Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

The Obama voting record - another view

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010) Donate to DU
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:30 PM
Original message
The Obama voting record - another view
(from Kucinich For President website)

http://kucinich.us/node/2192


1/06/05: This was the opportunity for Senators to stand up for democracy and honest elections. Roll Call 1. Obama voted for Bush’s Ohio electors.

1/26/05: This was the vote on confirmation of Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State, the woman largely responsible for 9/11 and for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in unnecessary wars. Obama voted to confirm Rice. Roll call 2

2/01/05: This was the day where all Senators (including Obama) were part of a unanimous consent agreement not to filibuster the nomination of a lawless torturer (Alberto Gonzales) as chief law enforcement officer of the United States (U.S. Attorney General). No roll call. Unanimous Consent for cloture.

2/10/05: This was the vote for an act (The Class Action (Extreme Un)Fairness Act of 2005) that makes it much more difficult for victims to seek and obtain damages in a class action suit filed against a wrongdoer who has harmed multiple victims. Obama voted for this. Roll call 9. S. 5

2/15/05: This was the vote to confirm Michael Chertoff, a proponent of water-board torture, an individual connected to the financing of 9/11 and the man behind the round-up of thousands of people of Middle-Eastern descent following 9/11. By confirming him the Senate, in effect, endorsed terrorist attacks on America, water-board torture and racism. Obama voted to confirm Michael Cheftoff. Roll call 10

4/21/05A: This was the roll call vote which subjected American children to the possibility of being killed by death squads here in the United States. In Central America, John Negroponte was connected to death squads that murdered nuns and children in sizable quantities. Instead of prosecuting him for these deaths, 98 Senators rewarded him by making him National Intelligence Director. On 4/17/05, the California Democratic Party unanimously passed a resolution discussing the death squads and calling on senators to reject the nomination of John Negroponte. Obama voted to confirm Negroponte. Roll call 107

4/21/05B: This was HR 1268, the appropriations bill which took funds away from veterans injured in Iraq and from education, heath care and services for children, the elderly and the needy in America and gave approximately $81 billion dollars to war-profiteers who were profiting from death. Obama voted for this. Roll call 109

6/14/05: This was the confirmation vote on Thomas B. Griffith to a lifetime appointment as a justice on the DC Circuit, a court often used as a stepping stone for the U.S. Supreme Court. Griffith, who is not licensed to practice law in Utah (his home state), believes that equal opportunity for women violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Obama voted to confirm. Roll call 136

6/23/05: This was the cloture vote on HR 6, a sellout of the environment to the nuclear, coal and automotive industries. The emphasis on nuclear and coal facilities could leave the United States a radioactive, mercury-ridden deserted land. A couple hundred million or more children and adults could be killed by nuclear meltdowns and/or mercury poisoning. The bill sells out to those who want to make inefficient cars and thereby will continue to subject millions of Americans to the risk of death and serious health conditions, aside from the risks of mercury-poisoning and radiation-poisoning. Obama voted for this. Roll call 152

6/28/05: This was the vote to pass HR 6, a sellout of the environment to the nuclear, coal-burning and automotive industries. The emphasis on nuclear and coal facilities could leave the United States a radioactive, mercury-ridden deserted land. A couple hundred million or more children and adults could be killed by nuclear meltdowns and/or mercury poisoning. The bill sells out to those who want to make inefficient cars and thereby will continue to subject millions of Americans to the risk of death and serious health conditions, aside from the risks of mercury-poisoning and radiation-poisoning. Obama voted for this. Roll call 158

7/01/05: This was the vote on H.R. 2419. The last vote before passage was a vote to reject an amendment to prohibit the use of funds for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator and instead utilize the amount to reduce the National Debt This has billions in funding for nuclear weapons activities. It contains full funding for Yucca Mountain, a project designed to make California a radioactive wasteland, to irradiate the Colorado River and to make much of the nation's food supply dangerously radioactive. It also uses billions of taxpayers dollars to fund nuclear weapons activities. This is perhaps the coldest, most inhuman bill voted upon this year. Obama voted for this. Roll call 172 HR2419

7/20/05: Roll Call196 was a vote to prevent funds from being made available to provide assistance to a country which has refused to extradite certain individuals to the United States. The main reason for the refusal of countries to extradite to the United States is that they have a moral objection to the use, by the United States, of the death penalty, an inhumane practice which has been banned throughout most of the world's nations. This, in effect, refuses aid to nations who work to preserve life and act on conscience and provides aid for those nations which lack a stand for humanity and conscience. Obama voted for this roll call. S. Amdt 1271 to HR 3057.

