The American Mind

Obama-Coburn Transparency Act.

Seriously, it’s not that hard. I can’t imagine why a state senator couldn’t think of it; in the meantime, of course, nobody can remember a single senate accomplishment for Clinton or McCain, at all.

But it’s hilarious that this meme gets appended to Obama when it’s simply a matter of objective fact that he’s accomplished more in his time in the Senate than either McCain or Hillary, despite their longer terms of office.

Chet, I’m in no mood to defend Sen. McCain but claiming Obama has accomplish more in his three years in the Senate than McCain has in his two-plus decades is truly laughable. If that hilarious accusation starts taking root I’ll swat it down as easily as Hank Aaron hit a home run.

McCain but claiming Obama has accomplish more in his three years in the Senate than McCain has in his two-plus decades is truly laughable.

Laugh if you like; just explain to me what McCain’s done in twenty years besides march lockstep with George Bush, piss off conservatives by making reasonable noises about immigration and torture (all the while taking absolutely no action on either issue), and develop an absurd reputation in the media as a “straight-talking maverick.”

I mean, there’s only one bill I can find that has his name on it, and it’s the one bill you all seem to hate, so it doesn’t seem to have turned out to be much of an accomplishment. Oh, and he was tortured once, but that happened before he was a Senator, right?

Even rabid Republican ideologue MjM wasn’t able to name a single McCain accomplishment. I think that speaks volumes about your guy, and I look forward in glee to the general election, when the paucity and mendacity of McCain’s senate record destroys the nonsense “Obama is an empty suit” meme and McCain’s chances of being president, besides.

McCain’s “my guy?” Someone should have told me that. I’ve only said I’ll vote for him over Sens. Obama and Clinton.

Can I assume Obama is “your guy?”

Again, your screaming give readers added reason to ignore you. Add a touch of stalking and you’ll be well on your way to JT-land.

[…] More at: Flopping Aces | The American Mind |  |  | Related PostsWatson is a shill: Graphic EditionHannity illustrates ‘the Obama truth’ perfectly.Che at Obama round up. Update: Woman responsible is hypocrite, no surprise.Candidate ObamaWolf Blitzer: “Hey, you’re not a white guy, how about voting for Obama?”Good, maybe the Roniacs and Paulinites will fall back into the shadows now […]

A great blog post from 2006 that pretty much blows the “empty suit” meme out of the water.

From 2006.

Most of his work in the Senate apparently has been non-sexy but important stuff that would likely bore most people and anger conservatives in particular. Quality control on genetic testing? Why, that’s MORE GOV’MINT REGULATION, BY GUMBO!

People are ignoring the “empty suit” claims because A) smart people know they’re BS (what has Hillary done besides be a President’s wife? What high-profile, “sexy” legislation has she sponsored?), and B) the central crux of his campaign is that he’s so new to Washington that the city hasn’t ground him down and turned him into Just Another Democrat yet. That right there is enough to make up for any of his perceived “shortcomings.”

Yes, you can assume that Obama is my guy.

Again, your screaming give readers added reason to ignore you.

Screaming where? Sean, I made substantive points. If you can’t address them, you should say so - not misrepresent my remarks as “screaming.”

Add a touch of stalking

You flatter yourself, I think. I’m really not interested in you like that, Sean.

Holy mackerel!

Bills about Katrina!

Bills about Veterans Care!

Bills about CAFE standards!

Bills about Lead Paint!

I betcha nobody, and I mean NOBODY, has EVER concocted bills like those before!

And now, the Number 1 all-time best Obamamama Bill…..[queue pennant-draped horns]

“Health Care for Hybrids”

“This bill would set up a voluntary program in which automakers could choose to receive federal financial assistance towards their retiree healthcare costs. In return, the automakers would be required to reinvest these savings into developing fuel-efficient vehicles.” - Obama

(Such that the companies save nothing whatsoever, continue their cash-crunch decline, and we the taxfaucets pay for it.)

Wonderful wonderful (liberal) logic.

How about Lugar-Obama, MjM? Or is nuclear arms security also a risible accomplishment in your book?

Incidentally, still waiting for your great big list of McCain’s accomplishments. How come that’s not forthcoming?

Like i said, “non-sexy but important stuff that would likely bore most people and anger conservatives in particular.” The point is that, like we keep saying, the “empty suit” meme has no truth to it. Whether the things he’s done are things that far-right conservatives like is irrelevant to that point.

Dj, is it possible that you have an impossible standard for “sexy” legislation?

I mean, what would rise to that level for you, if Obama’s work on congressional corruption doesn’t? Or arms security? Or restricting corruption-laden “no-bid” contracting in Katrina reconstruction efforts?

The more I read about Obama’s record, the more impressed I am. Everybody else is the empty suit compared to what this guy has done in only four years in the Senate. Amazing.

Newcler Arms!

Nobody has ever mentioned that before, either!

The man is Shear Genius! (zzzzzzzzip!)

but… but.. now wait just a doggone minute here, chester.

“Lugar-Obama” was primarily a _conventional_ weapons bill!

To wit: ‘”Under Senator Lugar’s leadership, the Nunn-Lugar program has safely disposed of literally thousands of weapons of mass destruction which, had they fallen into the wrong hands, could have been used against America with catastrophic results. The Lugar-Obama bill will build on this success by helping other nations find and eliminate conventional weapons.” said Obama.’

Ignorant about even your guy, chester? Or just embellishing his so-called ‘accomplishments’?

btw, again, by your own measurement you should be supporting McCain, since the CR shows McCain to have sponsored over 400 bills, co-sponsoring over 800.

