McCain sits out FISA vote

Reid scheduled the vote to meet up with Obama's schedule.

The vote was supposed to happen last week but Obama couldn't make it so it was postponed. Reid sets up the schedule to fit Obama's schedule but doesn't fit McCain's.

Obama can hit McSame on two fronts -- "I was there and made the best call I could and as for commitment, how many votes have you missed in the last two years? You were absent on national security (this vote), absent when it came time to give our vets the new GI bill... we've had enough of a President who goes missing, much less a Senator who can't be bothered to show up for work on crucial votes."

John McCain didn't vote on the FISA bill, or the Medicare bill, or any bills today, because he wasn't in Washington DC, as per usual. I wish the Bias Liberal Media would stop attacking McCain's record when he doesn't have a record.

http://www.womenforjohnmccain.com/

This is the same " war hero " who can't vote against an Unamerican law that protects Telecomm Corps against spying, that is, spying on innocent Americans!! What kind of a " war hero " is Senator " Questionable Conduct " McCain that allows him to support an unconstitutional law, in absentia, that gives away our privacy to our government and to the Corps !! That isn't my definition of a " war hero ", that's my definition of a Republican, a Bush Republican !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

McSame didn;t even bother to VOTE, that is even worse.......And he missed the Medicare vote......He has missed more votes in the senate then any other senator.....McSame is a disaster we cannot have this OLD, WAR MONGER who is having way tooo many senior moments in the white house

Why doesn't McCain have the guts (nuts) to show up and be a good Republican, like Barack Obama was willing to?

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. John McBush missed 65% of the votes in the Senate last year while he was pretending to represent the state of Arizona.
McCain's pathetic Senate voting record last year was the second worst in the Senate, only Senator Tim Johnson had a worse voting record..and he was recovering from brain surgery.

This is a non-story and Obama can't "hit" McCain on anything considering his massive flip-flop. McCain knew it would pass with or without him (the numbers weren't even close). We know exactly where McCain stands on FISA. He's always been for it. Obama's the one who shifts with the wind. I'm actually glad McCain saved our environment the strain of an unnecessary plane ride back to Washington and all the jet fuel it would burn.

Um Steve, McCain has missed 61.8% of votes during the current Congress. Are you suggesting that Reid managed to schedule all of these missed votes while McCain was out of town? Before making up such a stupid conspiracy theory, shouldn't you first ask yourself, "Is he ever in town?" The man has no respect for his job whatsoever. He is in it for one reason only, to be President before he dies or blow up the planet, whichever comes first.

Jeff, are you suggesting that we shouldnt go to work and do our job because we know it will get done with or without us, and still get paid? Yes we all know where McCain stands on this bill but thats not an excuse to miss work. You know, the job we pay him for. His record stinks. And your try at "helping" the enviroment by not flying to his job, Please spare us the dribble. He has no problem swinging around on his wifes private jet plane!

What? 'McCain Sits Outs FISA Vote' is not the story. More like, inexperienced political stooge filp-flops on another promise. Barry, the Chosen One, Obama who after 143 days of Senate experience all of a sudden is qualified to be our president, has once again pulled a 180 on a campaign promise. Realizing that voting against the FISA vote was a position that only looney leftist crackpots can endorse, Obama chooses to vote for FISA to gain the votes of regular Americans. The loopsided vote tally provded that McCain was on the right side of this issue from the begining. The side that supports America, not crackpots and crooked trial lawyers.

Obama = Neville Chamberlain= appeasement to terrorists.

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

Unlike Obama, who not only has a fawning, biased mainstream media to campaign for him, but also can afford to have large numbers of staff in every state to campaign for him since he exempted himself from adhering to campaign finance reform restrictions (after pledging to abide by them), McCain has to actually campaign himself. His vote wouldn't have made a difference anyway. Sen. Obama, on the other hand, is now going to vote in earnest to attempt to rectify his standing as the most liberal senator last year to garner more votes in the fall.

So sorry, but McCain's absence doesn't erase the fact that it's another expedient reversal for our good Senator from Illinois. What kind of change can we really expect from this clearly old-school, business-as-usual politician?

McCain is just as much of a do nothing, power hungry, rightwing lunitic fringer as Bush and Cheney are.

There were 99 Senators on the floor of the Senate to cast their ballots for the Medicare vote today. Barack Obama was there...and even Ted Kennedy was there. Kennedy was not scheduled back until September. Kennedy had brain surgery not too long ago. Yet he was able to suck it up and get his butt on the floor to cast an important vote for cloture.

Who would miss not only this important vote, but also the FISA votes today?

Well, JOHN MCCAIN.

McCain was probably too busy off campaigning in some state that Bush won last election to even show up for these votes. McCain has better things to do than, you know, his job. His opponent, Barack Obama, and 98 of his colleagues showed up, though.

The 69 Senators who voted for the bill showed up.

