John McCain, Senate absentee extraordinaire, touts need for special session

As part of parrying Barack Obama's spotlight on energy policy today, John McCain invited his fellow senator to join him in taking leave from the presidential campaign trail to return to Washington forthwith and, with other lawmakers, grapple with the nation's energy problems.

Odds are heavily against it happening -- the Democrats who control Capitol Hill are unlikely to cancel the annual congressional summer break to convene the special session that McCain (and other Republicans, quite theatrically) are pushing for.

But if it were to happen, the break from the road to concentrate on their obligations as lawmakers would be even more unusual for McCain than Obama.

As Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada recently was only too happy to note, McCain has become an absentee legislator -- he cast his last vote on the Senate floor on April 8.

Obama also has been otherwise occupied and during the current session of Congress missed far more roll calls than he's made. He did, however, make a point of casting a couple of Senate votes last month -- including one in favor of a compromise bill on domestic wiretapping. What he earned for his troubles was a nasty note from progressives, for whom the measure was anathema.

-- Don Frederick   

Comments

[VJ Machiavelli]

The House GOP should stage a "HOUSE IN" they should all come back with sleeping bags or cots and move into the chamber and not leave until Dictator Pelosi calls them into session. In fact the all GOP candidates should join the, "ONE BIG HOUSE IN". I wonder if SHE WOULD ORDER "HER POLICE FORCE" TO ARREST THEM.

GO FOR IT HOUSE GOP>

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[Andrew]

Can anyone name a reliable online resource that tracks when (and for what legislation) congress reps and senators vote?

[DEM now IND]

McCain??
Obama is the real winner when it comes to the Senate! He has only served 147 days TOTAL in his career since he "changed" his mind and decided he would run for President regardless of "not having the experience."

God help us all!

[Joe]

The insulting thing about this is not that McCain can pull this kind of stunt on the premise that the American public won't know or care, but that he'll probably get away with it.

That said, I'm not happy with Obama & the other Democrats caving on FISA "reform." It was a shameful display of calculated cowardice.

[Len Gardner]

MCain, the king of absentee Senators, missed the crucial votes last month that kept Medicare alive. He did announce, though, that had he been there he would have voted against the bill that passed over the president's veto. It assured that doctors would be paid for their Medicare-related fees. The bill also included several important reforms.

[Timmy Coffee]

The American media has long hidden from the public the astonishing fact that as a long term US Senator, John McCain has only a rudimentary understanding of both domestic and national security issues. His petulant, spoiled child disposition makes him un- presidential. He is a reckless individual. A vote for him is a reckless, irresponsible vote. This concerted racist campaign he has now decided to run demonstrates he has no decency. In the last week, he has made it perfectly clear that his campaign is based on the rebirth of Jim Crow era politics. The incessant comments that Senator Obama is presumptuous, arrogant and/or cocky are all code words for he is an uppity Negro who can’t be trusted to know his place. Along with the constant red security alerts, which the Bush administration will start up within the next month, it wouldn’t be surprising for McCain-Bush to propose a national poll tax before the November election. America is struggling after 16 years of Clinton and Bush. McCain would be the final nail in America’s coffin.

[Chris]

McCain needs to try to mind his own business and schedule his own political demonstration. First he wanted Obama to visit Iraq. They even ran a countdown on the propaganda network (Fox). Then he attacks viciously when Obama's trip is successful. Talk about a flip-flopper.
I have an idea for a countdown, how about: _______ days since John McCain has not answered the question "Did you call your wife a demeaning name?" How time does fly, seems like its been a while. How about an up or down answer, yes or no? Ladies would you like an answer before you mark your ballot?
Here is another idea, what if the DNC ran an infomercial cataloging the history of Republican attack dogs in the Bush era. The ex-maverick (ie. someone who cannot be trusted), spoke so eloquently about running a clean race. . . should've seen it coming. Now he's hired a team of Karl Rove's trainees and once again McCain has flop-flopped like a fish out of water. The creativity of the attacks, and the depth of the lies and insinuations emanating from this team could easily embarass the best efforts of GW Bush and Karl Rove. Look how far they've taken this counrty toward total and absolute ruin.
It is time for America to reject dirty, lying politics and dirty lying politicians.

