OBAMA Made 45 Trips to Iowa, But Only 2 To Iraq

On those hearings:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/hearing-gate-ex.html

On those missed votes:

Here’s McCain:
Percentage of Missed votes
2006-Q4 16 8 50%
2007-Q1 126 42 33.3%
2007-Q2 112 81 72.3%
2007-Q3 119 59 49.6%
2007-Q4 85 65 76.5%
2008-Q1 85 50 58.8%
2008-Q2 77 76 98.7%
2008-Q3 39 39 100%
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=300071&tab=votes

Since you brought up Afghanistan: here is a sweet little ditty that helps one understand the meaning of what happens when you take your (Bush) ‘eye off the ball’:

A French newspaper has published what appears to be a diplomatic cable saying Britain’s ambassador to Kabul thinks the West is losing the battle for Afghanistan.

The coded cable reproduced Wednesday in Le Canard Enchaîné seems to be from France’s deputy ambassador to Afghanistan, François Fitou, describing a conversation he had with the British ambassador to Kabul, Sherard Cowper-Coles.

It says Cowper-Coles believes the West’s war against Taliban forces in Afghanistan is being lost and the coalition that includes Canada’s Armed Forces should leave an “acceptable dictator” in charge of the country within five to 10 years.

“We have no alternative to supporting the United States in Afghanistan, but we should tell them that we want to be part of a winning strategy, not a losing one,” the cable paraphrases the ambassador as saying.
…

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/01/french-cable-afghanistan.html

One element that many conservative voices are simply mute on was the downside of putting so many eggs in the Iraq basket. Claims regarding a “victory” in Iraq have come at a significant cost, and appear to be leading us, yet again, into an ill-regarded war and failed war.

It’s impossible to argue now that fighting on two fronts was a wise endeavor.

Correct Mr. Scott about Doug’s selective record era. From his same GovTrack (I love that site, BTW….) below is a graph of McCain’s voting record. And remember, he has much more of a record to assess.

The graph legend is:

The absentee rate is in red. The two black dotted lines provide a context for understanding the significance of the absentee rate. The lower dotted line shows the median value for all Members of Congress in that time period. The upper dotted line shows the 90th percentile. A Member who approaches the upper dotted line is in the worst 10 percent of Congress.

John McCain’s record, but only back to 1993. He’s been a Senator since 1987, and was a House Rep from 1983 to 86. Since 1993, it’s 18% of missed votes.

The second graph below is Obama’s scant career in visuals, and 24% of missed votes in his much shorter career. Perhaps a more interesting way of looking at it: Obama’s been a US Senator for 45 months. He’s spent 19 months – or 46% of his term – as a candidate for POTUS, and increasingly MIA for the job he is paid for doing now.

Needless to say, McCain has a much better record for showing up to work…

McCain missed 18%, while Obama missed 24%, overall. That’s no big deal.

But when you contrast the missed votes for every quarter beginning in 2006, 4th quarter–where the race starts– McCain’s missed votes are higher:

Obama:
2006-Q4 16 0 0%
2007-Q1 126 3 2.4%
2007-Q2 112 20 17.9%
2007-Q3 119 67 56.3%
2007-Q4 85 76 89.4%
2008-Q1 85 31 36.5%
2008-Q2 77 65 84.4%
2008-Q3 39 33 84.6%

McCain:
2006-Q4 16 8 50%
2007-Q1 126 42 33.3%
2007-Q2 112 81 72.3%
2007-Q3 119 59 49.6%
2007-Q4 85 65 76.5%
2008-Q1 85 50 58.8%
2008-Q2 77 76 98.7%
2008-Q3 39 39 100%

Of course when you include Mccain’s long record in the Senate, he’s going to avg. out to a bit lower percentage than Obama. But that should not blind anyone to the fact Mccain’s recent past record is worse than Obama’s.

Scott said:

As to Afghanistan, check the links in the other posts that show the US never let up in the war in Afghanistan, but you do a great job of proving the point I’ve made repeatedly: that the war in Afghanistan was never a popular one with the world (Canada being one in nation in particular). Still, a story about a story about a story about a story from 3 biased sources doesn’t hold a lotta weight w me. Sorry Doug. Maybe if you could find a date when the US took its “eye off the ball”? Or maybe you can list out the units that were needed in Afghanistan to fight AQ in Pakistan, then that would help?

I say:
http://www.europeanaffairs.org/current_issue/2008_winter_spring/2008_winter_spring_04.php4

I plan to post more on this when I have some time.

“The coded cable reproduced Wednesday in Le Canard Enchaîné….” (DOUG)

LE CANARD ENCHAINÉ…. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! The worst leftist anti-American newspapers of all times. Aren’t you smart enough to know that France is America No. 1 enemy! They hate your guts, they really do. I know it, I’m French.

Frenchies are pissed off because USA eclipsed France that was once THE greatest country of the World. France is now a declining country and lost all of it’s glory. Frenchies are pro-terrorists, antisemites, US/bashers, and extreme leftists. So please DOUG, stop making a fool of yourself by citing LE CANARD ENCHAINÉ…

LE CANARD ENCHAINÉ… Hahahahaha… what a joke! You really made my day, Doug!

Gee… I wonder if McCain missed some of those votes because of his eight trips to Iraq/Afghanistan, etal? LOL

Doug said

Of course when you include Mccain’s long record in the Senate, he’s going to avg. out to a bit lower percentage than Obama. But that should not blind anyone to the fact Mccain’s recent past record is worse than Obama’s.

And why should the nation ignore McCain’s *entire* Congressional record, and just match Obama’s pathetic 19 months in Congress? Rather disingenuous, don’t you think? Like nothing exists “pre Obama”??? Humm…. is that sorta like BC and AD in calendar dates? Shall we now do BO and AO… before Obama, after Obama?

This is not only seriously pathetic Doug, it borderlines on the messiah complex. Get real here, guy. There was life before Obama. There will be life after him as well. The sun does not rise, the seas do not part, and the earth doesn’t heal itself because a young boy named Barry was born somewhere 40 some odd years ago.

And what is obvious is that McCain has considerably more experience to draw on than the professional/career candidate/fundraiser, who spends more time running for office than doing his job.

But that’s okay… “call me, if you need me”… ROTFLMAO! That says it all.

So is that like being hauled onto the Oval Office carpet, Scott? :0)

Pompous arse, that BHO is… Then again, I can honestly say *I* don’t need him.