Why, it was even Obamamama hisself signing johnny-come-lately on to McCain’s S.1033.

And while you are frantically looking that up, name the first bill sponsored by Obamamama to actually pass and be signed into law by the prez. Bonus points for naming the date of the signing.

Now go do your homework or you’ll get no pudding.

Oh, sorry Sean. I didn’t see the update until now. Let’s go over your list:

pushing for the Petraeus surge

Which, ultimately, completely failed to reduce violence or effect political reconciliation.

opposing earmarks

Earmarks more than doubled during McCain’s time in the Republican congress.

beating back a bad deal to have the Air Force lease fuel tankers

Michael Wynne, one of the officials at the heart of the leasing controversy, was promoted to lead the Air Force in 2005. Some “beating.”

voting against the budget-busting Medicare drug plan.

Which passed anyway.

Sean, I really think you have an idiosyncratic definition of “accomplishment.” Either that or you’re channeling your 5th grade hockey coach - “you’re a winner if you try.”

Newcler Arms!

The man is Shear Genius! (zzzzzzzzip!)

Truly, MjM, your posts border on the incomprehensible.

Ignorant about even your guy, chester?

Not at all, MjM. Lugar-Obama had provisions for nuclear arms security, as well. You’re simply lying about Obama’s record. Hilzoy’s got it covered here:

http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/02/obama-actually.html

you should be supporting McCain, since the CR shows McCain to have sponsored over 400 bills, co-sponsoring over 800.

Quality, not quantity, MjM. You’re still not listing his accomplishments. Is that because there’s nothing to list?

Chet,

To clarify, i was putting the word “sexy” in quotes to point out how ridiculous the notion is. Everything Obama’s worked on that’s been mentioned here is vitally important in my opinion. It’s not “sexy” because most of it isn’t gonna capture the imagination of the everyday American public because it’s not simplistic stuff. That’s more a criticism of mainstream voters than of Obama.

You think MjM’s able to use anyone’s proper name without turning it into some sophomoric nickname if he doesn’t agree with them? It’s like a speech impediment with this guy.

That’s more a criticism of mainstream voters than of Obama.

I gotcha. Honestly, though, a lot of Obama’s record could really dispel the notion that he’s some kind of policy lightweight if it’s used correctly. Maybe that’s the plan; draw out the detractors into overextending their claims, and then dismiss them in one fell swoop, like jujitsu.

Well, I can hope.

>>>Truly, MjM, your posts border on the incomprehensible.

Realize: coming from you that’s not saying much.

>>>You’re simply lying about Obama’s record.

Actually, I’m not. It’s your lack of comprehension that made you miss the ‘primarily’ part.

On the flip side, posing Lugar-Obama as a nuclear arms security bill, intentionally not mentioning it’s stated primary purpose, is the deception, chester. Such proven by Obama’s own words.

>>>Quality, not quantity

S.RES.529 A resolution designating July 13, 2006, as “National Summer Learning Day”.

So you’ve changed your tune since you wrote, “…during his time in the senate he’s sponsored a dozen or so successful bills,…”

No matter, really.

Say, why don’t you identify these Obama sponsored “successful bills” for us, chester? Then we can, once and for all, see and judge for ourselves the roll-call of Obama Accomplishments.

Oh, wait, I see ya’all ignored even the easy question of his first, sponsored, actually passed/signed-into-law legislation (bonus points for date of signing).

Never mind.

>>>You’re still not listing his Accomplishments. Is that because there’s nothing to list?

Don’t know. Not/never being a McCainite, I’ve never followed his career.

See, your problem (well, one of many), chester, is that, swimming about in that idealogical cloud of insanity of yours, you go about seeing and assuming things that just have no basis in reality. As seen above, you assumed Sean was a McCainite (as if his stint as a Thompson Gunner never existed). You obviously assume the same of me.

And so, on go your dillusions.

To DJ:
~sigh~ As we have discussed (2,3,4 times) prior, yes, I like to have a little fun with words/names (if you got ’shear genius’ let chester in on it, he struggles, ya know). For the last time, enjoy it or ignore it, or better, just get over it.

It’s your lack of comprehension that made you miss the ‘primarily’ part.

Wow, sounds like you just refuted your own argument, then. Amazing how quickly you backpedal, Mjm, in the face of the facts. (If they built a backwards bicycle you could win the yellow jersey.)

On the flip side, posing Lugar-Obama as a nuclear arms security bill, intentionally not mentioning it’s stated primary purpose,

I don’t see the argument, buddy. I listed nuclear arms security as one of Obama’s accomplishments, and the bill that accomplished that was Lugar-Obama. Sure, it did some other things to, but that only adds to Obama’s wins, it’s hardly a refutation of my point. The fact is that Lugar-Obama accomplishes both nuclear and conventional arms security. Your charge of dishonesty simply falls flat.

Don’t know. Not/never being a McCainite, I’ve never followed his career.

As usual, arguing from a position of ignorance. I understand the temptation, of course - it’s a lot easier than actually doing the research - but what I can never understand about people like you, MjM, is why you’re so proud to know so little.

if you got ’shear genius’ let chester in on it, he struggles, ya know

MjM, you need to face the reality that you’re a lot less clever than you think. (And, again, it’s “sheer”.)

[…] We’ve already seen some of critical coverage with Chris “Thrill Going Up My Leg” Matthews playing hardball with an Obama surrogate. And before last Thursday’s Democratic debate CNN reporters were asking whether the Obama movement was more of a cultural fad than a serious Presidential campaign. […]