"In a Democratic event from Sunday, Nov. 16, 2003, then-state senator Obama told a cheering crowd that it was wrong to vote to fund the war. Sen. Obama said he would have 'unequivocally' voted against war funding because it was the only way to oppose Bush on Iraq." After being elected to the U.S. Senate in the fall of 2004 Obama then proceeded to support every funding bill for the Iraq war!
War funding Bills:
[2005 Vote # 117, HR1268, 5/10/05; 2005 Vote # 326, S1042, 11/15/05; 2006 Vote # 112, HR4939, 5/4/06; 2006 Vote # 239; 2006 Vote # 186, S2766, 6/22/06, HR5631, 9/7/06]
What he is doing is one thing and telling you what you should conclude, which is another. I suppose the weak minded or lazy will gleefully follow along, we sure did when G. Bush ran!
Obama also has a history of dodging commitments on tough votes. In a New York Times article on December 20, Raymond Hernandez and Christopher Drew report that Obama's often voted just "present" in the Illinois Senate. They write:
"In 1999, Barack Obama was faced with a difficult vote in the Illinois legislature — to support a bill that would let some juveniles be tried as adults, a position that risked drawing fire from African-Americans, or to oppose it, possibly undermining his image as a tough-on-crime moderate. In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted "present," effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator."
Obama conveniently takes an antiwar stance but does nothing to stop it. What he does do is avoid voting on important issues time after time.
Here are more votes on security and the Iraq War:
Did Not Vote: Date: 01/22/2008 Bill Number: HR 4986 - To provide for the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
Did Not Vote: 12/18/2007 - Bill Number: HR 2764 - Sponsor: Rep. Lowey, Nita (D-NY) - Prohibits these funds from being used to enter into an agreement with the government of Iraq that would subject members of the Armed Forces of the United States to the jurisdiction of Iraq criminal courts or punishment under Iraq law (Division L, Title VI, Sec. 612).
- Requires the Department of Defense to provide Congress with periodic reports regarding the political, security, economic, and security force training objectives in Iraq, as well as a notional timetable for achieving these goals.
Did Not Vote: Date: 12/18/2007 Bill Number: S Amdt 3875 - Sen. Feingold, Russell (D-WI) - To provide for the safe redeployment of United States troops from Iraq.
Did Not Vote: Date: 12/18/2007 Bill Number: HR 2764 - Vote to adopt an amendment to the consolidated appropriations bill (HR 2764) to include $70.00 billion for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Did Not Vote: 10/03/2007 - Bill Number: S Amdt 3117 - Sponsor: Sen. Graham, Lindsey (R-SC) - Vote to pass an amendment that appropriates $3.00 billion to be used to hire full-time border patrol agents, improve employment eligibility verification, and fund security measures along the U.S. and Mexican border that include building a fence, establishing vehicle barriers, utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles, placing ground-based sensors and cameras, and removing and detaining undocumented immigrants.
Did Not Vote: Date: 10/01/2007 Bill Number: HR 1585 - Vote to pass a bill that sets authorization limits for Defense appropriations in fiscal year 2008 at $653.22 billion.
Did Not Vote: 09/26/2007 - Bill Number: S Amdt 3017 - Sponsor: Sen. Kyl, Jon (R-AZ) - Highlights:
-Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should use its military, diplomatic, economic, and intelligence instruments to combat Iranian activities inside Iraq that are designed to destabilize Iraq.
-Expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States should officially designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran as a foreign terrorist organization and assign it to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Voted YES: 09/11/2007 - Bill Number: S Amdt 2797 - S Amdt 2797 to HR 3074: To prohibit the establishment of a program that allows Mexican truck drivers to operate beyond the commercial zones near the Mexican border.
Did Not Vote: 07/26/2007 - Bill Number: HR 1 - Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie (D-MS) - Vote to pass a bill that amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to implement certain recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Did Not Vote: Date: 07/19/2007 Bill Number: S Amdt 2351 - Vote to pass an amendment that expresses the sense of the Senate that the detainees at Guantanamo Bay should not be released into American society or transferred into detention facilities on American soil.
Voted YES: 04/26/2007 - Bill Number: HR 1591- Emergency Supplemental Appropriations - including $96.96 billion for the Department of Defense
Voted NO: 06/22/2006 - Bill Number: S 2766 - Sponsor: Amendment: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA]; Original Bill: Sen Warner, John [VA] - Vote to adopt an amendment that requires the President to withdraw troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007 and states that some forces shall remain in Iraq to train Iraqi security forces, conduct counterterrorism operations and protect U.S. personnel and facilities.
Voted YES: 03/02/2006 - Bill Number: HR 3199 Sponsor: Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. - Vote to adopt a conference report that extends the authority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct roving wiretaps and access certain business records through December 31, 2009, and makes the remaining 14 provisions of the Patriot Act permanent.
Voted YES: 02/02/2006 - Bill Number: HR 4297 - Vote on a motion to waive the budget act in order to adopt an amendment that appropriates $47.27 billion to the military and repeals the extension of tax cuts for capital gains and dividends to 2010 back to 2008.
Draw your own conclusions but I see a BS artist with no backbone = compromiser coming, but he sure can give a good speech! Let us choose wisely.