In a conference call today, McCain surrogate-"o"-the-day Senator Sam Brownback chided Presidential frontrunner Barack Obama for failing to promote a bipartisan approach to legislation.
From TPM's report of today's media conference call:
"I think that the biggest thing really I've seen from Barack Obama is that willingness, an aggressiveness, to talk bipartisan and yet to vote and be hard left," Brownback said.
Oh really. Is this what you believe Senator Brownback? Let me ask you this. Did the McCain campaign approach you about advancing this argument in today's media call around, or did you approach the campaign?
The answer to this question is quite telling. If the McCain campaign approached Senator Brownback, then it is further evidence that the Campaign has no idea wtf they're doing? If Brownback offered to appear on McCain behalf, then he has his head clearly buried in his ass.
More after the jump
Once again, McCain trots out a surrogate least appropriate to advance a particular argument. You see, Sam Brownback has a long history of working with Senator Obama. How quickly do you forget, Sam?
A quick look at Obama Senate site identifies December 2005 collaboration on a comprehensive policy towards the Congo. The aim of the bill was to promote humanitarian relief, security, democracy and transparent management of natural resources to help end the conflict in the DRC and move the country towards peace and stability. Do you remember that legislation Senator Brownback? You and Senator Mike DeWine breaking down to work with the two liberal Senators from Illinois? Here's a reminder from Obama's Senate site.
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators today introduced legislation that would establish a clear, comprehensive U.S. policy toward the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act would require the U.S. Government promote humanitarian relief, security, democracy and transparent management of natural resources to help end the conflict in the DRC and move the country towards peace and stability.
But heck, that was back in 2005, and so much has happened since. Maybe we should give Senator Brownback a pass. But wait! In 2006, Senator Brownback appeared with Senator Obama on the News Hour. Gwen Ifill interviewed both senators, who were making a joint appear. The transcript is pretty clear. These guys liked working together.
GWEN IFILL: Two senators from opposite sides of the aisle have joined together to call for increased U.S. involvement in Darfur. They are Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas, and Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois.
Sen. Brownback was in Darfur in 2004 and Sen. Obama is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.
Welcome to you both.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA: Thank you.
SEN. SAM BROWNBACK: Thank you.
GWEN IFILL: Gentlemen, you both co-authored an op/ed piece in the newspaper in which you called for increased U.S. involvement and you said that the situation in Darfur is dangerously adrift. Sen. Brownback, what does that mean?
Later in 2007, Obama and Brownback were back at it again. In fact, people were starting to notice, like the USA Today from May.
Though they're running for the presidential nominations of competing parties, senators Sam Brownback and Barack Obama do seem to like to work together on some issues -- though Brownback this week has been more eager to publicize the fact.
Brownback, a Kansas Republican, send out a press release this afternoon to announce that he and Obama have "introduced the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, legislation that would increase economic pressure on the Iranian regime."
Brownback has been more eager to publicize the fact? Hmmm. My how things have changed!
Brownback and Obama even made a joint appearance at an evangelical AIDS conference. Salon reported at the time
As he opened his remarks Friday at a World AIDS Day summit at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, Republican Sen. Sam Brownback said he was feeling a little more "comfortable" than he did the last time he shared a stage with Barack Obama. "We were both addressing the NAACP," Brownback explained. "They were very polite to me [but] I think they kind of wondered, 'Who's this guy from Kansas?' And then Barack Obama follows, and they're going, 'OK, now we've got Elvis.'"
Figuring their joint appearance at an Orange County evangelical church finally put the shoe on the other foot, Brownback turned to Obama and said, "Welcome to my house." The audience of evangelicals howled with laughter. But when Obama had the chance to speak a few minutes later, he returned to what Brownback had said: "There is one thing I've got to say, Sam: This is my house, too. This is God's house."
Everyone laughed again -- neither Brownback's opening nor Obama's comeback were offered with the rancor that a cold retelling of them probably suggests -- but the point had been made anyway. In Obama's eyes, at least, the Republican Party can no longer claim ownership of all things evangelical.
Let's see, joint appearances with Obama, joint news interviews with Obama, co-sponsoring legislation with Obama....sounds to me like Obama does much more than just talk bipartisanship, as do you Senator Brownback.
I guess that you are now lobbying for the VP slot, you have to deny your past.