Posted by
Reeson on Monday, September 15, 2008 1:17:59 PM
The Washington Times reported September 15 that Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, has a stronger record of bipartisanship than does Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee. Writing for the Times, Stephen Dinan says, “Whether looking at bills they have led on or bills they have signed onto, Mr. McCain has reached across the aisle far more frequently and with more members than Mr. Obama since the latter came to the Senate in 2005.”
According to the report, Democrats accounted for 55 percent of McCain’s political alliances during the last two Congresses, while Obama only had Republican co-sponsors 13 percent of the time. Senator McCain has been the primary sponsor of more than 80 pieces of legislation during the last two Congresses, Dinan writes, with 120 Democratic co-sponsors out of 220 total co-sponsors, which equates to 55 percent.
Senator Obama, on the other hand, was the primary sponsor of 120 pieces of legislation with just 75 Republican co-sponsors out of 597 total co-sponsors, or 13 percent, according to Dinan. The Times analysis, which looked at both legislation that each presidential candidate sponsored and signed onto from another sponsor, supports McCain’s claim that he regularly works across party lines in the Senate.
Issues on which Mr. McCain has reached across the aisle to Democrats include climate change, government spending, torture, campaign finance reform, immigration, gun control, a patients’ bill of rights, and tax cuts, the report says.
According to the Times, an Obama spokesman declined to comment on the analysis of the two candidates’ legislative records. In addition, the Times noted, Obama aide Robert Gibbs said during the Republican convention that Senators Lugar and Coburn could attest to Senator Obama’s bipartisanship. But when questioned, Senator Lugar’s spokesman declined to be interviewed and Senator Coburn said that while Senator Obama was good to work with, there was “no comparison” to the record of Senator McCain.
And while McCain has often cited work with Democratic Senators Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, all three declined to comment on the analysis or failed to respond to requests from the Times, Dinan writes.
In closing, the Times analysis cites Congressional Quarterly studies as showing that Senator McCain has voted with Senate Republicans 85 percent of the time during his Senate career, while Senator Obama has voted with Senate Democrats 97 percent of the time since he was elected in November 2004.