Ask Me Help Desk - Sarah Palin are Alaska for Vice President!

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Originally Posted by Emland

How long did Obama serve in the US Senate before beginning his campaign for President?

I had posted his resume on the previous page. Here's the U.S. Senate entry:

United States Senate 2004-present

* Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
* Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs
* Member, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
* Member, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
* Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs
* Shares responsibility for the bipartisan Coburn-Obama Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, requiring full online disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds, and the bipartisan Lugar-Obama Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, and Conventional Threat Reduction Act of 2006, deepening non-proliferation work with WMD and including surface-to-air missiles, land mines, and other weapons that may be used by terrorists.

Thanks Wondergirl, I was aware of his resume, but that doesn't quite answer my question.

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Originally Posted by Emland

How long did Obama serve in the US Senate before beginning his campaign for President?

Thanks Wondergirl, I was aware of his resume, but that doesn't quite answer my question.

"2004-Present" doesn't answer your question? What is your question?

How long had he served before he started campaigning for President. I have heard rumors that he basically showed up, put his stuff away and started working the party big wigs for the presidential nod. There is so much snark out there it is tough to know what is what.

Hello Em:

It's true. He HAS been campaigning for four years... Ok, McCain's been campaigning for 16 years. Yer not thinking being a senator is a full time position, are you?? Let me disabuse you of that notion.

I don't think the fact that either of them wants to be president should be held against them.

excon

Anyone know how many times McCain has abstained from voting or missed voting on Senate bills?

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Originally Posted by Emland

How long had he served before he started campaigning for President. I have heard rumors that he basically showed up, put his stuff away and started working the party big wigs for the presidential nod. There is so much snark out there it is tough to know what is what.

Psssssst. Tell excon Obama has NOT been campaigning for four years.

Sen. Durbin Backs Barack Obama for President
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 11:24 a.m. EDT

Barack Obama is getting a push toward a presidential run from fellow Democratic senator from Illinois, Durbin.

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Durbin said he's told Obama he should look "long and hard" at the possibility of running. The 44-year-old Obama has already said he won't run for president in 2008.

But Durbin says Obama brings something special to politics. He says Obama connects better with people than anyone he's ever seen. And Durbin adds that he thinks Obama has the potential to unite people from both Democratic and Republican regions of the country.

And, yes, Durbin also says he would endorse an Obama candidacy should he decide to run.

**********

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Feb. 10, 2007 -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama formally opened his campaign for president here Saturday, invoking memories of Abraham Lincoln and challenging a new generation to help him transform the nation.

Standing on the grounds of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln delivered his famous "House Divided" speech against slavery in 1858, the Democratic first-term senator began a bid for the White House that barely seemed possible just a few months ago but could make him the first black president. "I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness -- a certain audacity -- to this announcement," he said. "I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change."

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Originally Posted by Choux

Her life is like a soap opera ...//...Women want health care, good jobs, help for the middle class, an end to endless war and endless national debt.....EVERYTHING THAT OBAMA AND JOE ARE GOING TO DELIVER FOR THEM.

I hope for everyone that you will be right on that !

:)

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Originally Posted by Emland

Anyone know how many times McCain has abstained from voting or missed voting on Senate bills?

Call or visit your public library. There is something called the Congressional Quarterly, in print or online (it is by subscription, I think). Here's information about it with sample pages:

CQ | Congressional News, Bill Tracking, Transcripts, Government Documents and more

The stats you want are in that.

Thanks, Wondergirl.

Obama made his speech in the same place as the renown Republican, Abe Lincoln? That's amusing.

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Originally Posted by Emland

Thanks, Wondergirl.

Obama made his speech in the same place as the renown Republican, Abe Lincoln? That's amusing.

You're welcome. The Old State Capitol is in Springfield, Illinois, the seat of state government. Lincoln is known to have brought people and even political parties together. If you get a chance, read this book (the following information is from the author's web site) --

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.

This brilliant multiple biography and New York Times bestseller is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.

Found some good stuff. McCain has missed/abstained 64% of the time this Congressional period versus 45% by Obama.

McCain votes with the party 88.3% of the time and Obama votes with his party 96%.

