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Hypocritical: McCain Blasts Congress For Taking A Week Off

thinkprogress.org — This morning, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) appeared on MSNBC and blasted Congress for being lazy. He said that instead of taking a Fourth of July recess, senators should have stuck around and passed a housing bill. McCain now ranks as the #1 most absent senator of the 110th Congress, having missed 61.8 percent of the votes.

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  • Insightful, on 07/08/2008, -8/+48And what does the so-called mainstream "liberal" press say in reply? Nothing. Again they give McCain a free pass first on his abysmal Senate absence and second on his taking credit for Senator Webb's (D-Va) GI bill despite the fact that he opposed it and did not vote for it.
    • dk911, on 07/09/2008, -6/+0Uhhhh... do they happen to think that Senator McCain might have been campaigning?? Maybe kinda like Obama has been campaigning, and Hillary was campaining? That might account for some absences -- oh wait... McCain is a Republican so he's got to be wrong. Obama, on the other hand, is your Golden Child so he can't be wrong, or a hypocrite. Sorry, totally forgot the rules around here on Digg.
      • davdev, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I have to wonder why it is so hard to setup a way for Senators to vote while they are on the campaign trail. It doesn't seem like it would be so hard to do. All it does allow is for any Senator who is on the campaign trail to rattle off his mouth on a subject, but never have to truly take a stand and vote.
      • Yogitw, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3He has the worst record of the 110th congress. The 110th congressional session began last year. So for a year and a half he has the worst voting record, not for the last 6 months.
      • themonkman, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1It's not like Obama or Clinton, or any of the others that made it just past the primaries weren't campaigning also. The fact is that he's been the most absent senator of all of them, including the other campaigners. He's also had months to take things easier than he would've had not nearly every other Republican candidate short of Ron Paul and Huckabee not stuck in the fight for as long as they did.

        I understand having to take time off for things. I have to do it occasionally, too. Missing 61.8% of the senate votes is unacceptable, especially when we have so many important problems going on in this country right now. I guess that McCain took the saying "A Government who governs the least governs best" a little too literally. Think of how he'll be if he's president. Absent. Not there. I'll advised. Apathetic. I'm not promising my votes to anyone right now, but I'll tell you for sure that McCain won't be getting mine. He better earn every friggen tax dollar of mine that pays his salary before he gets my approval.
      • oneiroi, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2No, you're absolutely right. They've been campaigning. But whether or not they've been busy isn't the point of the article, the point is, how can McCain criticize them when he hasn't been doing his part? That's the hypocritical part.
    • dk911, on 07/09/2008, -3/+1Just went through the roll call, and here are the dates when neither senator was present... I checked each date to make sure there was a "Not Voting" for all motions. Now, of course, that doesn't mean they weren't there.

      Hrmmmmm, maybe they were campaigning:

      Jul 07
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 25
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 24
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 19
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 18
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 17
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 12
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 10
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 6
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 5
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

      Jun 2
      Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
      McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
  • PolishLogic, on 07/08/2008, -32/+18I love the fact that McCain is so irrationally hated, that they're now holding his campaign for President against him. Might as well hold Kennedy's recent poor attendance up for scrutiny too.

    I wonder how absent he was for the 110th Congress prior to his decision to run for President, or during his entire Senate career even. Considering this story is coming out now, as opposed to a year ago, I'd say there might be a small reason why he's been absent quite a bit lately.

    FTR: Obama ranks 3rd in worst attendance (41.8% missed and it's his first term on the job), and Clinton ranks 5th (31.7% missed).

    Buried as garbage.
    • Insightful, on 07/08/2008, -7/+23So you are not disputing the fact that McCain is the most absent Senator and is a hypocrite for blasting the Congress for taking a week off?

      McCain missed 50 votes and 68 votes in Q1 and Q2, that is a 59% and a whopping 99% miss rate. Obama miss rate in Q1 and Q2 is 37% and 87%.

      And since you are jerk that brought up Kennedy who has a cancerous brain tumor, Kennedy's miss rate is 4% and 41% in Q1 and Q2.

      And neither one of them are the hypocrites like McCain.
      • PolishLogic, on 07/08/2008, -20/+9"So you are not disputing the fact that McCain is the most absent Senator and is a hypocrite for blasting the Congress for taking a week off?"

