Obama just like other politicians
Since Sen. Obama is now the Democratic's Party candidate for President, let's look at his record in Congress in representing the people of Illinois for this year and last year. In 2007, he did not vote on issues before the Senate 164 times. In 2008 thus far, he did not vote 56 percent of the time, 78 times out of a possible 141 issues before the Senate. Even though his candidacy brought out more people to vote in the primaries, it is too bad that he had dishonored his commitment to the people of Illinois by his failure to vote.
When he did vote, he voted each year against motions to repeal the increase in income taxes for persons receiving Social Security benefits and for establishing a reserve fund for Social Security (seniors, take notice). He voted against amendments to extend the present income tax rate structure to protect 28 million families, individuals and small businesses from having their tax rates increased, to repeal the death tax and to save families from the Alternative Minimum Tax by permitting a reduction for personal exemptions. If you think that the present economy is bad, it will be probably be even worse with more income taxes withheld from your earnings if he is elected president.
He voted against an amendment to provide for the true deficit in appropriation bills, and to pay down the federal debt and reduce waste by reducing spending on programs rated ineffective. Later, he again voted against a similar motion concerning the effectiveness of federal programs and reducing the federal debt by eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.
He voted against information sharing between federal and local law enforcement agencies regarding a person's immigrant status. In hearings of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, he voted against an amendment to establish a permanent bar to residency for gang members, terrorists and other criminals. He also voted against an amendment to save the American taxpayers up to $24 billion in ten years by preventing the Earned Income Credit from being claimed by temporary workers and illegal aliens if they were granted legal permanent residency under this Act. It is interesting to note that one of the times he did not vote was on amendment to bring Osama bin Laden and other leaders of al Qaeda to justice.
Let's face it, Obama is a Chicago politician. One Democratic member of the Illinois legislature recently said Illinois is one of the most corrupt, dysfunctional states in the Union. What does this say about Obama, who is from Chicago and Cook County, which I feel are the most corrupt city and county in Illinois?
Larry King
Gurnee