What is Digg?254 Comments
- chosenson, on 09/04/2008, -15/+172This post contains MOST of Senator Obama's legislative experience. Don't be swayed by smear tactics. Check out the competition's activity for the past year and compare. http://thomas.loc.gov/
When comparing, consider: bills introduced to help the environment, to help further education, anti-poverty, aid to the military and veterans. Compare and make your judgment. Educate yourself on the FACTS. - dunbebin, on 09/04/2008, -23/+142ST. PAUL, Minn. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her Republican supporters held back little Wednesday as they issued dismissive attacks on Barack Obama and flattering praise on her credentials to be vice president. In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.
Attacks, praise stretch truth at GOP convention
Some examples:
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."
PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.
PALIN: "The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes, raise payroll taxes, raise investment income taxes, raise the death tax, raise business taxes, and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars."
THE FACTS: The Tax Policy Center, a think tank run jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, concluded that Obama's plan would increase after-tax income for middle-income taxpayers by about 5 percent by 2012, or nearly $2,200 annually. McCain's plan, which cuts taxes across all income levels, would raise after tax-income for middle-income taxpayers by 3 percent, the center concluded.
Obama would provide $80 billion in tax breaks, mainly for poor workers and the elderly, including tripling the Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credits for larger families.
He also would raise income taxes, capital gains and dividend taxes on the wealthiest. He would raise payroll taxes on taxpayers with incomes above $250,000, and he would raise corporate taxes. Small businesses that make more than $250,000 a year would see taxes rise.
MCCAIN: "She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply ... She's responsible for 20 percent of the nation's energy supply. I'm entertained by the comparison and I hope we can keep making that comparison that running a political campaign is somehow comparable to being the executive of the largest state in America," he said in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson.
THE FACTS: McCain's phrasing exaggerates both claims. Palin is governor of a state that ranks second nationally in crude oil production, but she's no more "responsible" for that resource than President Bush was when he was governor of Texas, another oil-producing state. In fact, her primary power is the ability to tax oil, which she did in concert with the Alaska Legislature. And where Alaska is the largest state in America, McCain could as easily have called it the 47th largest state — by population.
MCCAIN: "She's the commander of the Alaska National Guard. ... She has been in charge, and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities," he said on ABC.
THE FACTS: While governors are in charge of their state guard units, that authority ends whenever those units are called to actual military service. When guard units are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, they assume those duties under "federal status," which means they report to the Defense Department, not their governors. Alaska's national guard units have a total of about 4,200 personnel, among the smallest of state guard organizations.
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "We need change, all right — change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington! We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington — throw out the big-government liberals, and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
THE FACTS: A Back-to-the-Future moment. George W. Bush, a conservative Republican, has been president for nearly eight years. And until last year, Republicans controlled Congress. Only since January 2007 have Democrats have been in charge of the House and Senate. - shitforbrains, on 09/04/2008, -14/+127I thought Palin was full of crap when she said that Obama hadn't done anything. Jeeze, what a surprise.
- NCocca, on 09/04/2008, -8/+99Thanks for the link. This is one of the best ways to REALLY see what each candidate has contributed while in office.
- kuppusamy, on 09/04/2008, -16/+95I am so tired of the lies. Is there anything else the Republican party can do BESIDES lie? How in the world do they get away this stuff? Is their target audience that stupid?? *bashing head on laptop*
- barbiesnow, on 09/04/2008, -11/+84Back to focusing on the real candidate....
- Kbrabant, on 09/05/2008, -12/+64Superb overview. What people really don't realize is how much Obama has accomplished, no matter what the right-wing nuts try to tell you.
- sullivanst, on 09/04/2008, -2/+46Yup, her, and LIEberman, and Rudy.
How can you tell when a Republican's lying?
Their lips are moving. - Arkangel88, on 09/05/2008, -10/+51This article was a great addition to the current political debate.
I have tried to give the RNC the same time and consideration I gave to the DNC, but frankly it has been difficult. It is hard to sit through the childish name-calling and mudslinging the Republicans have been engaging in to the complete and utter exclusion of any discussion on substantive issues that concern most Americans today.
Governor Palin's speech was completely lame and embarrassing and she seemed unintelligent and uneducated, a mere cheerleader for the Party. It was obvious to me that she has no experience addressing a national audience. I fail to see how a powerful white male establishment figure appointing some frontier woman who seems to be a throwback to the days prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment to a do-nothing VP position can be considered historic. Besides, the Democrats had Geraldine Ferraro on their Presidential ticket decades ago.
