UPDATE: Joe Scarborough is mocking Barack Obama on his morning show today. He keeps asking 'What has Obama done?' Hillary asked the same question and we see how that worked for her. Anyhow, I thought it would be good to reprise this message originally posted in Feb 2008.
Team Clinton theme since they lost the Potomac Primaries is to denigrate Barack Obama as a candidate with "speeches, not solutions". The basic theme is that he is a brother that is articulate and speaks well ... (dayum, I hate when white folks give that particular praise) ... but, no action to back it up. They call Obama a 'hope-monger' (NOTE: doesn't that seem better than being a 'hate-monger'?)
We received drumbeats From My Brown-Eyed View with some telling information on the legislative record of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Lady Deborah noted that during the first eight (8) years of Obama's elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. These included:
We received drumbeats From My Brown-Eyed View with some telling information on the legislative record of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Lady Deborah noted that during the first eight (8) years of Obama's elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. These included:
- 233 regarding healthcare reform
- 125 on poverty and public assistance
- 112 crime fighting bills
- 97 economic bills
- 60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills
- 21 ethics reform bills
- 15 gun control
- 6 veterans affairs
His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These included:
- The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006
- The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act
- The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act
- The 2007 Government Ethics Bill
- The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill
So, let's add it up ... since entering the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096. This seems like an impressive record. Of course, it's so much easier to denigrate the brother for being 'All hat and no cattle than to simply look up his legislative record.
In my view, Obama is a doer and a talker and a motivator. In my view, he is just what our nation needs to follow the bumbling, stumbling, inarticulate presidency of George W. Bush. What say u?
I'm still racking my mind trying to figure out what the Clintons were thinking staking everything on Ohio and Texas. Three words: Giuliani in Florida.
ReplyDeleteThey're way too smart to let themselves fall into that trap, essentially skipping 8 states to pin everything on two big ones.
I agree with Woozie (is that an oxymoron?)...what are they thinking?
ReplyDeleteFirst, they skip all the small states and just campaign in the larger and allow Barack to sweep...then HRC campaigns only in Ohio & Texas, showing up in Wisconsin for a day (or two) and has the nerve to call Obama out about debating her when (1) they have 2 debates scheduled and (2) he's been in Wisconsin speaking with people for 4-5 days? What the hell? (excuse my language) She has no one to blame but herself and her faulty staff...
It just doesn't make any sense...it's like she's trying to lose or she has REAL bad advisors working for her...it seems to me that even if she wins Ohio or Texas, she's still behind...I just don't see her winning either...I think she's done (or maybe I just hope so) (hope, now there's a word)...
My opinion... HRC is skeered.... and she has every right to be...all I can say is
ReplyDeleteGO OBAMA GO!!!!!
Woozie & Marvalus - The answer is simple ... they were arrogant and thought that the Super Tuesday contests would knock-out Obama. As such, they didn't bother having a plan for the Wednesday after Super Tuesday. No plan = 10 straight losses. Obama has won 23 states to 10 states for Clinton. Clinton fired her campaign manager. Clinton fired her deputy campaign manager. Clinton may want to fire her speechwriter ... she's boring and ungracious as she never congratulates Obama on victory...
ReplyDeleteDixie - You & Field inspired the new Village Movie today (smile)...
I never knew this. Good food for though Villager :)
ReplyDeleteDeidra - It's tiresome to hear folks talk about his inexperience...
ReplyDeleteHillary Clinton's gamble on taking Ohio, Texas and PA will go down in campaign history, alongside Rudy Giuliani's gamble in Florida, as the biggest blunders. I think the Clintons were too arrogant to assume that they had the black and Hispanic vote come hell or high water. The results of the primaries are a stinging reminder that nothing is promised to anyone. You have got to work hard for what you want. I have got to give Obama props, the brother has worked his tail off in more ways than one. Team Clinton assumed that her victory was a foregone conclusion, when in fact, it was just an illusion.
ReplyDeleteJanet - I think that we see some of Barack Obama's experience as a community organizer in the strength of his ground game in all of these caucuses and primaries. He was prepared for a 50-state ground war. Team Clinton thought that they would be inevitable and would win by Super Tuesday. She lost her bet...