Found it here: Members of Congress: Senate | Congress votes database | washingtonpost.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emland

Found some good stuff. McCain has missed/abstained 64% of the time this Congressional period versus 45% by Obama.

McCain votes with the party 88.3% of the time and Obama votes with his party 96%.

Found it here: Members of Congress: Senate | Congress votes database | washingtonpost.com

Emland, I am just learning here, so can you tell me what this means please?

Means McCain hasn't shown up for work for 64% of the votes or didn't want to make a decision. Ditto for Obama.

I found the party line voting percentage interesting since Obama said during the DNC that McCain votes with Bush 94% of the time.

Thanks!;)

What the Obama campaign mentioned, for example during the Democrat convention, is that McCain voted with Dubya ninety percent of the time which is an average of several years. That ninety-four percent figure was either for the past year or up until Sept of this year. I've posted those stats in another thread. According to the stats above in Emlands post, McCain votes with his party eighty-eight percent, which means he actually votes more with Dubya, than the average. In other words, McCain is closer to Dubya (W), than X,Y, and Z.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Now, please comment on Palin's resume.

I already did.

Education-
University of Idaho - BS in Communication/Journalism, minor in Poly Sci, class of 1987.

Career & Businesses-
In 1988, she worked as a sports reporter for KTUU-TV in Anchorage, Alaska. She also helped in her husband’s family commercial fishing business.
In 2004, she was a part owner of a car wash business. That makes her both a private sector employee and a small business owner.

Public Office -
Two 3-year terms as member of the Wassila, Ak city council (1992 & 1995).

She won the office of Mayor of Wassila from 3-time encumbent in 1996 on a platform of reducing wasteful spending. She served two terms as mayor.

In 2003, she was appointed to chair the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, where she also served as ethics supervisor. In 2004 she resigned over what she described as the "lack of ethics" of fellow Republican members. She filed complaints that caused the resignations of two Republican members of the Commission and the payment of a fine by one of them.

In 2006, she ran against Gov. Murrowski and won the primary. Then, despite spending less than her Democratic opponent, she won the election on a "clean government" platform. At the age of 42, she was both the youngest and the first female governor in AK history. As governor, she cut state spending by roughly $237 million through the use of her line-item veto powers. She sold an unnecessary private jet bought by the prior administration on e-bay for $2.1 million, and she turned down federal money for the "bridge to nowhere".

(Compare that to Obama who never met a government perk he didn't accept.)

In short, Palin has both small-business and executive leadership experience that Obama does not. She has budget-cutting experience than Obama does not. She has ethics experience that Obama does not. She has reform experience that Obama does not. And she has a history of bucking her own party that Obama does not.

Elliot

Guys . To be real ,please subtract the votes like the unanamous votes congratulating the Giants for winning the SuperBowl. This bs about percentage of votes he has voted with President Bush is the most deceiving stat I've ever seen.

Here is the bottom line: on many occasions McCain has crossed party lines and voted with the Democrats(much to my chagrin) . I'd like to see one instance when Obama has not voted in lock step with his party.

I've been back on that votes database I provided before and have found that the Republican senators average in the high 80s percentage wise in voting with the GOP.

Their Democratic counterparts vote in the mid to high 90 percent with Mrs. Clinton having the highest score I have found so far at 97.2%.

So, does that mean that the Senate Republicans are more independent of their party or that they don't have faith in the legislation being presented?

Keep in mind many of the Senate votes are unanimous for naming bridges and congratulating the winner of the National Little Leauge, etc so it is important to look at the key legislation.

Some of the Senators have a break down of their key votes. I backed out the unanimous and abstained votes and got a 78% party line vote for McCain and 91% for Obama.

I know a lot of people have been following the conventions closely, but I haven't wasted a minute on it. I think it is more important to find out what people have done while in public service rather than what they say.

I'm not happy that McCain has missed so many votes and I don't agree with many of the votes Obama has made. So I am still stuck with a decision to make.

Which votes were they ? Again that is important . This year a certain leeway has to be given to those who were campaigning . The question really is ;which important votes were they absent for ? Also check out how often Obama has convened his important Foreign Relations sub-commitee on European Affairs since he was named chairman .As you know European issues have been in the forefront of the news lately .Also since NATO is involved in Afghanistan ;that also falls under his oversight.