        What is the point of this question? That's like asking if I dispute the fact that the Celtics won this year's NBA Championship. I don't recall disputing this fact about John McCain anywhere. I merely said I find it humorous that this site is bashing a guy for not attending, when he's running for President. I believe you'll find many Senators with horrid attendance ratings when running for President. You'll also find many Senators with nothing else going on in their lives, who still miss a significant amount of votes. Which is worse? I'd argue the latter is much more damning than missing work so you can campaign for President.

        "And since you are jerk that brought up Kennedy who has a cancerous brain tumor, Kennedy's miss rate is 4% and 41% in Q1 and Q2."

        Precisely my point. Nobody seems to be bashing Kennedy for missing time. Why? Because he's got a good reason to. Pardon me if I think that participating in the "job interview" that is a Presidential campaign trumps your attendance to the 110th "Do little" Congress. One man's attendance out of 100, or two men's attendance out of 100 isn't going to be greatly missed. Hate to break it to you. If I'm not mistaken there hasn't been a single vote that he missed, where the result would have been different had he been there instead of campaigning.

        "And neither one of them are the hypocrites like McCain."

        You're right, they quietly sat by and allowed this pathetic excuse for a group of legislators to do nothing again. They should be commended for their inactions. Congress probably does need a vacation after all that hard work of not yanking telecom immunity, extending the Patriot Act, not addressing the energy problems, or even after listening to Kucinich read articles of an impeachment that will never happen. You do realize we've been paying them for what has essentially been two years of passing non-binding resolutions of praise or condemnation, not doing a single thing to address an unpopular war that they hold the funding power for, etc., right?

        Although, now that I think about it, why would McCain rip Congress for doing the exact same thing they do every other week: not accomplishing a goddamn thing.

        Apparently you must feel that Congress is above criticism. Are you one of the 18% who feels they should not be criticized for the job their doing?
      • Insightful, on 07/08/2008, -5/+18No, I do not feel Congress is above criticism. In fact, I feel the opposite. This "do-nothing" Congress is only slightly better than the rubber stamping Republican Congress before that. Both sucks.

        I am very well aware that it is common for Presidential candidate Senators to miss their votes. What I despise is a hypocrite. If Obama calls out Congress for recessing, I'd criticize him as well but the fact is it is McCain who is the one living in the glass house and throwing the stone.
    • jgzman, on 07/09/2008, -2/+4I should point out that McCain (nor Obama, nor Hillary) is not getting paid a salary out of taxpayer money to run for President. He is getting paid to vote in the senate.

      Yes, I know he has to campaign as well, but you can't use running a campaign as an excuse for excessive absenteeism.
      • PolishLogic, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Here's a great solution (a couple actually). How about we pass legislation to disallow sitting Congressmen from running for President. Or, how about we cease paying them the moment they decide to enter a presidential campaign. Better yet, how about passing legislation that would force sitting Congressmen to give up his seat if they decide to campaign for president.

        Then we wouldn't have to bother with this trivial nonsense.
      • jgzman, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I would like to see a law forbidding campaigning until six months before the election for any elected position.
    • withears, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5>I love the fact that McCain is so irrationally hated,

      You misspelled "rationally."
    • richbleak, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1"PolishLogic" is a name that suits you well. We point out that it is ridiculous for someone who is consistently absent to criticize others for being absent. You actually think that it is a valid counter-point to mention that other people are also absent? No one is criticizing him for being absent, we are criticizing his ridiculous and unfair criticism.
      • PolishLogic, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2You actually think that calling Congress lazy is ridiculous and unfair criticism?

        Wow. I have nothing else to day but wow. I'm ***** shocked.
  • hawkeye17, on 07/08/2008, -8/+29Before this campaign is over McSame will kill his own campaign with his own big mouth. Trust me on this. He's a loose cannon just waiting to go off and eventually a camera will be on him when he does.
    • truthhurts28, on 07/09/2008, -8/+2Didn't you mean to say Obama? Mr. flip-flop himself?
      • theaceoffire, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Obama is a Mime compared to the oceans of crap flowing forth from his opponents.