It was also clear to me that the careless selection of Palin as McCain's running mate was a cynical and desperate gimmick to attract the soccer mom vote, but I believe he has also alienated a significant majority of intelligent, accomplished, women in this country, so the net effect is probably minimal.
The fact remains that, although I fully believe that Senator McCain is a good man who has the best interests of America at heart, the Republican Party is in desperate disarray and is completely out of touch with the concerns of average citizens and does not reflect the values and beliefs of this country.
The RNC delegates are 93% white and 68% male, not the beautifully diverse and representative audience of delegates I saw at the DNC and at Invesco Field during Obama's acceptance speech, and that I think is a very good indication of the constituency it serves. At least they aren't pretending to care about minorities or the poor like Bush campaign did in 2004.
I will give McCain's acceptance speech tonight one last chance, and if all he can muster is false and childish criticism of Obama and the Democratic Party, I'll be able to deliver my vote in good conscience to the only candidate with the intelligence and understanding to lead this country out of the mess Bush will leave behind his disastrous tenure in office, Senator Barak Hussein Obama. - Qness, on 09/05/2008, -11/+52I'm wondering if the conservative Christians who support Palin, allow these lies in their 'book'. Is it not a lie if it serves their purposes or are they just so entrained that they can't see it?
- Jewels3081, on 09/05/2008, -6/+43It's nice to have a clear concise place to find the information. I have spouted Barack's accomplishments to tons of people, but now I can either print them out or send someone here to find them.
The Republican convention makes it so obvious to me that there is really only one choice in this election who will restore truthfulness, dignity, and respect to the office of the Presidency. Sarah Palin is adorable, until you listen to what she says. How did they find someone with so much potential who is also so ready to lie and mock and misrepresent just to get elected? Is that all that is left of the Republican's? It saddens me. - andk, on 09/05/2008, -12/+48I don't know about anyone else, but I'm beginning to get a nosebleed from "taking the high road" when it comes to the right smearing all things Obama. Even if Obama had only ever been a "community organizer" that wouldn't disqualify him to lead the nation. His sense of community values and roots is stronger and more focused on the family than any other candidate. He clearly knows how to work from the ground up and not the top down...a candidate who walks the walk. How refreshing is that? This link should help people realize that his leadership record is strong and deeper than just what the other side wants people to know about.
- geny4obama, on 09/05/2008, -13/+49Oh my! Kudos to you for this extensive reasearch! I will definitely
use this as amunition... only all my friends are Barack Supporters!
The only people I know leaning towards McCain are those few I reach
while phonebanking for Barack. We really need more support, we have less
than 2 months before the election. Please volunteer. This election, we
need more than just your vote! We need to register unregistered voters,
and persuade those still on the fence... go to MyBarackObama.com
and volunteer. - dat179, on 09/05/2008, -7/+39This is great. Obama's commitment to service and his hard work in the Senate have soon him to be a real leader with excellent judgement. He has done great things and will continue to do great things.
- ProfessorSYM, on 09/05/2008, -4/+31They get away with it because the media lets them.
- whiskeymb, on 09/05/2008, -2/+29But these facts fly right in the face of the repeated lies from McCain and his campaign! Oh dear!
- keepinReal, on 09/05/2008, -6/+30In 2006 McCain introduced a bill regarding immigration...supporting amnesty...and now he no longer supports his own bill. Anything for appeasement of the party. Sad.
- obamaistheman, on 09/05/2008, -7/+30This document is fantastic, I plan to send it out to my list. ObamaIsTheMan.com is growing in strength and numbers, and it's great to give people some clean, concise facts to counter the nonsense. In response to many of the above comments: McCain is making a mockery of himself. The Palin pick will backfire, don't get caught up in the hype. Obama does not need to go dirty, the debates will show the truth - the republicans don't have a leg (or an issue) to stand on. Have faith that people recognize garbage when they see, and quality too.
- twiztidsinz, on 09/05/2008, -2/+24Epic truth is epic.
- locohombre37, on 09/05/2008, -3/+24Sorry to inform you but yes. There are people in my Rural Town in Missouri who believe that Obama is the AntiChrist for heavens sake. I had an ongoing email argument with my realtor because she says he is a Terrorist, Muslim and few other nasty things(by the way nothing wrong with being a Muslim I find them to very moral and very decent except the idiot radical extremist but every religion has those just like we have the Neocons in the Christian religions). I reminded her about the Reverend Wright scandal and she said that Obama's 20 years of going to a Christian Church was "staged" I responded when was the last time you went to Church; she never wrote back.