ReplyDeleteObama has an awesome work record and a truckload of legislative experience. Plus, he is not afraid to go against the grain in the Senate or go up against Corporate America. This is why this brother needs our help.
ReplyDeleteEddie - My hope is that the Obama campaign surrogates will be better prepared to answer the trick questions that come from folks like Chris Matthews. Did you see the Texas state senator get bumrushed by Matthews last night on MSNBC?
ReplyDeleteI think its cool to question his record, as we should question and hold all politicians accountable.
ReplyDeleteWhen we fail to do that, the people who they're supposed to represent, gets lost in the mix.
And lets be honest, "Barry O" is new and he has alot to prove to the American populace. This is the real reason he's being questioned like he is.
Well...
that plus the fact that white America is still not convinced.
RiPPa - I feel ya'. At the end of the day this election is about whether or not America wants to take a chance on a new (change) director with Obama or if they want ol' school politics with McCain...
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm looking that this will be a landslide election for Obama...
I have no problem with questioning Obama's_or any politician's_record.
ReplyDeleteAmerica's current state clearly shows the utter and complete failureS of a nation, where most of its citizens continually FAIL to do just that_question the policies and politics of political candidates.
The fact that Barack has "sponsored" and "co-sponsored" over 1000 Bill, combined is impressive. But I've still got questions about him.
For example:
I've been trying to find out just how many of those Bills have become "Law"_? I'd really like to know!
And why didn't Barack make more of an effort to work across "Party" lines PRIOR to him running for President?
John McBush has some serious, SERIOUS, "issues" which, IMO, makes the man barely "acceptable" as a U.S. Senator_but totally UNacceptable as President! That said, McBush has a history of working across Party lines and unless I'm mistaken(?), at least one of his Bills have become "Law."
Barack's got my vote...but I've still got questions about him _and the past 8 years have taught me to GET INFORMED_ask_and seek out answers to_whatever questions I may have about a candidate!
Truthiz - Excellent points. I imagine that you can research how many of the bills went into law via the Internet. I don't have that information on my 'puter at this point...
ReplyDeleteJust call me a "Geek" Villager_lol!
ReplyDeleteMy research, thus far, has yielded the following:
As per the Library of Congress, 3 of Barack’s Bills have become “Law.”_and 1 enhances a Bill initially sponsored by Senators Lugar and Nunn in the early 1990s (prior to Nunn's retiring).
Bill #1:
S. 3757: A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 950 Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois, as the "Katherine Dunham Post Office Building."
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 7/27/2006) Cosponsor- Sen. Durbin.
Source: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-3757
#2:_S. 2125: Promotes relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 12/16/2005) Cosponsors (12)
Source: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-2125
#3: The Lugar-Obama proliferation and threat reduction initiative_Sponsors: Senators Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), signed into Law, 1-11-07.
First introduced in November 2005 and enacted in 2007, the Lugar-Obama initiative enhances U.S. efforts to destroy conventional weapons stockpiles and to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction throughout the world.
“The Lugar-Obama initiative will help other nations find and eliminate conventional weapons that have been used against our own soldiers in Iraq and sought by terrorists all over the world,” said Obama.
“The Nunn-Lugar program has effectively disposed of thousands of weapons of mass destruction, but we must do far more to keep deadly conventional weapons like anti-aircraft missiles out of the hands of terrorists.”
Source: http://obama.senate.gov/press/061211-lugar-obama_bil_1/
Truthiz - Thank you for sharing results of your research with us! To be honest, I'm in support of Barack because of his personal biography and his ability to inspire us as a nation to be better and do more. We need a leader that we can believe in ... one that will uplift us by his words and deeds. Everything that I've observed about the way that Obama runs his campaign is a good indicator to me about how he will run his White House.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, we aren't electing a legislator ... we are electing a POTUS. I'd prefer a leader rather than another Bush. I'd prefer a person with good character rather than another Clinton...
Let us not forget that McCain graduated 894 out of 898 people in his Naval Academy class.
ReplyDeleteSo he REALLY is just like Bush itellectually
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ReplyDeleteMonica - Are you serious? I never heard that McCain graduated so low in his Naval class. I give him props for graduating ... but 894-out-of-898? Wow....
ReplyDelete