        McCain not only flip-flops on what he said the first time he ran, he changes his mind almost weekly, depending on how it was received.
  • Stevanoski, on 07/08/2008, -18/+10Maki sure uses the word hypocritical alot. Wonder if he only looks at those who are Conservatives? Glass house make really tempting targets. Or maybe psychologist would say using the same term of derision over and over expresses a fear that you may be that term yourself?
    • rationalbeats, on 07/09/2008, -10/+9Hey ***** voting for McCain means you are an ignorant coward.

      ***** You pal.
  • knumbknuts, on 07/09/2008, -17/+6Yea, they should all have been "present."

    "present"

    Get it?
    • riseabove, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1wow, we're all outraged, and really care. have you heard he's also a muslim?
    • CrackyJSquirrel, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1You need to go to troll school.. That was epic fail..
  • Rocketman1882, on 07/09/2008, -7/+7Even though hypocritical, at least he's drawing attention to it.
  • DaDrake, on 07/09/2008, -20/+15And Obama only served a 158 days during his ENTIRE time in office (he been campaigning nearly non-stop for years).
    • pweegar, on 07/09/2008, -7/+6Now stop that!! You know how much the left wingers and demo-morons don't wan tthe truth to come out about how bad bama boy really is. And just imagine how much crap his "change" campaign is. He's the biggest hypocrtic there is. And this country doesn't need him or his bitch wife in the whitehouse.
    • truthhurts28, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2(he been campaigning nearly non-stop for years). ?
      He has not been around for years!
      Obama cant be there to vote because he does not know how he needs to vote.
      "If I vote in favor of, I will make this side angry, If I vote against, I will make that side angry," "Which side will get me more votes?" "I cant decide, geez!"
    • pintomp3, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5and mccain missed even more!
      http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/se ...
  • HeartlandUSA, on 07/09/2008, -1/+20Congress is still controlled by Republicans. You see even if the Dems in Congress pass a bill, Bush can veto it, then it goes back to Congress & they can only overturn the veto if the Republicans vote for it. Don't blame the problems that we have that were created by the Republicans on the Dems, because the Dems are powerless. But, if they get enough seats in Nov &/or the Executive Branch too, then things can happen to roll back some of this extreme right wing legislation. If they have the power & don't do that, then you can blame them to your heart's content.
    • billbugger, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4we can only blame ourselves. we elected them.
    • zacharytelschow, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1"Congress is still controlled by Republicans."

      Congress is controlled by Democrats. A Republican has veto power. You're an idiot.
      • Andrwmorph, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Even though the democrats have the majority in congress the president gets to choose whether or not anything they do matters
    • g00dETH3R, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2They can impeach him...

      There is no left/right anymore, they're both controlled by the corporations.
  • ericjohnson0, on 07/09/2008, -9/+2I wonder if this would qualify as hypocritical as well?

    http://thesaloon.net/blog/_archives/2008/7/8/37824 ...
  • HeartlandUSA, on 07/09/2008, -10/+38McCain Flip Flops - a long list

    Can you trust him?

    short list:

    McCain was against the repeal of Roe v. Wade before he was for it.
    McCain was against torture before he was for it. Really for it.
    McCain was against crazy right-wing preachers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson before he was for them.
    McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy before he was for them.
    McCain was against shady Bush “Pioneer” Texas billionaire swift-boat financiers before he was for them.
    McCain was for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law before he was against it and began breaking it.
    McCain was against Grover Norquist, whom he called “corrupt, a shill for dictators“ before he was for him.
    McCain was against BJU because of its “hateful,” “racist and cruel” policies before he was for it.
    McCain was against ethanol before he was for ethanol and then he was against it again.
    McCain was against a Martin Luther King holiday before he was for it. …


    McCain: I think that we must go back to the party platform of 1980 and 1984 - we include people who have specific disagreements who share our same goals. Ultimately, I would like to see the repeal of Roe v. Wade, but to do it immediately, I think, would condemn young women to dangerous and illegal operations.

    See, back in 1999, McCain was walking a tightrope by calling himself pro-life on a personal level while at the same time assuring pro-choice voters for pragmatic reasons that “in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade.” Yet, today, McCain says bluntly right on his website that “John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned.”



