McCain voted with Bush 90%+

[wvjules]

I see that thrown out there a lot. I'm curious. What percentage of Obama's votes were in line with Bush as well?

 

[corndog]

I thought it was in the 80s.

 

[Christine]

According to FactCheck.org, Obama voted 40% with Bush in 2007.

 

[Lib E]

40% of the time.

http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/is_it_true_john_mccain_voted_with.html

 

[Patch'sD]

About 50% when he voted. He missed about 50% of all the votes since he joined the senate. When he did vote, he voted with his party 100% of the time, a real reach across the aisle.

Talk about spreading the wealth, he works 1/2 time yet pulls in a full time paycheck. No wonder he has no problem taking and using other peoples money

 

[LisaR]

Out of the mouth of McCain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uThoBMfcFRc

 

[AlexTina]

Yes approx. 40% of the time but you have to remember that BO is not a big fan of voting at all, he only voted 60% of the time, 40% of the time he voted or didn't vote Present.

http://www.ponderstorm.com/2008/09/15/obama-and-mccain-vote-with-bush/

The Obama campaign likes to say that John McCain “votes with George W. Bush” 90% of the time. For one thing, they never, to my knowledge, tell us where that 90% figure came from. And secondly, how does a Senator vote with the President when the President has no vote in the Senate? That’s simply a bogus issue.

I read a very interesting article today at Obama2.com entitled Barack Obama Votes with President Bush that brought up this and some other great points. In this article the author assumes that voting “with Bush” means the Senator voted on the same side of a position clearly taken by the Bush administration before the Senate vote took place. Using that definition and estimates from the Congressional Quarterly, the author points out that Senator Obama actually voted “with Bush” 40% of them time and Senator Biden 52% of the time. (No percentage is given for Senator McCain.) The estimates used covered yes or no votes only since other votes are calculated as not voting (”NV” means not voting, excused, absent, or present).

The Obama2.com article points out another thing that is very telling about Senator Obama and his “leadership skills.” According to a Project Vote Smart study of Senator Obama’s voting record in the Senate since he has been there, Obama didn’t vote 228 out of 568 times (that amounts to skipping or passing on more than 40% of all his “votes”). But the particular issues he skips gets even more interesting as you’ll see below. I quote from the above referenced Obama2.com article:

Based on the Project Vote Smart records, some areas where Obama likes to avoid having an opinion:

Abortion Issues - 75% NV
Agriculture Issues - 86% NV
Budget, Spending and Taxes - 54% NV
Business and Consumers - 47% NV
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights - 44% NV
Defense - 29% NV
Education - 55% NV
Energy Issues - 35% NV
Environmental Issues - 64% NV
Family and Children Issues - 50% NV
Foreign Aid and Policy Issues - 56% NV
Gun Issues - 25% NV
Health Issues - 67% NV
Housing and Property Issues - 100% NV
National Security Issues - 39% NV
Reproductive Issues - 75% NV
Technology and Communication - 33% NV
Trade Issues - 38% NV
Transportation Issues - 63% NV
Veterans Issues - 34% NV
Welfare and Poverty - 64% NV
Women’s Issues - 67% NV
So much for Senator Obama showing us he can make the tough decisions that good leadership requires. That’s an appalling record and demonstrates how a Senator can skirt the tough issues that a mayor or a governor cannot by virtue of their executive role. Let’s debate the experience, not-ready-to-lead question some more and see who comes up on top. Hands down the Republican ticket wins this one.

 

[Galahad]

Even then, Senator Obama was arguably "running for President" even before he took the oath of office for the Senate. I would think any of his votes should be assumed to be calculated at best.

 

[AndyLL]

The Obama campaign likes to say that John McCain “votes with George W. Bush” 90% of the time. For one thing, they never, to my knowledge, tell us where that 90% figure came from.

McCain said so in the primarys.

And bragged about how it was more then most in the party.

Haven't you seen the commercial?

 

[Lib E]

John McCain holds the title of missing the more votes than any other senator.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/vote-missers/

 

[Wishing on a star]

Well, IMHO, the way our system runs today, anybody who votes against their own party TEN percent of the time IS a maverick!

To me, that does not show a strong underlying unity with the party...
Quite the opposit.

PS: how can any representive vote with or against Pres.Bush, when, last I heard, the President doesn't even have a vote!!!

 

[DawnCt1]

About 50% when he voted. He missed about 50% of all the votes since he joined the senate. When he did vote, he voted with his party 100% of the time, a real reach across the aisle.

Talk about spreading the wealth, he works 1/2 time yet pulls in a full time paycheck. No wonder he has no problem taking and using other peoples money

How true.
Let's see, 90% voting with President Bush, 100% voting with Nancy Pelosi. I will take President Bush!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

About 50% when he voted. He missed about 50% of all the votes since he joined the senate. When he did vote, he voted with his party 100% of the time, a real reach across the aisle.

Talk about spreading the wealth, he works 1/2 time yet pulls in a full time paycheck. No wonder he has no problem taking and using other peoples money

A job I'd love to have.

 

[wvjules]

Well, IMHO, the way our system runs today, anybody who votes against their own party TEN percent of the time IS a maverick!

To me, that does not show a strong underlying unity with the party...
Quite the opposit.

PS: how can any representive vote with or against Pres.Bush, when, last I heard, the President doesn't even have a vote!!!

I think it meant in line with the party and what Bush wanted.

 

[PlainJane]

I think it meant in line with the party and what Bush wanted.

What the party wants and what Bush wants are often two very different things. Illegal immigration comes to mind.

 

[bicker]

Actually, that's one of the only things that come to mind.

Against protecting reproductive choice - check
Against ensuring marriage equality - check
For making taxes more regressive - check
For big oil - check
...

 

[disney1990]

About 50% when he voted. He missed about 50% of all the votes since he joined the senate. When he did vote, he voted with his party 100% of the time, a real reach across the aisle.

Talk about spreading the wealth, he works 1/2 time yet pulls in a full time paycheck. No wonder he has no problem taking and using other peoples money

During that same period of time, you might notice that Mr. McCain wasn't on the job either.

 

[disney1990]

How true.
Let's see, 90% voting with President Bush, 100% voting with Nancy Pelosi. I will take President Bush!

Please "take him". Take him far far away.