<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Bridge to nowhere? You mean the same one that Obama and Biden voted for TWICE? I love it when Democrats bring that up without knowing where their own candidates stood on the issue.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Non sequitur. Neither Barack Obama nor Joe Biden uses his position on the bridge as a focal point of his campaigning. Sarah Palin, in contrast, claims to have opposed it from the start, while in reality this is not remotely true. Obama and Biden's votes do nothing to disprove the charge that Palin is lying about her record and that she is a hypocrite.</p>
<p>This isn't slanted. This isn't biased. It's objective, logical application of the facts.</p>
<p>EDIT: Fixed subject-verb agreement in the second sentence.</p>
<p>^^^
Precisely. In the same way that McCain voted for many of the same "tax increases" that Obama is accused of voting on.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Bridge to nowhere? You mean the same one that Obama and Biden voted for TWICE? I love it when Democrats bring that up without knowing where their own candidates stood on the issue.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Uhh, Obama/Biden did NOT vote for (or support) the funding of the bridge specifically it was an earmark within a budget bill.</p>
<p>Palin, otoh (as well as McCain), keeps touting the "fact" that she is a "reformer" and repeatedly uses the bridge as an example of her reform credentials.</p>
<p>But the TRUTH is that Palin campaigned for Governor, she supported the building/funding of the bridge.</p>
<p>Only when Congress finally killed the funding did Palin reverse course (of course, she still took the $$).</p>
<p>Palin also keeps taking about cutting taxes, but she never mentions that she also spent big on the govt.'s till. Wasilla, a town (not a city) of 7k or so currently has $20 million in long-term debt (no thanks in part to the fancy sports complex Palin built; she promised that it would be "self-supporting" -but the facility is in the red and the town is still trying to pay of the debt-service).</p>
<p>The only real "reform" Palin has accomplished is a tax hike on the oil companies so the State of Alaska could give a bigger check to its citizens.</p>
<p>Funny how that is in total contradiction to McCain's (and the Republicans') position when it comes to the oil companies and the US citizens in the other 49 states.</p>
<p>^^
Don't hear much about that - how Palin taxed the windfall profits of oil companies and gave the money back to the people. </p>
<p>McCain spent months bashing Obama for that very same plan, then suddenly went silent when Palin came on.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Uhh, Obama/Biden did NOT vote for (or support) the funding of the bridge specifically it was an earmark within a budget bill.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, they did. The first time, you are right, it was an earmark as part of a massive budget. The bridge came up specifically the second time, when someone proposed that funding be redirected from the bridge to nowhere to New Orleans. In that case, both Biden and Obama voted to keep the bridge to nowhere.</p>
<p>Since we aren't agreeing, someone needs to provide a link to both Senators' voting records to conclusively prove that it's one way or another.</p>
<p>It's still a non sequitur, however, so it'd be even more sensible to drop the subject.</p>
<p>Nobody really cares who voted for that bridge to nowhere. Quite frankly, if I were a senator, I probably wouldn't read over all the little earmarks going to Alaska anyway. </p>
<p>What matters is that Palin lied about it, and it is one of the centerpieces of her newly-minted political persona. It's kind of like finding out Obama is actually an old white guy.</p>
<p>Let's talk about their voting records. To the accusation by McCain on the debate of “the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate” Obama said “Mostly that’s just me opposing George Bush’s wrong-headed policies.”</p>
<p>LOL</p>
<p>CNN does some fact checking.</p>
<p>Congressional Quarterly examined Obama's votes in the Senate. According to the analysis, Obama has indeed voted with the Democratic Party 96 percent of the time.</p>
<p>CQ - a non-partisan and highly respected journal of Congressional affairs - says Senator John McCain has voted in line with the Republican Party 86 percent of the time. McCain's total number of votes is much larger, since he has been in the Senate since 1986, while Obama is in his first term.</p>
<p>Congressional Quarterly also looked at what it deemed to be "key" votes. That analysis found Obama voted with his party on 29 out of 30 votes, which came out to 97 percent of the time. For McCain, CQ said there have been 335 "key" votes over the years, and that he voted with his party on 266 of them — 79 percent of the time.</p>
<p>Who's gonna bring change and who's going to go lock step with the party that encouraged corruption at Fannie/Freddie, opposed the surge in Iraq, talks about tax cuts but has made no effort to cut them?</p>
<p>Bridge to "Nowhere": It's not uncommon for mayors/governors to tap into the federal budget to seek funding for money designated for the states. It's a matter of priorities. Once the project was running wild, she killed the project.</p>
<p>You wanna talk about cronyism and abuse of the earmarks, on one hand, Palin sought money for rinks and bridges. Obama sought money for his wife's hospital, where her salary skyrockted, etc.</p>
<h2>CNSNews.com</a> - Obama Earmarks Benefited Donors and Relatives, Group Says</h2>
<p>Wasilla</a> Sports Complex: Gov. Sarah Palin background | adn.com</p>
<pre><code>Nearing the end of its first full year of operation, the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex is boasting 20 to 50 percent increases in off-ice uses offered at the 102,000 square-foot facility.[4]