    It’s really hard to overstate the audacity of those in the media who tried to make Obama’s recent decision to opt out of public campaign financing out to be some colossal flip-flop without even mentioning the fact that McCain has now flip-flopped a gazillion times on almost every issue under the sun



    And that’s not all. There’s many many more. In fact, here’s an even longer list. McCain has reversed his former positions to fall more in line with the Bush administration so many times now it’s really hard to tell Bush and McCain apart (can you beat my 3 out of 5 on the first try?). It might actually be easier to list the issue(s) McCain hasn’t (yet) flip-flopped on, although I can’t think of a single one right offhand.



    full list:



    * McCain supported the drilling moratorium; now he’s against it.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic ...

    * McCain strongly opposes a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/18/mccains-o ...

    * McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1578 ...

    * McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1586 ...

    * McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/10/mccain-fl ...

    * McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1582 ...

    * He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion,he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1586 ...

    * McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.
    http://www.americablog.com/2008/06/now-mccain-is-f ...

    * McCain believes the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic ...

    * McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/may/28/mccain ... /

    * McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1561 ...

    * McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1555 ...

    * McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1556 ...

    * He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1557 ...

    * McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/20/mccains-9 ...

    * He wanted political support from radical televangelists like John Hagee and Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1563 ...

    * McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1569 ...

    *McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a“‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded.Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1476 ...

    * McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.
    http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/mc ...

    * McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1481 ...

    *In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1503 ...

    * McCain has changed his economic worldview on multiple occasions.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1533 ...

    * McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1537 ...

    * McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1535 ...

    * McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off than they were before Bush took office.
    http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/19/mccain-economy ... /

    * McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.
    http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/06/mccain-earmark /

    * McCain believes his endorsement from radical televangelist John Hagee was both a good and bad idea.
    http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/21/hagee-flip-flo ... /

    *McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting“irresponsibly.”His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1517 ...

    * McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/us/politics/16mc ...

    * In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/10/emtimeem- ...

    * McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.
    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/oct/31/mc ... /

    * McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. Now he’s against it.
    http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/oct/31/mc ... /

    * On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own legislation.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/1444 ...

    *In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving“feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9658 ...

    * McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”
    http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electionce ...

    *McCain said he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as“a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.”In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”
    http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/18/mccain-greates ... /

    * McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade http://mediamatters.org/items/200610310003 to saying the exact opposite.http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/19/mccain-abortio ... /

    * McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.
    http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/0 ...

    * McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/6988 ...

    * McCain used to oppose Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he reversed course in February.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/6731 ...

    * On a related note, he said 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and insisted he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/us/politics/03mc ...

    *In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
    http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1880630&pa ...

    * McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his name. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.
    http://www.nysun.com/national/campaign-finance-eff ... /

    * McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070115/pl_usnw/dnc_ ...

    * McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/8313 ...

    * McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15637887 /

    * McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
    http://mediamatters.org/items/200610310003

    * McCain decided in2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.
    http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/19/mccain-kissing ... /

    * McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and acorrupt shill for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began to reconcile with Norquist.
    http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/19/mccain-kissing ... /

    * McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White House demands.
    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individu ...

    * McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and won’t back the same provision he sponsored just a couple of years ago.
    http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/8066 ...

    * And now he’s both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.
    http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/19/mccain-abortio ... /

    The dreaded “flip-flop” is, according to the GOP, the latest cardinal sin for someone seeking national office !!!





    • stubarwick, on 07/09/2008, -3/+8that's a big post... seriously big
      • ZenMojo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2McCain's a big hypocrite... seriously big.
    • easypie, on 07/09/2008, -19/+4Thanks for the post. You confirm yourself as an *****.
    • pathouston22, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1So when are you going to post on Obama's flip-flops too?
      • SpookyPig, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4That wouldn't be nearly as impressive as researching McCain's. Obama maybe has 3-4 minor ones. McCain... well, as you see...
      • runCMD, on 07/09/2008, -4/+1SpookyPig - you apologist, you. Obama has fewer flip-flops ( though certainly more recently promised and flipped than McCains .. ) because he has the least exposure and certainly the least experience. You make an excellent Obama fan, though - I'll hand you that.