7/29/05A: This was the approval of the conference report on the Energy Bill, which is a boon to Halliburton while subjecting Americans to the risk of exposure to lethal levels of radiation and mercury poisoning. Obama supported this. HR 6 Roll call 213

9/15/05: This was the Dorgan Amendment to the appropriations for science, state, justice and commerce. The amendment attempted to stop the use of appropriated funding for low-cost foreign laboring violation of labor laws to rebuild New Orleans. The amendment failed, and this failure stabbed American workers in the back and further damaged laborers hurt by the loss of their homes and businesses in New Orleans. Obama voted against this one. Roll call 232. S Amdt 1665 to HR 2862.

9/26/05 & 9/28/05: Every Senator had an opportunity to place a hold on the nomination of John Roberts, a supporter of permanent detention of Americans without trial and of the treatment (torture) and plans (at best, military tribunals only) for Guantanamo detainees. John Roberts's wife works for Operation Rescue, an organization that uses extreme measures (including violence) to oppose women's doctors. John Roberts has questioned the Constitutionality of the Violence Against Women Act and of the Endangered Species Act. He has also expressed opposition to equal pay for women. He was responsible for a plan to disenfranchise tens of thousands of African-Americans in Florida in 2000. He was a personal pick of Pat Robertson, a man who has called for the assassination of the first world leader (of all world leaders, including our own) to offer aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In his confirmation hearings, he refused to say whether he would uphold legislation that overrode a presidential veto. Everything goes to the floor by unanimous consent agreements. No Senator was willing to do what it took to block the nomination of Roberts despite the opposition of over 80% of the American public to the Roberts nomination. Business as usual meant more to each Senator than fighting for the lives and interests of the American people. .All 100 Senators who failed to do anything to block the nomination from reaching the floor were docked with a strike. On 9/28/05 NOT ONE Senator stood against a unanimous consent agreement providing for a vote on 9/29.

10/07/05: This was the vote on HR2863, which appropriated $50 billion in new money for more killing of more innocent people in Iraq. Roll call 254. Obama voted for this.

10/27/05A: This was the confirmation of Susan Blake Neilson for the Sixth Circuit. She has a history of being a judicial activist against plaintiffs in civil rights, employment, personal injury and government negligence cases and a tendency to dismiss claims that present triable issues of fact. Both of her state Senators felt she was extreme enough that they blue-slipped her. Obama voted to confirm her. Roll call 277

10/27/05B: HR 3010 slashes funding for health care, eduction and other programs., such as those to help the uninsured. Obama voted for cloture. Roll calls 275 and 281

11/14/05: Roll Call 321 was the vote on the Conference Report on the Nuclear Bill (HR 2419). As the House had already approved the Conference Report, this was the last opportunity for anyone in Congress to say "no" to this disastrous bill which threatens California's water and food supply and provides billions of dollars for the kind of nuclear weapons activities we are opposing in Iran. Obama voted for this.

11/15/05B: Roll call 326 was the vote on the Defense Authorization Act (S1042) which overall does a lot more harm in keeping the war and the war profiteering alive, restricting the right of habeas corpus and encouraging terrorism. It also wastes money on war and takes it from needed programs to benefit others and gives it to contractors who waste the money and make it disappear. Obama voted for this.