But remember, this bill came up before. And it received only 59 votes, not the 60 needed to prevent a filibuster. Who was missing that time? Ted Kennedy. Well, and John McCain, but that goes without saying. John McCain can't be bothered to show up for his job.

If I missed my job to go looking for another job, I would most likely be fired. Not John McCain.

John McCain can't be bothered to do the job that the people of Arizona elected him to do; instead, he is too busy looking for a promotion. A promotion which he doesn't deserve.

Scot, John McCain's job right now is winning the presidency and preventing the most liberal wolf in sheep's clothing from ever getting to the oval office. It's a bit more important, I'd say, than spending a day travelling to vote on somethng you know will pass anyway. Big picture, kiddo.

I can't put into words how dissapointed I am to see that Barack Obama supported this FISA bill. Granting the phone companies imunity just shows who's really in charge in Washington.

Don Fitz, you criticize McCain for not voting against FISA. What do you have to say about Obama who actually voted for it?

Jeff you're an idiot. McCAINS JOB RIGHT NOW IS THE SENATOR OF ARIZONA! McCain has the worst voting record in the current Congress and you approve of this! Just proves even further the disregard you and your right wingers have for the Constitution and the process of Democracy in The United States! The big picture kiddo is respecting the people who voted for you and doing your job!

Jeff,
When employers look at potential employees, one of the most important factors - if not the most important factor - is reliability and showing up for work. We should expect no less from a senator or candidate. While it may be physically impossible to campaign and completely fulfill the obligation to appear to vote when necessary.
An employer would not keep an employee if that employee missed 61% of the time. Fortunately, voters have the luxury of knowing the voting records ahead of time and can decide whether demonstrating leadership in the performance of senatorial obligations is, indeed, important or not. Personally, I think it is.

Unlike, you Republots, I don't expect Senator Obama to have Identical positions on every issue, that I have!!
What amazes me is that the great " war hero " , Senator " Questionable Conduct " McCain, the Lobbyist's darling, was too busy to vote on an issue that concerns our national security. The Republots want it both ways, they want to attack Senator Obama for being concerned about our national security and yet, their candidate can't even show up for a vote on national security. The Republicans are something else: Don't do as I do, do as I say !! They may talk a good christian game, but don't look at what they are doing to the battered people in Iraq !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

I don't think McCain has bothered to vote on anything since April! I guess no one can criticize him for his voting record as a Senator because he no longer has one.

New slogan suggestions for the McCain campaign:

"Where's John?"

"McCain for President - That's a job I'll show up for"

"McCain: Leadership in Absentia"

"McCain - Working hard for my next job"

Scot, I'm not going to continue replying to you if you insist on calling other posters childish names.
McCain's employer is the collective citizen's of Arizona. Considering they just reelected him and gave him a large victory in the primaries it looks like they approve of his representation, and that's really all that matters. Your opinion of him, as a resident of Canada, is immaterial.
McCain also won the job of being the nominee for his party for the office of President of the United States. That job, as I said before, is a bit more important than any job in the senate. Just ask Obama who vowed to not run for President in 2006.
Look at the numbers, bots, the vote wasn't even close.

OBAMA MADE THE DECISION TO VOTE FOR THIS FISA BILL TO PROTECT THE USA. OBAMA HE MADE THE DECISON TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE OTHER SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS EXPIRE THIS SUMMER, THAT THERE WILL BE SOMETHING ELSE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE USA REMAINS SAFE.

OBAMA HAS ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT FISA NEEDED TO BE IN PLACE TO MONITOR AND TRACK INDIVIDUALS LIVING OUTSIDE OUR COUNTRY, WHO WANT TO ATTACK THE USA, AND THAT BECAUSE CERTAIN ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE ORDERS WILL BEGIN TO EXPIRE THIS SUMMER, THE FISA SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE.

OBAMA MADE THE DECISION TO PROTECT THE USA, HE MADE THE DECISON TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS EXPIRE THIS SUMMER, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE IN PLACE, THIS FISA BILL, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL REMAIN SAFE.

JOHN McCAIN COULDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO SHOW UP TO VOTE AT ALL!!

It is time to calm down and view what has happened in its proper context --

In control of every aspect of government (Presidency, Senate, House, Supreme Court, Justice Department, and even most military officers were Republicans) in 2002, the Republicans NEVER thought they would ever see the day that the FISA machine was turned on them -- of course they NOW want to curb it and the Democrats want to retain it so they meet in the middle.

The power to monitor and attenuate the communications of an entire sector of American society who the people in power regard as enemies and competitors is very useful. You can fully control their access to business opportunities, jobs and control political organization and dissent -- this is not something you give up just to be honorable and decent -- it is something you wait your turn for.

I have no problem with Democrats turning that machine on the Republicans -- it is time to teach these people a lesson they never will forget -- especially if after everything comes out that they did the last 8 years and the Republicans are not back in power and able to use FISA for their purposes for another 40 years.

I call it POETIC JUSTICE in capital letters.