        The DIFFERENCE is that Obama has stated HE is DIFFERENT. and he has proven - to my dismay - that he is not. Obama is the same slime we've seen all along ... Problem is ... he's convinced enough of you that he isn't. Which will make for a very interesting race.

        Just like with Senator Clinton ... Obama is proving he has NO clear mandate for his big plans.
      • ZenMojo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2@runCMD

        Maverick? Hello?
    • conrail, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I wish I could digg this up twice
  • LukasSmith, on 07/09/2008, -14/+3These democrats are really digging hard for dirt on McCain. Apparently really hard to do since this is the best they can come up with. Criticizing him for something that their candidate is also guilty of. I mean really these people can't find much on McCain. Sad really. To think the candidate they love wants a clean campaign. Why must thinkprogress and huffingtonpost do Obama's dirty work?
    • kbowen327, on 07/09/2008, -2/+8Right quick I just wanna point out that you are correct...Obama has missed a lot of congressional sessions too. The big difference between the two guys is that Obama isn't calling the rest of Congress lazy. You can't expect us to overlook his absence when he calls every other Senator and Representative out for taking time off to see their families.

      Also, you have to admit that for a guy that is claiming to be an expert on the war in Iraq (and security issues) missing 7 votes on the Iraqi war is a little bit of a head scratcher. As president will he just decide that a vacation at Camp David is more important than a Peace Summit or a G8 meeting? His past attendance would suggest so...
    • bjornski, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7Digging hard?

      McCain serves these things up on a silver platter. There's no digging needed.

      And oh noes, I guess John better get his Truth Squad out to publicize how Obama needs external organizations to attack his opponent for him.
    • LukasSmith, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1The rest of congress isn't running for president. So yeah McCain can talk.
  • Brownds, on 07/09/2008, -3/+4Hey they needed a week off! It’s hard work caving in and breaking the promises that got you elected.
    • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Exactly. Sitting around and talking while having aids to research for you is really hard and requires constant breaks and absences.
    • SgtQuackers, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Obama?
  • homah, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5all the candidates from both parties have been missing a lot of votes. can we focus on the real issues please?
    • fafaforza, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1What's the point of looking at the issues. Digg has already chosen their candidate, and is doing everything in its power to discredit the one they dislike, truth and objectivity be damned.
  • easypie, on 07/09/2008, -14/+1Stop posting long comments assholes.
    • Kanele, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4can we post insulting comments?
    • teethandeyes, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Hey easypie. I just looked at your comment history.
      Do you realize that you use the word '*****' in almost every single one of your comments?
      You might want to consider investing in a dictionary or some other type of vocabulary expander.
      Do the long comments hurt your little brain?
    • pintomp3, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3too much reading hurts the neo-con brain.
  • cizzymac, on 07/09/2008, -4/+4Those in glass houses should not throw stones...
    It appears McCunt is a 4 year old trapped in a 72 year old body.
    Mommy needs to give him a spanking for throwing rocks in the house.
    ...ugh...now I'll never get that image out of my head.
    • FortyCaliber, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Which part? The spanking or the image of a 4 year old shoved up a 72 year-old's ass?
  • Corrosionx, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2All these politicians and their media lackeys need to walk off a cliff.
    You don't get to govern MY life assholes.
  • twoifbysea, on 07/09/2008, -6/+4Jesus, how much is too much anti-McCain 'news' each day?
    The Third Reich itself would be impressed with the amount of political propaganda 'heralded' here each day. What is Obama's attendance for votes? Oh wait... here comes another digg from Joseph Goebbels....
    • Corrosionx, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Goebbels could only have dreamed of such an efficient false two-party paradigm.
  • reaper527, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5"McCain now ranks as the #1 most absent senator of the 110th Congress, having missed 61.8 percent of the votes."