12/21/05: This was the Conference Report on the Defense Appropriations Act (HR 2863), which further encourages wars and killing for profit. Roll call 366

2/2/06B: This was the vote to extend the USA-PATRIOT's attack on the Constitution for five weeks to allow Congress time to kill put together the support to gut our rights altogether. This gave the opponents of freedom a new opportunity to continue the attack on Americans until a more objectionable version of the PATRIOT Act could be pushed through. Obama voted for this. Roll call 11

2/16/06: This was the cloture vote on "USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006," S2271. The USA PATRIOT Act still contains the most objectionable provisions from 2001 and a new provision which seriously violates the rights and endangered the health of cold, allergy and flu sufferers. This vote brings the Patriot Act dangerously close to passage while misleading the public. The government can still get your library records and do all the other really bad stuff that was in the original Patriot Act. This allowed the next item to come to the floor. By voting for cloture, they took it one step closer to passage. Obama voted for this. Roll call 22

3/1/06A: This was the vote to actually pass S2271, the USA PATARIOT Act. Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006. This worked to make USA-PATRIOT worse. Obama voted for this. Roll call 25

3/1/06B: This was the cloture vote on the USA-PATRIOT Act (HR 3199), Conference Report, itself. This was the last real chance to stop the Act. It was known that there would not be enough votes to stop the act and so stopping cloture was the most important issue. Any who voted against the bill who did not vote against cloture will get an F for Fraud after both scores. Obama voted for this. Roll call 28

3/2/06: This was the vote on the conference report of on USA-PATRIOT, itself, made worse than the original by changes that removed more freedom from the American people and gave more power to agencies trying to deprive Americans of their Constitutional Rights and making most of the most intrusive provisions permanent. This was the last chance to stop USA-PATRIOT. Obama voted for this. Roll call 29.

3/27/06: This was the vote to confirm pro-nuclear war profiteer Dennis Spurgeon as Assistant Secretary of Energy. Spurgeon's appointment will likely lead to Chrnobyl's in the U.S. and to more wars. Obama voted to confirm. Roll call 76.

5/2/06: This was the vote on the cloture motion on HR 4939, the emergency funding to war profiteers. Roll call 103.

5/4/06: This was the vote on HR4939, the emergency funding to profiteers from death. HR 112.

5/8/06A: This was the cloture vote on S. 22, the Legalize Medical Murder by Capping the Malpractice Damages Bill Obama didn’t bother to show to vote though the Congressional record shows he was present that day. Roll call 115

5/16/06A: This was the vote on the confirmation of Milan D. Smith to the 9th CircuitThe appointment is part of an Bush’s effort to turn the 9th Circuit from moderate to extreme right wing by adding justices unreceptive to the Circuit. This directly damages the chances of getting a fair trial on the West Coast. Obama voted to confirm. Roll call 120

5/25/06A: This was the passage of S 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. It was not as bad as HR 4437 and therefore most extremists felt it was not extreme enough. However, it still was not as good as no bill at all or one fair to immigrants. Though the Democrats may have thought they were avoiding a worse bill in voting for a moderately bad bill, they had the power to stop all bills that made the treatment of immigrants worse than the status quo. Obama voted for this. Roll call 157.

5/25/06B: Roll call 158 was the vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to be a justice on the D.C.Circuit, placing him in line for a future Supreme Court nomination. The trouble is that he is another right-wing extremist who will undercut human rights on the cases he judges. Obama voted to confirm.

5/26/06C: Roll Call 161 was the vote on the cloture motion to allow anti-environmentalist Dirk Kempthorne to be Secretary of the Interior, a move that could result in the extinction of species of lives and destroy the natural areas of the United States, resulting in more divesting climate change and the toxifying of America. Obama voted to confirm.

6/13/06: This was the vote to commend the armed services for a bombing that killed innocent people and children and reportedly resulted in the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a person unlikely ever to have existed and who was reported killed three times previously. Michael Berg, whose son was reportedly killed by al-Zarqawi, condemned the attack and expressed sorrow over the innocent people and children killed in the bombing. Obama voted to commend the massacre. Roll call 168

6/15/06A: Roll Call 171 was the vote on the conference report on HR4939, a bill that gives warmongers more money to continue the killing and massacre of innocent people in Iraq and allows profiteers to collect more money for scamming the people of New Orleans. Obama voted for the conference report.

