From The Fix, Washington Post, 4/1/07

"...Barack Obama of Illinois had the most liberal voting record in 2006. He was more liberal than 86 percent of the Senate. Chris Dodd of Connecticut was close behind - achieving a mark of 84 percent more liberal. Joe Biden of Delaware rated 77.5 percent. Hillary Clinton of New York had the lowest overall liberal score in 2006, clocking in 70.2 percent.

While it's somewhat irrelevant to look at Obama's lifetime liberal rating since he only has two years under his congressional belt, the long view provides interesting context for Clinton, Dodd and Biden. Of the trio, Dodd ranks highest at 79.2 percent. Clinton follows him closely with a score of 78.8 percent during her first six years in the Senate. Biden has a lifetime liberal rating of 76.8 percent. Those ratings suggest the premise that Clinton is too moderate/conservative to win the Democratic presidential nomination may be false. She has, however, grown more moderate during her tenure as senator. Her highest liberal rankings came in 2002 and 2003, while her lowest came in 2006.

Clinton's liberal streak is most evident on social votes where her 80 percent score in 2006 ranks only behind Dodd's 93 percent. She ranks least liberal among the four Democratic senators running for president on economic (63 percent) and foreign (62 percent) issues..."

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Obama's Liberal Voting Record In Illinois

BUDGET & TAXES

- Voted to raise the minimum wage in Illinois from $5.15 an hour to $6.50 an hour over two years. (2003)

- Helped pass a 5 percent earned-income tax credit for low-income working families in 2000; made the credit permanent in 2003.

- Voted to end $300 million worth of tax breaks for businesses. (2004)

- Voted against making permanent the repeal of the state's 5 percent sales tax on gasoline. (2000)

HEALTH CARE

- Voted for having Illinois endorse embryonic stem cell research. (2004)

- Successfully sponsored the Health Care Justice Act, a study of ways to implement a universal health care system statewide. (2004)

- Voted against restrictions on public funding of abortion. (2000)

- Successfully co-sponsored a prescription drug discount buying club program for seniors and the disabled. (2003)

CRIME & GUN CONTROL

- Voted against letting people argue self-defense in court if charged with violating local weapons bans by using a gun in their home. (2004)

- Voted to let retired police and military police carry concealed weapons. (2004)

- Successfully sponsored requirement that law enforcement videotape interrogations of suspects in some serious crimes. (2003)

- Successfully sponsored law enforcement study of the race of people pulled over for traffic tickets. (2003)

- Helped pass an overhaul of the state's troubled death penalty system. (2003)

- Unsuccessfully sponsored measure to expunge some criminal records and create an employment grant program for ex-criminals. (2002)

- Unsuccessfully sponsored limit of one handgun purchase per month. (2000)

- Voted against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they kill someone to help their gang. (2001)

MISCELLANEOUS

- Unsuccessfully co-sponsored ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation. The measure became law after Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate. (2003)

- Successfully sponsored move to shield Illinois workers from federal rules that threatened overtime pay for some employees.

- Successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform called the Gift Ban Act. (1998)

- Voted against giving tax credits to parents who send their children to private school. (1999)

I hope you are not saying that Latinos and women will not vote for an African-American man! That would be a horrible thing for the Party.

I am a Latina AND an Obama supporter.

But, I will, of course vote for and support Hillary if she is our candidate.

I would also like to hear that you will vote for Obama if he is the candidate.

I do have to tell you, my 21 year old son and I have been having screaming matches because he says he will sit out the election if it is Hillary because of all the things he perceives as her "dirty tricks" and her "divisiveness."

I am not saying he is right -- I have been yelling at him that I don't want him drafted and killed in a war in Iran if a Repulican wins -- but many Obama supporters have been upset by some Clinton tactics. Sorry, but that is the case -- especially since many Obama supporters are "new" to the political process and are not used to "hardball" primary fights.

But, I have seen too many "Hillary supporters" act as if other supporters are not REAL Democrats. They claim we are sexist (funny since I cut my teeth on Ms Magazine), they claim we are ignorant about Obama's "record," they claim we are "Republicans" because Obama made an intellectual argument about political movements and historical trends and that we are just plain stupid because we haven't come to the same conclusions they have!

But mostly, I have seldom, if ever, seen a Hillary supporter say they would be "happy" to support Obama. If I am wrong, well, I am sorry, but that has been my experience.

My very liberal (white/Latino) son had that song when he was a teen...(99 Problems) and he played it for me -- along with a bunch of other rap songs and I found them silly but the beat was good.

Ironically -- it means that the singer has a lot of problems -- BUT NOT WITH WOMEN.

IN THE END...it is just a stupid song. There are plenty of stupid songs in the world -- but if you want to use it as an excuse to hate a candidate, be my guest.

I am sure that Barrack Obama listens to rap on a regular basis and that he sat down and chose the music for that rally -- and chooses all the music for his rallies.

And, I also assume that Hillary wrote Robert Johnson's and Billy Shaheen's speeches when they brought up Obama's teenage drug use in such a nasty way...

I think they will...but I will find it discouraging the Clintons spend a lot of effort trying to exploit any divisiveness between Latinos and woman -- and African-Americans.

It could destroy our Party.