    i'm sure obama and clinton are numbers 2 and 3. all 3 of them essentially skipped out on their day job for the past year and a half to campaign on their presidential run. (as did all the other in office senators which ran for president and have dropped out already)
    • exscape, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Yup, almost correct.
      "According to the Washington Post, McCain has missed 367 votes during the 110th Congress, 61.4 percent of those held. Johnson has missed 311 votes, 52 percent of the total. In third place is Barack Obama, who has missed 259 votes -- 43.3 percent. Not surprisingly, the next four most absent senators (Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Sam Brownback) also ran for president this year."
      • drunkmonkey01, on 07/09/2008, -0/+161.4 > 43.3
      • exscape, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Yes, it is... What, am I defending McCain or something? I pretty much hate the guy, but the fact is that Obama isn't too far away on the list of most missed votes. 'Tis not the best argument against McCain.
      • reaper527, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1"61.4 > 43.3"

        tell your boss that you are going to skip work 43.3% of the days you are supposed to be there, while still collecting 160k/year. something tells me you'll be out of a job.
  • FortyCaliber, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I still am appalled that these people are even allowed to miss congressional work. Tax payers pay their salaries to NOT go to work!
    Them not working is like a breach of contract between them and their representatives.
    Some things about California's recall system I like.
    • Barackalypse, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I wish they'd all not show up, that would stop the government from enacting more unConstitutional laws.
  • curtisag, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3Buried for obvious bias. What is Clinton's and Obama's track record recently?
  • pathouston22, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0Why did this just disappear from the main page?
  • jdelator, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Its on the front page and I digged it like 3 days ago. I wasnt able to digg it this time around since I already digged it. This looks like a bug.
  • Texadian, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Okay can someone explain to me why people keep saying DIGG has chosen a Candidate? I was under the impression that it was a broad range of people who support/like the stories that get them more diggs. If people are digging the good stories about Obama and the bad stories about McKain then does't that just mean the majority of the people here agree with those things and or find the entertainment value in them. Trying to be really serious here to I have only been using DIGG for a short time so I have no clue!
  • billbugger, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1http://www.theseminal.com/2008/07/08/the-constitut ...
  • RomanThommassen, on 07/09/2008, -4/+1http://digg.com/people/An_Open_Letter_to_Kevin_Ros ...

    KEVIND ROSE IS CENSORING DIGG, PLEASE KILL THE ***** KTHXBYE
  • itstodd, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2right or wrong, anything negative said about the congress has a very good chance of being true
  • pintomp3, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2mccain: obama sucks. he's almost as bad as me!
  • TsuruchiBrian, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2Take it easy on John McCain. He is an old man. He can't do all the stuff he could when he was young. He needs to rest. He just needs to take it easy, relax, and enjoy his golden years.

    OH WAIT! He wants to be president?! How's that gonna work?!
  • aookay, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Oh he was there, they just didn't count him because he was sleeping.
  • GrodyChamp, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1I think he's been up to something. Running for president maybe? And I'm sure Obama is #2. Pointless propaganda.
  • VoodooPunk, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1He's absolutely right. Congress is lazy. They're also completely incompetent. McCain's mistake was suggesting that he is any different than the rest of lazy and incompetent in Congress.
    • drunkmonkey01, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1thanks for the summary
      • VoodooPunk, on 07/17/2008, -0/+1Always happy to make the point as clear as possible for the liberals out there that have the attention span of a goldfish.
  • Barackalypse, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1You can tell the libertarians I guess, we're the ones who are happy when people like McCain, Obama (#3 on that list), and Clinton (#4) miss votes. Based on their records I can't imagine why you'd want them around and voting.
  • ftx437, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2ok so maybe obama was there a little more then mccain..but in his short time in office he's already voted 130 times 'present'. How is that any differant as not being there?? Obama is actually in the building and yet dose nothing..If im not going to do anything at work i usaly just stay home
  • zacharytelschow, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1What is the combined percentage of votes on which Obama was absent or voted present?
  • SpartanErik, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Leave it to the liberal media to take it out of context.. McCain wasn't present because he had been campaigning!

    He is right, Congress does need to get in shape and actually work.
    How about we protest their rulings on increasing their own pay?

    Revolution anyone?
  • Jmn187, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1whatever send McCain back to the elderly home!
  • Brennan612, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0I'm not a McCain fan particularly, but lets be fair here. He's campaigning for president. Hillary and Obama have both been absent a lot during the campaign season - so has every candidate for the past 50 years. This is a non-issue.
  •  

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