So yes these people will believe anything Rush Limbaugh or Fox "Neocon" News Channel says. She even sent me pictures of him with his Kenyan family saying this is proof he is a Terrorist- I responded that this is proof he is half black and half white- Martin Luther Kings Dream in human form.
As for Sarah Palin Mrs. Ultra Conservative must not believe in teaching her kids about Contraception or Abstinence. She does believe in Drill Drill Drill or that Polar bears are not an endangered species or that Wolf hunts from helicopters are ok. And oh yeah getting your in-laws fired is cool if that don't work then get the GUY or GAL who would not fired him FIRED. She believes if one of our children are raped they should be forced to have a rapist's child or if your life is in danger make her have the baby anyway
The funniest thing about her speech was her bashing Obama for being a community organizer yet she forgets the 8 plus years as a State Senator add the six years he has been in the Senate he has been in politics alot longer than her, and yeah he has passed more laws than her, governed more people then her, had a greater impact on the lives of our children and families then her. Yet she thinks running a town of 7500 is more note worthy than being a State Senator for 80000 people in his district- I think she is still Smoking some Wacky Weed like she did in College(SO did the O man).
Mitt Romney made me want to puke calling people on Social Security SSI, and Medicare cronic dependents who need to weaned off government handouts. Most of those people have paid taxes for their whole lives when they get sick, taxes that Republicans use to make bullets and bombs instead of helping our kids get a good education like they do India or Dubai.
Guliani needs to be foreced to face the First Responders to 9/11 to explain why he DENIED our Heroes medical coverage for the Respiratory Illnesses that are Killing them. He needs to forced to tell us what he knows about World Trace Center 7 why it fell down without a plane hitting it, AND what were those explosions all over the place.
Huckabee is just a Dupe Pastor who did not get anywhere, and yeah he is right about some republicans not being rich at birth. My father started with nothing ended up being a SELFISH Million Republican who hates helping others- you don't need a Silver Spoon in your mouth at Birth to born an Ignorant Republican just a lots of money you want to take with you to your grave never mind the people you could help with it, forget your dept to the Society that made you rich.
Finally the GOP convention was a Rich Old White Guy affair, no poor or middle class people there. 3 Minorities in the Audience( I think they were plants for the cameras), maybe 10 or so good looking 20 somethings and some very bored teens. We need change the world we live in is not black or white but brown, young, and diverse!
Palin/ McCain will not change a thing, if anything they will give all our money to the Rich and Oil Companies, get rid of a woman's right to chose, destroy workers rights, make lobbyist the real lawmakers!
my two cents :) - Terwa, on 09/05/2008, -12/+33Let's look up Palin's legislative experience! Oh wait...
- LadyBeryl, on 09/05/2008, -2/+22I believe there is a large number of Christians who have been and will continue to be deceived. Many make excuses for the deception -- like Hucklebee.
- bobbyondigg, on 09/05/2008, -6/+26"#9 - You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."
Palin's speech was full of false testimony. How come these "Focus on the Family"-types aren't calling her on it? - pintomp3, on 09/05/2008, -1/+20community organizing? pffft! screw doing work for the community. he should have taken his fancy law degree and worked for a big corporation. why doesn't anyone look out for the corporations interests? poor guys.
- hinchb, on 09/05/2008, -2/+19***** the haters, good post.
- paidhima, on 09/05/2008, -4/+21Obama voted to extend the Patriot Act because, in a nutshell, it was an improvement on the legislation already in effect. He was not happy with the act, but believed that it was a viable compromise for the moment. He said himself that he would have preferred the Senate version, or ideally the SAFE Act he cosponsored.
I got this information from the following website, which includes direct quotes from Obama:
http://www.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/01/05/fa ... - alex3540, on 09/05/2008, -2/+18so 129-38? and McCain is the experienced one?
what am I missing? - alabamasucks, on 09/05/2008, -7/+23He also voted to EXTEND the Patriot Act
- las3rjock, on 09/05/2008, -0/+16What you're missing is that provisions from S.230 (co-sponsored by Obama: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.230: ) were introduced and adopted as an amendment to S.1 ( http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r110:1:./tem ... ) and subsequently signed into law as part of S.1 (Public Law 110-81).
- OzarkNative, on 09/05/2008, -1/+16Yes, I agree and it is sad that many of their "followers" don't even bother to check out the facts for themselves. Some folks with just believe anything! Sad, very sad.
- enki25, on 09/05/2008, -2/+15How does this compare to other legislators? Or do you even care?