6/15/06C: Roll Call 174 was a motion to table a proposed to the National Defense Authorization Act amendment (S Amdt 4269 to S. Amdt 4265 to S2766). The amendment tabled by the vote would have required the withdrawal of US. Armed Foceces from Iraq and would have urged the convening of an Iraq summit. Obama voted to table the withdrawal.

6/19/06: Roll call 175 was the vote to confirm Sandra Segal Ikutu, another opponent of human rights, to the 9th Circuit. Obama once again voted to support Bush’s stacking of the 9th Circuit in a seeming effort to turn the 9th circuit from moderate to right-wing.

6/22/06A: Roll Call 181 was the vote on the Kerry Amendment (S. Amdt 4442 to S 2766) to the National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment, which was rejected, would have brought our trrops home, ended the fighting and forced the Iraqi people to take charge of their security. Obama voted against the Kerry Amendment for withdrawal of troops.

6/22/06B: Roll Call 183 was the cloture vote on (the last effective chance to stop) the National Defense Authorization Act (S 2766), which provided massive amounts of funding to defense contractors to continue the killing in Iraq. Obama voted for cloture

6/22/06C: Roll Call 186 was the vote to pass the Nationial Defense Authorization Act (S 2766) continued war funding. Obama voted for the NDAA.

6/29/06: This was the passage of the United States - Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (S. 3569) to give American jobs to foreign child slave laborers and to eliminate environmental protections and help bring about the destruction of the planet. Roll call 190

8/2/06: This was the $1.8 billion in funding for a fence along the Mexican border to satisfy a group of racists. Obama voted for this. Roll call 220

8/3/06C: Roll Call 230 was the passage of HR4 the Pension Destruction Act. Obama voted for this.

9/5/06: Roll Call 231 was the approval of right-wing, anti-human rights judge Kimberly Ann Moore to be a Circuit Judge. Obama didn’t bother to vote.

9/7/06: Roll Call 239 was provide more funding to continue the war in Iraq (H.R. 5631). Obama voted for this.

9/19/06: Roll Call 250 was the passage of the United States-Oman Cut Jobs for American Workers and Send them to India Trade Implementation Act (H.R. 5684). This and similar bills perpetuate the use of child slave labor and the undercutting of the environment while sending US jobs to foreign low-cost labor. Obama voted for this.

9/29/06A: Roll Call 261 was the vote to agree to the conference reported for appropriations for war, HR 5631. Obama voted for this.

11/16/06: Roll Call 270 was the passage of HR 5682, a bill to exempt the United States-India Nuclear Proliferation Act from requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Obama voted for this.

12/06/06: Roll Call 272 was the vote to confirm pro-war Robert M. Gates to be Secretary of Defense. Gates is part of the pro-war regime. Obama voted for him.

12/07/06: Roll Call 273 was cloture on the confirmation of Andrew Von Eschenbach to be Commissioner of the FDA. The problem with Eschenbach is that (like Crawford) he favors lower standards for food, which will endanger the lives of millions of Americans. He supports putting unsafe foods into markets without labeling. Obama voted for cloture and confirmation (Roll Call 274).

12/8/06: In Roll Calls 275 and 276, Obama voted for cloture and confirmation of another of Bush’s right wing Circuit Court nominees, Kent A. Jordan


Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
WCGreen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:32 PM
Response to Original message
1. So are you saying he is only with us when he can be....
Not when it counts...

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:38 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Perhaps
Media creations can often mislead.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
liberalpragmatist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:42 PM
Response to Original message
3. You know, I'm not running for president
Frankly, I have no problem with some of his confirmation votes; by your attitude, a senator should refuse to confirm ANY of Bush's nominees.