Wasilla voters agreed in 2002 to a half-percent increase in the city sales tax to pay off a $14.7 million bond to build the multi-use facility. The project "was completed on schedule and under budget," Mayor Dianne Keller said, and the complex opened its doors March 6, 2004.[4] Sales tax revenue, which can only be used to pay the bond, is coming in faster than expected. Keller said she believes the facility will be paid off at least two years ahead of the 10-year schedule.[4]
</code></pre>
<p>Poor Wasilla, they're drowning in debt :rolleyes: Like we don't have a national debt, a credit card debt, mortgage, etc. Debt, boo!</p>
<p>What Obama proposed, and what Carter disastrously implemented, windfall profits tax, is a selective higher tax after oil reaches a certain price.</p>
<p>Please pugfug, only one rehashed talking point at a time. Nobody wants to bother to follow that rambling.</p>
<p>pugfug90, both senators voted in line with their party over 75% percent of the time, even after you've thrown out some of McCain's votes to make his statistic look better. What exactly was your point?</p>
<p>Pugfug's point is that John McCain is a Maverick TM, though he doesn't quite know what "maverick" means. He just knows it from Sean Hannity and from watching his favourite movie Top Gun 50 times.</p>
<p>If you have to brag about fighting your party so much, maybe you are with the wrong party?!</p>
<p>Liberal partisans can continue to blindly tell themselves whatever they want, but for those open enough to face the facts...</p>
<p>McCain bucked conventional thinking against ethanol subsidies that would be popular with farmers and greenies, because he realized they were a gimmick, even though he would lose votes.</p>
<p>He bucked political popularity throwing free money at veterans because he cares about the soundness of our military over getting military votes. </p>
<p>He bucked his own party in recognizing his own party when the majority of them preferred to look the other way in the name of laissez faire. </p>
<p>He bucked his own party in choosing to support a sensible immigration policy that took into the human side of the equation, another crux that nearly doomed his candidacy. </p>
<p>He has sought $0 in earmarks, Obama has been raking in the money, but rather than spending it wisely, he's been acting as a crony, giving winks to his friends, his wife's hospital, etc. CNSNews.com</a> - Obama Earmarks Benefited Donors and Relatives, Group Says</p>
<p>Chris, it's sad the things that you say. You absolutely defy logic and facts and just throw out the most random accusations as if you're being persuasive. In truth, you constantly ignore when others make a point, and make a pointless one yourself.</p>
<p>Swish, you are so funny :) It's called being nonpartisan and recognizing when you have to put your party aside for what's right. Zell Miller, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Bill Clinton. :)</p>
<p>Pugfug - I'm not sure you understand Obama's reasonable rebuttal to the "most liberal voting record" charge. All your "fact checks" support Obama's point.</p>
<p>The entire time Obama has been a senator, Bush has been president. When the opposition party is in control, it is common to vote with your own party to keep the majority party, that being the one with the president, in check.</p>
<p>So, yes, the stats are absolutely correct and they reflect a very conservative era. </p>
<p>If you ever get a radio talk show, you should try to make it so your ideas aren't so hard-line and predictable. I much prefer to watch O'Reilly over Hannity because O'Reilly has original insights and thoughts that challenge both sides while Hannity just parrots the party line.</p>
<p>The idea that Obama is the most liberal senator in the Senate is a lie, or at best, a distortion of the truth. </p>
<p>YouTube</a> - Is Obama the Most Liberal Senator?</p>
<p>Amazing how the most liberal senator always tends to be the one running for president. You betcha it's a gosh darn coinky-dink!</p>
<p>Exactly my point, Obama has been lock step with his party while McCain has been unapologetic about his opposition to his own party, his own President, the other party, and the poll numbers (where neither party wants to go)</p>
<p>Exclusive:</a> Barack Obama is 'aloof' says British ambassador to US - Telegraph</p>
<p>Obama</a> in His Own Words: There Is No Doubt He Supported Infanticide - HUMAN EVENTS</p>
<p>Daily Kos</p>
<p>Obama is moderate LOL</p>
<p>blah blah blah hannity O'reilly</p>
<p>blah blah I like cats</p>
<p>Your attempts at psychoanalyzation are merely that. Stick with the debates because at least you don't sound completely off the mark.</p>
<p>With respect, this country has more important things to worry about right now than trumped-up infanticide charges.</p>
<p>Should a US Senator attempt to vote as close to a 50/50 ratio on bills from each party? Regardless of the merits of the individual bills? Is that inherently better than voting with one's own party the majority of the time, in and of itself? Will that simple ratio add credence to a candidacy? Your entire argument is ludicrous.</p>
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<p>x2. Stop trying to be right on the internet dude. Try to actually convince people that don't agree with you instead of ****ing them off.</p>
<p>McCain has sold out completely to the wingnut sect of his party. Nobody cares what he once was long time ago. If you want to vote for the good McCain, travel back in time to 2000 and help him defeat Bush in the Republican primaries.</p>
<p>McCain is kind of like a reverse George Wallace, a man who has dramatically changed for the worse.</p>
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Stop trying to be right on the internet dude. Try to actually convince people that don't agree with you instead of ****ing them off.
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</p>
<p>Says the guy whose intellectual comebacks consist of "Epic fail, LOL!"</p>