McCain Skips Vote on Spending Bill

[AlCzervik]

By Paul Kane
One of the Senate's longest-running streaks hit 115 today.

After returning to Washington early this morning, ostensibly to help with congressional negotiations on bailout legislation, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) missed a pair of votes on a massive spending bill that keeps the federal government running for the next five months.

When the roll call on final passage occurred, McCain was at his campaign headquarters in Crystal City, Va., five miles from the Capitol. Aides said he is engaging in phone calls with Republican leaders involved in the talks to approve legislation creating a massive $700 billion bailout of the financial services industry, talks that McCain threw himself into at a White House summit Thursday, then retreated from Friday for his presidential campaign debate with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

"I just talked to him. I don't know where he's at," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), after casting one of just 12 'nay' votes against the bill.

In missing today's votes, McCain passed up the opportunity to critique a bill that -- as he said in last night's debate -- has more than 2,200 special spending provisions known as earmarks, most of which have never seen the light of day until the legislation was released late this week.

McCain, who has not voted since April 8, has now missed five-and-a-half months of roll calls in the Senate, during which 115 votes have been held.

According to a database created by washingtonpost.com, McCain has missed more than 64 percent of his votes in the 110th Congress, more than any other senator.

Get off mah lawnS

[sufrommich]

1. McCoward. nt

[tblue]

15. McChicken. nt

[FrenchieCat]

2. He is soooo very fuuuulllll of shhhhhitttttttt!

Till it ain't even funny.

Such a poseur! Country First his ass! :crazy:

[hisownpetard]

3. McAbsent.

[crispini]

4. Kick

:kick:

[DAGDA56]

5. OK, now I'm really confused...I thought he suspended his campaign to concentrate on

his duties as a Senator...now, I guess he really just suspended his duties as a Senator to concentrate on his campaign......:crazy:

[evlbstrd]

6. What a maverick!

[KaryninMiami]

7. Seems to me that this would be good for an Obama commercial.

McCain misses another major vote in Congress- even after discussing the importance of this bill infront of millions of people during the debate! John McCain- out of touch and out to lunch.

[K Gardner]

8. Earmarks ! Gulag !! Ima Mavrick, not Miss Congeniality !

[Motown_Johnny]

9. Losing a debate, attacking both ethanol subsidies and a democratically elected Pakistani government

can take it's toll on an old man

[TheKentuckian]

10. He'll probably try to chalk it as another spending bill he didn't vote for

He's such a hypocrite. Always talking about missing votes and playing politics.

I despise McHoover.

[AlCzervik]

11. kick so it doesn't die.

[spanone]

12. mcstunt...he's a fucking maverick....he don't need to do no steeenking voting

sumbitch

[ProSense]

13. Back in Town, but Not on Capitol Hill

Back in Town, but Not on Capitol Hill

By Elisabeth Bumiller

Updated | 5:01 p.m.: Where was John McCain? Not on Capitol Hill.

After interrupting his presidential campaign to come back to Washington on Thursday morning to try to push forward a $700 billion bailout deal, Mr. McCain remained in his condominium in Arlington, Va., until 12:30 p.m. Saturday, when he emerged and made a one-minute trip in his motorcade to his campaign headquarters around the corner.

Mr. McCain, who arrived home at 4 a.m. Saturday from the presidential debate in Oxford, Miss, could be seen in his car talking on his cell phone. But there was no word from his campaign on who he was talking to, or the extent of his involvement in ongoing negotiations.

By mid-afternoon, Mr. McCain’s closest adviser, Mark Salter, told reporters that Mr. McCain would not go to Capitol Hill on Saturday but would make phone calls to try to push the deal along. “He’s calling members on both sides, talking to people in the administration, helping out as he can,’’ Mr. Salter said.

Asked why Mr. McCain did not go to Capitol Hill after coming back to Washington to help with negotiations, Mr. Salter replied that “he can effectively do what he needs to do by phone.’’

more

He has nothing to do with the ongoing negotiations, but he's grandstanding on the issue. The business he's supposed to take care or, voting, is no where on his radar.

What friggin fraud.

[AlCzervik]

14. i posted it already, seemed to come up right after the wapo article.

[Christian30]

16. Obama should use this...