There is a lot of information to wade through. I'm keeping an informal scorecard on a stenopad with the general overview first. Next, I'm going to find the votes that are important to me and check that out. A lot of good info can be found at ontheissues.org as well.

And here Em: THOMAS (Library of Congress)

Emland great site(onthe issues.org) . I use it regularly . Some trivia... Jesse Gordon used to be a Politics Board expert in the old Askme site.

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Originally Posted by ETWolverine

Sorry for getting here so late. Been away for a while. But I'm BaaaaaaaK!!!!!

Welcome back, Elliot... 'bout time. :D

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Yer not thinking being a senator is a full time position, are you??

Bingo . The only time the country is truly safe is when Congress is on break. At least they can do no harm that way.

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Wait till the story of Palin's extramarital affair breaks in a few days, folks.

Nice slander . Let me guess .Info from the Evita supporting owner of the National Enquirer... or more toilet paper innuendo and distortions by the Obama supporting Us Magazine?? No ;I was right the 1st time.

Like I said in another posting : Let the Borking begin.

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Organizing and other work experience

1983-1984 Writer/Researcher for Business International Corporation. Helped companies understand overseas markets in the “Financing Foreign Operations” service and wrote for the “Business International Money Report”

I need some research... I know he was editor of the Harvard Law Review and he claims to be a professor of law. But as far as I can tell he is not published except for his ghost written bios(both of whch I have now completed reading ). Can someone show me what legal essay in the Law review ,or other legal brief /Amicus curiae.. any legal scholarly writing he has published??

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More experience being mayor of a hamlet? More experience being governor of a state that has more reindeer than people? Has about as many people as the state of Delaware?

And ONE of the Senators from Delaware is Joe Biden.

The difference being that Palin runs the state of Alaska and Biden is a lifer in the Senate ;getting his automatic reelection based on how much pork his son the lobbyist can deliver to the state. He is one of 100 Senators no matter how many important commitees he sits in .

The question between the 2 of them is judgement ,and clearly the sub-divison of Iraq that Biden floated throughout his campaign was the single dumbest policy proposal in the entire conflict.He has shown time and time again that he is just wrong on the issues of the day. He even voted against the 1st Gulf war .

Good one, NK. Thanks.

Wow, newsflash... "Senator usually votes along party lines." You pick the Senator...

It appears BDS is being overtaken by PDS - Palin Derangement Syndrome - as the latest trend in mental disorders.

Potomac Watch - WSJ.com

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Enter Mrs. Palin. The former mayor of Wasilla had been appointed by Mr. Murkowski in 2003 to the state oil and gas regulatory agency. She'd had the temerity to blow the whistle on fellow GOP Commissioner Randy Ruedrich for refusing to disclose energy dealings. Mr. Murkowski and GOP Attorney General Gregg Renkes closed ranks around Mr. Ruedrich—who also chaired the state GOP. Mrs. Palin resigned. Having thus offended the entire old boy network, she challenged the governor for his seat.

Mrs. Palin ran against the secret deal, and vowed to put the pipeline back out for competitive, transparent, bidding. She railed against cozy politics. Mr. Murkowski ran on his unpopular pipeline deal. The oil industry warned the state would never get its project without his leadership. Mrs. Palin walloped him in the primary and won office in late 2006. Around this time, news broke of a federal probe that would show oil executives had bribed lawmakers to support the Murkowski tax changes

She took on her own party / GOP. Against the guy who first appointed her.

She fought against coruption - and won

What Palin Really Did To the Oil Industry - WSJ.com

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As a new governor in 2007, Mrs. Palin stepped in to address the fiscal crisis and restore accountability. Working with Democrats and Republicans alike, she chose a 25% profits tax. But in lean years the state reverts to a 10% gross revenue tax on legacy fields that do not require massive continuing inputs of new capital.

Relative to the old system, Mrs. Palin's plan -- called "Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share" (ACES) -- improves incentives for developing new resources. It ensures the state does well in boom times -- as it is doing now -- when oil prices are high. But it also hedges against low prices in the future by ensuring that oil companies exposed to commodity price swings don't face a crushing tax burden when commodity prices fall.