[Shawn]

I'm more disappointed at the Obama campaign for not make John McCain Senate absenteeism more of an issue particularly in th context of recalling the Senate into session.

[Jimmy Reed]

Have you determined how many votes McCain casted during many, many, many years in the Senate? At least he did not vote "Present" all the time as Obama did. You are so bias and sarcastic, were you trained in Russia?

[gpabud]

Not much sense in reconvening Congress. Bush doesn't think emergency action on drilling is necessary. He's going on vacation.

[John in Cincinnati]

Hey, Don --

Just curious . . . Could you dig up and print McCain's and Obama's absentee rates during their respective careers in the Senate? I could use a little perspective; absent or not since April during presidential primary season doesn't tell me much.

Thanks!

[RABO]

Of course McCain's been absent. Maybe Don didn't get the memo: He's been campaigning. I can't see the story here. The LA Times seems to have missed a few things this year, I guess. Time to find some real news.
Obama '08

[A. Lincoln]

Wow. Energy problems notwithstanding, what a shallow idiot McTwit is. What will he do when he HAS the spotlight? Grin absurdly from one of his eight different exceptionally well lit porches?

I fear the constitution has also taken a break. Much more permanently.

[Tim]

Obama has not voted on far more issues than McCain during the same period. So what's your point?

Obama, senate absentee super-extrodinaire.

[Tim]

Where do I find the pro McCain blogs? Oh, never mind, I forgot that I was at the LA times.

[narphorium]

Andrew - you can find out how senators and congress reps vote at http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=9490

[reason]

It's pretty obvious by that misleading headline that the LA Times has given up even trying to even seem like a real newspaper. They have joined the NY Times in being obvious left wing democratic propoganda rags.

How is that working for you guys? Oh thats right you're losing money hand over fist. Perhaps you can take a page from Air America and steal some money from the kids to keep you afloat.

[Ellio]

Great. Let the republicans stay in Wash. while the Democrats campaign in their districts.

[ram]

THE GOP HAD THE HOUSE, SENATE, AND THE WHITE HOUSE AND DID NOTHING BUT SPEND MONEY AND DROVE US INTO THE POOR HOUSE. MCCAIN, HAS CHANGE HIS POSITIONS MORE THAN HIS UNDERWARE. WHEN ARE THE GOP APOLOGISTS GOING TO STOP THE LIES AND ADMIT THEY DIDN'T DO ONE THING TO HELP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM 2000 TO 2006. GIVE'M HELL DEMO ALL THE WAY TO THE VOTE!!!!

[JP Winder]

It's really great to know that people who leave comments on major news sites are as silly and intractable as the rest of the ignorant, divisive, blame-laying American populace. I'm moving to the EU.

[Jake Pinder]

It's reassuring to know that the people who leave comments on major news portals are as silly and intractable as the rest of the ignorant, divisive, blame-laying, stone-throwing USA populace.

I'm moving to the EU. How can we even think of ourselves as the "greatest country on Earth" anymore? We sound like idiots.

[Politi-cat]

McCain has missed 63.8% of all votes, casting only 231 out of 638. In fact, if you research who in the Senate has missed the most votes, it is John "what day job?" McCain:

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

KEY VOTES:
See how John McCain voted on key votes
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/key-votes/

MISSED VOTES:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/votes/missed/
John McCain has missed 407 votes (63.8%) during the current Congress.

VOTING WITH PARTY:
John McCain has voted with a majority of his Republican colleagues 88.3% of the time during the current Congress. This percentage does not include votes in which McCain did not vote.

VOTING WITH BUSH:
In 2007, McCain voted 90% of the time with Bush. In 2008, that percentage increased to 95%, but you cannot be sure of his percentage recently, since McCain has failed to show up to his day job to vote, despite his hypocritical demands that Congress reconvene to vote of offshore drilling.

Senator, YOU FIRST.
http://nobushthirdterm.com/mccain-says-get-back-to-work-you-first

McCain = Bush = More of the SAME