwell and the religious right, now when he wants to garner their votes, he panders to them by trying to be one of them, he even picks a hale Mary VP with rumored extreme right wing religious views. Is he thinking Hillary voters are not astute enough to notice?
John McCain has flipfloped and now supports the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, even as our schools and infrastructure fall apart, while supporting an even more aggressive military stance than George Bush, as over 50 cents of every tax dollar goes to support the largest military buildup since the cold war. That's not counting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that Republicans, including John McCain, decided our children and grandchildren can pay for. The interest alone on our national debt, largely due to Bush/Cheney/McCain and their Republican controlled Congress is $870 billion, the largest single budget expenditure. But healthcare for more school children is a wasteful, socialist idea.
While being a war hero is great, our country needs fresh ideas, not some fancy repackaging of the Bush/Cheney years. We owe it to the children. Let's give skillful organizing, intelligent diplomacy and peace with strength a chance, For a Change.
Sources: Project Vote Smart/United States Senate Record
I would like to highly recommend John Dean's book "Conservative without Conscience" for anyone that woul like to know why the some on the right are so nast and why they are so dangerous to democracy.
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