- chosenson, on 09/05/2008, -6/+17This is my blog on the Obama campaign website. Feel free to check the Library of Congress website http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search under Barack Obama. You will find the same information there. Check your candidate's bills while you are there - very little activity in the past year. No energy? Napping?
Stop being so angry that your candidate's lies have been refuted. Manova, I know you're disappointed that Obama has sponsored bills and that some of those bills have been voted into law. Don't be mad - accept the truth and be glad that your next president has actually accomplished something. - MeanCleader, on 09/05/2008, -12/+23Sarah Palin's Class Reunion:
Hi, remember me? My name is Sarah Palin! I was the mean, beautiful Cheerleader (or basketball player, whatever) from high school that everyone hated and feared. One minute, I could use words like a dagger to cut people down. The next minute, I let compliments flow like syrup to get what I wanted. Now, I want to be your Vice-President!!! See, when the OLD GUY dies, I'm going to make the FBI follow or arrest all the people who have ever messed with me or my family, censor the Library of Congress, and stop all schools from teaching about safe sex, even if it means every teenage girl in America ends up with a cute little baby like my future grandchild! - twiztidsinz, on 09/05/2008, -1/+12Which has a link to the Library of Congress...
How much more of an un-*****-biased source do you need?
oh.. you're probably voting republican..
where truths against you are lies, and your lies are the "truth". - woofers07, on 09/05/2008, -5/+16Facts?? In a campaign race?? I don't get it.
- pintomp3, on 09/05/2008, -0/+10conservative christians who support palin believe that the earth is 6000 years old and that small government means telling women what to do with their bodies. i don't think facts are their strong suit.
- alabamasucks, on 09/05/2008, -9/+19I noticed one thing on that list that "didn't make the cut"
I'll still never forget back in July when he voted YES for the Republican-sponsored FISA bill. - chosenson, on 09/05/2008, -2/+12Average rate is 2%, so Obama overperformed his peers.
Check his opponent's record - only 22 bills sponsored. - pintomp3, on 09/05/2008, -0/+9oh, you mean the kind of executive experience bush had? we seen the wonders that does.
- diggapleeeze, on 09/05/2008, -1/+10Let's look up McCain's executive experience! Oh wait..
- bacon_skoda, on 09/05/2008, -2/+11do people forget we have a douche sitting in the oval office that will veto anything from the democrats and pass anything republicans can send up?
- SkinnerBox, on 09/05/2008, -8/+17ZERO!!!
Oh, wait...
Right off the bat I noticed this:
"Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures, and in 2003,"
Hmm, SOME people saw this coming... - vat0r, on 09/05/2008, -0/+8How many bills has McCain written in his long and illustrious career? Not being sarcastic I'd just like to know.
- twiztidsinz, on 09/05/2008, -1/+8Which is linked to the Library of Congress...
How much more of an unbiased source do you need? - mdalco, on 09/05/2008, -5/+12Yes, he voted for it, but have you considered he outsmarted them - AGAIN, by voting for it. Had he NOT voted for it, and there was some type of attack by the terrorist, they would have blamed him for not voting for it and questioned his leadership...sounds like "the surge - it worked and he opposed it". Think about it. By voting for it, he he outsmarted them, and when he wins the election, then he can do something about it. Unfortunately, politics is not all black & white, you have to think about your players next move. And Obama has done an awesome job of that.
- Thoraxes, on 09/05/2008, -4/+11Glad to see this finally come onto Digg for some people to see.
- pintomp3, on 09/05/2008, -1/+8there are only so many lies you can debunk. the republicans are very organized and when they issue a talking point, it echoes from thousands of places at once. it's virtually impossible to lob all of them back. it's a strategy that has worked for them the past few decades.
- khouros, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6If you are asking how many bills he sponsored.. that question has already been answered. See previous.
If you are asking whether either of these senators actually sat down in front of a computer and typed out the words to the legislation, then, well, I imagine that that's what staffers are for? - lowtolerance, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6since when were verifiable facts 'spin'? since you realized it flew in the face of what you're being told?
- jjesusfreak01, on 09/05/2008, -9/+15So how many bills did he write?
A junior senators only real job is to sponsor bills, so all this is telling us is that he hasn't been skipping school so to speak. Its experience, but this does nothing to combat the fact that Obama is a ONE term senator (im not going to throw in "junior" here, because thats only a technical title showing that he has been in office for less time than the states other senator, and therefore first term senators are always "junior") -
Show 51 - 100 of 254 discussions
Digg is coming to a city (and computer) near you! Check out all the details on our 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is