A direct share in oil profits for every citizen is the ultimate incentive for more drilling.

She did this for her state's citizens , imagine how helpful she would be to the country's citizens! :D

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Originally Posted by inthebox

imagine how helpful she would be to the country's citizens! :D

Just be glad you aren't a bear or a wolf, but, in any case, watch out for low-flying Cessnas.

I'm glad I live in a country where a working mother of 5, can prove herself to the citizens she represents, fight against politically self interested establishment, believes in protecting the unborn, and be a contender against the -----

Typical politician that have law degree[s], or been in congress for 36 years, or have the MSM fawning over him as he visits Iraq for the first time in > 2 years, or have connections with known terrorists, or those who propose "solutions" that rely on increasing taxes and expanding government power.

Yes, I'm glad that to be a citizen in a country that respects a person's achievements based on merit. Not on gender or race.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inthebox

I'm glad I live in a country where a working mother of 5, can prove herself to the citizens she represents, fight against politically self interested establishment, believes in protecting the unborn, and be a contender against the -----

typical politician that have law degree[s], or been in congress for 36 years, or have the MSM fawning over him as he visits Iraq for the first time in > 2 years, or have connections with known terrorists, or those who propose "solutions" that rely on increasing taxes and expanding government power.

Yes, I'm glad that to be a citizen in a country that respects a person's achievements based on merit. Not on gender or race.

Not saying raising a family isn't hard, but my dad and step mom raised 9 kids, and own a successful bussines, have fought against unfairness and such, butthat doesn't mean they would be good enough for VP. In fact if they were the VP, they would probably cause mass chaos.

Its not like I'm a parent, so maybe I'm just underthinking it, but being a parent doesn't means you know how to deal with foreign issues, war, inflation, etc...

She is not only a parent.

She was a mayor, and is Govenor. :)

Look at it this way, Cheney and Rumsfeld have a tremendous amount of "experience,"
But look where that has gotten this country. :mad:

She is true change, someone outside the Washington beltway, outside the political classess who has accomplishments that a 36 year senator can't hold a candle to.

Biden Was Wrong On the Cold War - WSJ.com

Believe me, I'm not one of those "experience required" people. All of our bad presidents have had tons of experience, but it just comes down to their decisions. I don't know much about her so I don't argue against her yet..

She definitely seems to be a talented person, so we'll see what happens

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Originally Posted by inthebox

Yes, I'm glad that to be a citizen in a country that respects a person's achievements based on merit. Not on gender or race.

You must be a white male.

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Originally Posted by inthebox

She was a mayor, and is Govenor.

New bumper sticker:

Jesus was a Community Activist. Pontius Pilot was a Governor.

And do you think Jesus would've threw his hat in the ring ? As I recall he said “My kingdom is not of this world".

Supporters of Zeus Obama often wonder why he gets ridiculed as being "the Messiah " even as they perpetrate that myth themselves.

John Judis at New Republic points out that Obama told his community organizing mentor that he quit the job because the pay was too low . Obama told Kellman that he feared ending up destitute and unhappy like his dad. ‘He wanted to marry and have children, and to have a stable income’

Creation Myth
But he also admitted that the role of community organizer was an ineffective role .“you either had to be an elected official or be influential with elected officials.”Obama believed that politicians, not community organizers made history.

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Obama was having doubts about community organizing. By the early fall of 1987–a little more than two years after he had come to Chicago — Obama had decided to apply to Harvard Law School. At some point thereafter, he began to explain his decision to friends and colleagues. The most revealing of these discussions are not reported in Dreams from My Father.
It was not just the walk he took with Kellman through Harvard’s campus. Obama also talked to Kruglik about his reasons for leaving Chicago. In their conversations, he described politics–and winning political office–as the most important step toward achieving change. And, instead of seeing [Mayor] Harold Washington as buffeted by forces beyond his control, he now aspired to be Washington.

To the ambitious Obama community organizing didn’t change history; power and leaders with charisma changed history.

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Before he was done, Obama had rejected the guiding principles of community organizing: the elevation of self-interest over moral vision; the disdain for charismatic leaders and their movements; and the suspicion of politics itself.

Obama can deny it all he wants to ;but the principal reason he left "community organizing " was because it was a waste of time.