I don't agree with all of these votes. But I'm not running for president. If I want a candidate who votes the way I want on every issue, I'd have nobody but myself to vote for. There are plenty of good reasons not to pick Obama in the primary. Cherry-picking votes that miss the forest for the trees isn't really my style.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:54 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. I copied his voting record from the Kucinich For President website
No one is telling anyone how to vote.

His votes are what they are.

You are free to make your own choice, and rationalize however you wish.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Dean Martin Donating Member (426 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:58 PM
Response to Reply #6
10. If that was from Kucinich's site
Then I definitely will not vote for Kucinich because it proves to me Kucinich is dishonest.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
illinoisprogressive Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:43 PM
Response to Original message
4. here is Obama's real voting record from Senate database:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
rinsd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:59 PM
Response to Reply #4
13. The list provided is from a Kucinich supporter with their own comments.(nt)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Dean Martin Donating Member (426 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:51 PM
Response to Original message
5. Give us....
Edited on Mon Jan-22-07 08:54 PM by Dean Martin
The voting records for all of the roll calls listed here for each and every other candidate for the Dems who wants to throw their hat into the Presidential ring also please. I have a funny feeling that won't be forthcoming.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:55 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. Nah, do your own homework
Edited on Mon Jan-22-07 08:58 PM by DancingBear
:)

If you think I actually have a preference for the gang of enablers that are currently (or will be) running, you are lost in the woods...
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Dean Martin Donating Member (426 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:56 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. Well for one thing I just looked at the HONEST Obama record
from the link IllinoisP provided.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
illinoisprogressive Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:55 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. I think you are right about that dino
Edited on Mon Jan-22-07 08:56 PM by illinoisprogressive
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
rinsd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:58 PM
Response to Original message
11. Why is Kucinich attacking Obama!
"This is not necessarily complete. It includes votes where Obama was not interested in what the American people want. If anything important is omitted, please make note of it. Obama is a complete hypocrite and the only way to prove it is to show that his voting record doesn't match what he says."
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:00 PM
Response to Reply #11
15. Perhaps, to quote an old saying,
because there is no 'there' there??

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
rinsd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:02 PM
Response to Reply #15
17. Just making a joke about the current vibe on DU, DB (nt)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:49 PM
Response to Reply #17
20. Got'cha
:)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
high density Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:07 PM
Response to Reply #11
18. Looks like a Kucinich supporter is attacking Obama
on the site's forums... I'd say Kucinich's site design needs to make user-contributed information much more obvious.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
rinsd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:08 PM
Response to Reply #18
19. I would agree there
"I'd say Kucinich's site design needs to make user-contributed information much more obvious."

You can just barely make out who the author was(at least on my 'puter)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Connie_Corleone Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:58 PM
Response to Original message
12. Look long enough and you'll find votes from every candidate,
Edited on Mon Jan-22-07 09:01 PM by Connie_Corleone
who is presently in the senate, that you don't agree with.

I must say that I'm kind of shocked that this is on Kucinich's website, it doesn't matter if he didn't write it. I have to assume he approves of calling fellow Dems hypocrites if it's on his website.



Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Superman Returns Donating Member (804 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 08:59 PM
Response to Original message
14. damn Obama!
he is actually reasonable! We need a liberal ideologue instead!

:sarcasm:


Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
rinsd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:02 PM
Response to Original message
16. Oppo teams are gonna have a field day with that site. (nt)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 09:55 PM
Response to Original message
21. What a slanted, dishonest piece of shit that list is. Kucinich should be ashamed.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DancingBear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 10:16 PM
Response to Reply #21
22. You seem upset
Could you tell me which of those statements on how Obama voted are incorrect?

Or, better yet, prepare a list that shows all the progressive bills that Obama voted for, or the regressive ones that he opposed.

That would balance it out, don't you think?

I'd be interested in seeing what "good" things offset continually approving funds for an illegal war (for example) - but hey, that's just me.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
NYCGirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Jan-22-07 10:20 PM
Response to Reply #22
23. If you want to get down and wallow in that slime pit — go ahead. It's your
Edited on Mon Jan-22-07 10:24 PM by NYCGirl
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Mon Apr 29th 2024, 12:49 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC