Report: McCain a ‘Hero’ to Taxpayers

[GaryC 7]

Report: McCain a ‘Hero’ to Taxpayers

by Stephen Clark

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

John McCain is a “hero” to U.S. taxpayers for his lifetime record of resisting earmarks, while Barack Obama and Joe Biden are “hostile” and “unfriendly,” a government spending watchdog group has concluded.

In its new report, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste gave the Republican presidential nominee a 100 percent rating for his votes in the Senate last year, and a lifetime score of 88 percent.

By comparison, the nonpartisan, nonprofit group, which is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, assigned Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, 10 percent last year and a lifetime score of 18 percent. Biden, Obama’s running mate, scored 0 percent last year and an overall score of 22 percent.

Higher scores mean stronger resistance to federal earmarks. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate, was not included because the ratings evaluate only members of Congress.

“In spite of a growing recognition that earmarks are a problem, Congress still spends more than is necessary,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said in a written statement. “Taxpayers would be wise to hang onto their wallets and demand that Congress refocus its priorities and cut wasteful spending.”

The group has analyzed roll call votes since 1991 to distinguish members of Congress whom it describes as taxpayer advocates from those it says favor wasteful programs and pork-barrel spending. In the last year, the group rated 100 House votes and 35 Senate votes.

McCain scored 100 percent, but he failed to earn the Taxpayer Super Hero Award because he was present for only 11 of the 35 Senate votes.

Members of Congress are considered “superheroes” if they score a 100 percent rating; “heroes” earn between 80 and 99 percent; “friendly” members score between 60 and 79 percent; “lukewarm” lawmakers get between 40 and 59 percent; “unfriendly” members score between 20 and 39 percent, and “hostile” representatives and senators are measured between 0 and 19 percent.

Three GOP congressman — Reps. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Jeb Hensarling of Texas and James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin all earned superhero status.

The rankings were based on several tax-related and spending bills. Obama and Biden scored low for voting against banning the use of earmarks for a spending bill on bicycle paths or trails (McCain did not vote); and against extending Bush’s tax cuts while McCain voted in favor of it.

Obama voted against prohibiting Congress from borrowing from the Social Security Trust Fund to finance other government programs (Biden and McCain did not vote). Obama and Biden voted against barring non-defense earmarks in spending bills for ongoing combat operations while McCain voted in favor of it.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/10/re...o-to-taxpayers/

Lets see how long this takes to become about Fox news.

[IAMX 3,055]

Report: FOX News is fair and balanced.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;#entry2128345

Edited September 10, 2008 by SRVT

[Ban Hammer 12,915]

Lets see how long this takes to become about Fox news.

5.....4...3......

eat: dayum that was quick!

Edited September 10, 2008 by charles!

[SMOKE 1,426]

Lets see how long this takes to become about Fox news.

5.....4...3......

eat: dayum that was quick!

nope it was 1 minute

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Lets see how long this takes to become about Fox news.

5.....4...3......

eat: dayum that was quick!

Liberals tactic: divert and destroy the poster.

[GaryC 7]

Lets see how long this takes to become about Fox news.

5.....4...3......

eat: dayum that was quick!

I expected that. He didn't even bother to see that this was a story about a study done by another group. So much for trying to talk about issues.

[IAMX 3,055]

I bet Jim Sensenbrenner also earned superhero status for preventing John Conyers, now chairman of the Judiciary Committee, from being able to get a committee room, which would've been televised on C-SPAN, to investigate into the many illegal Bush acts, like conspiring with Downing Street, before the Iraq War, with a damning memo taking from Downing Street itself that Bush sent, to give as much false evidence he could to justify war with Iraq since Bush previously wanted war with Iraq and Congress wouldn't give it to him. Then of course the line-item veto style signing statements, extraordinary renditions, allowing of torture contrary to the Geneva conventions (which, as signatories of a treaty, he is responsible of upholding as it is law of the land), and I could go on all day.

Indeed, quite a superhero. Captain Schmuck.

[IAMX 3,055]

No takers?

By the way, McCain has a mixed history on taxes. He criticized the Bush tax cuts and voted against them until it was around election time. Then he voted for them, and is now pushing for them.

How convenient.

Edited September 10, 2008 by SRVT

[GaryC 7]

I bet Jim Sensenbrenner also earned superhero status for preventing John Conyers, now chairman of the Judiciary Committee, from being able to get a committee room, which would've been televised on C-SPAN, to investigate into the many illegal Bush acts, like conspiring with Downing Street, before the Iraq War, with a damning memo taking from Downing Street itself that Bush sent, to give as much false evidence he could to justify war with Iraq since Bush previously wanted war with Iraq and Congress wouldn't give it to him. Then of course the line-item veto style signing statements, extraordinary renditions, allowing of torture contrary to the Geneva conventions (which, as signatories of a treaty, he is responsible of upholding as it is law of the land), and I could go on all day.

Indeed, quite a superhero. Captain Schmuck.

And what does this have to do with the OP? Nothing as usual.

[Peikko 1,575]

Not being funny, but if the name of the group is to Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, doesn't that automatically imply they are going to be somewhat more keen on GOP than Dems with the perception that Dems are tax and spend and GOP are for small goverment? Hardly a non partisan group.

Not that I am against trying to reduce goverment waste, nor do I actually totally buy into the premise that Dems are one and GOP the other but still it's not really telling us anything significant is it?

[IAMX 3,055]

I bet Jim Sensenbrenner also earned superhero status for preventing John Conyers, now chairman of the Judiciary Committee, from being able to get a committee room, which would've been televised on C-SPAN, to investigate into the many illegal Bush acts, like conspiring with Downing Street, before the Iraq War, with a damning memo taking from Downing Street itself that Bush sent, to give as much false evidence he could to justify war with Iraq since Bush previously wanted war with Iraq and Congress wouldn't give it to him. Then of course the line-item veto style signing statements, extraordinary renditions, allowing of torture contrary to the Geneva conventions (which, as signatories of a treaty, he is responsible of upholding as it is law of the land), and I could go on all day.

Indeed, quite a superhero. Captain Schmuck.

And what does this have to do with the OP? Nothing as usual.

Jim Sensenbrenner is in the OP. Everything as usual. Nothing to you because it isn't something you want to read.

Go figure.

Edited September 10, 2008 by SRVT

[GaryC 7]

I bet Jim Sensenbrenner also earned superhero status for preventing John Conyers, now chairman of the Judiciary Committee, from being able to get a committee room, which would've been televised on C-SPAN, to investigate into the many illegal Bush acts, like conspiring with Downing Street, before the Iraq War, with a damning memo taking from Downing Street itself that Bush sent, to give as much false evidence he could to justify war with Iraq since Bush previously wanted war with Iraq and Congress wouldn't give it to him. Then of course the line-item veto style signing statements, extraordinary renditions, allowing of torture contrary to the Geneva conventions (which, as signatories of a treaty, he is responsible of upholding as it is law of the land), and I could go on all day.

Indeed, quite a superhero. Captain Schmuck.

And what does this have to do with the OP? Nothing as usual.

Jim Sensenbrenner is in the OP. Everything as usual. Nothing to you because it isn't something you want to read.

Go figure.

It still has nothing to do with the OP. Just to give you a little hint, the post is about votes on taxes, government waste and nothing to do with all this other ####### your bringing up. But still, it's expected from you.

[IAMX 3,055]

It still has nothing to do with the OP. Just to give you a little hint, the post is about votes on taxes, government waste and nothing to do with all this other ####### your bringing up. But still, it's expected from you.

Ok Gary, article talks about Sensenbrenner being a super hero, so I was just showing how great a Republican hero he really is. Low taxes, prevent investigations, etc. You should be proud.

Notice how you're also dragging your own thread off-topic. Taxes have also been addressed here. You're just ignoring it.

Edited September 10, 2008 by SRVT

[HAL 9000 96]

No takers?

By the way, McCain has a mixed history on taxes. He criticized the Bush tax cuts and voted against them until it was around election time. Then he voted for them, and is now pushing for them.

How convenient.

A Republican Flip Flopping? Oh tell me it ain't so!!

[luckytxn 2,264]

Kinda always wondered how one doesn't vote for tax increases and even decrease them and then turn around and help increase the Governments size therefore costing more can be known as a fiscal Conservative.

Edited September 10, 2008 by luckytxn