PBS Palin Poll

[SF_BHT]

PBS is doing one of those instant online polls to ask " America " if they think Sarah Palin is fit to be Vice President.

Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

You don't have to enter your email address or anything, just click "YES or NO".

It is a tight poll. Go there and put in your 2cents......:lifter

[Red Flag 1]

Voted.

Palin by 1 %. 50/49

NPR = No Public Responsibliity! They just request public support, added to their Government funding.

There is no question about Biden in the same light.

NPR is NPR!

RF 1

[JJ_BPK]

Do you think Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States?

Yes 50%
No 49%
Not Sure 0%

Done..

[Gypsy]

Done. Stats are the same as above...

[abc_123]

done.

same.

[PSM]

They're not telling how many have voted. It's been 50/49 all day with 1% MIA. I don't trust them.

Pat

[jamber97]

I think she's qualified to be Vice President .

Adapted from Scholastic News.



"The V.P.'s Job: The only duty the U.S. Constitution assigns the Vice President is to act as presiding officer of the Senate. But the Vice President also serves as ceremonial assistant to the President and is an important part of the President's administration.

The Second Highest Office: The Vice President is only "a heartbeat away" from becoming the President. He or she must be ready to become President or Acting President if anything happens to the President."


But judging from the interviews I've seen her do and the way she's being handled by the MCcain staff...she's not anywhere close to being prepared to be President. Hopefully she would be a very quick study.

[Sigaba]

When critics of Gov. Palin say she's not qualified to be on the ticket, I wonder about their frames of reference. The following questions sometimes serve as good diagnostic tools.

In the history of the modern American presidency (from McKinley on), how many vice presidents were ready from day one to assume the duties of president?

When one considers some of the vice presidents who were least prepared to assume the duties of the president, did their inexperience help or hurt their administrations?

When one considers the most qualified men (at least on paper) to assume the presidency, how many of them were well-served by their previous experiences?

[jamber97]

The thing I don't get with this type of opinion/argument though is then you have to look at the alternative, Senator Obama, and well I don't see how he is anymore qualified at all. He has avoided any townhall debates with McCain so he seems to be afraid of tough questions.

If it was prior to McCain's VP selection, I could see making this argument, but as of now, I'd much prefer Governor Palin over Senator Obama.

MCcain didn't pick Palin because her qualifications were her strong suit. The fact that she's not qualified to be president has nothing to do with Obama. Have you seen her interviews? She's coached like all politicians are and she still doesn't have much clue. I think she's the salt of the earth and think she's a great person. I would even go as far to say that I would feel comfortable having her as a close friend and neighbor but President of the United States, no way.

I can think of a few women here in Colorado Springs that are carbon copies of her and her views that I would feel more comfortable with as president.

[Soft Target]

They're not telling how many have voted. It's been 50/49 all day with 1% MIA. I don't trust them.

Pat

It's a PBS poll. 'nough said.

[Penn]

About The Sarah Palin Poll

From John Siceloff, Executive Producer, NOW on PBS
The Sarah Palin Poll
New and Improved - One User, One Vote.

I am writing in reference to the now famous "Palin poll" that appeared on the NOW on PBS homepage on September 5. It's no longer on the homepage; in fact, it's no longer a page that the online user can navigate to using menus, but hundreds of thousands of unique visitors are still accessing the poll and voting. How is that possible, and is that a good thing? More on that in a moment, after a side trip through the world of Internet "cookies."

PBS headquarters made the decision on September 22, to implement a cookie registration system on the Palin poll. That system is now part of the poll's inner code, and as of September 23, a user can only vote once per computer. PBS acted because the entire pbs.org site had been experiencing system overload due to massive accessing of the poll.

The poll asks the question, "Do you think that Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States?" The user answers clicks to answer "Yes" or "No." From September 5 to September 22, our software allowed online users to vote repeatedly. Sounds bad, right? But we at NOW had serious concerns about user privacy. "Cookies" are small text files placed on the user's system without that person's knowledge. Many computer users regard them as invasive.

Other possible fixes: we could have insisted on voters registering with their email addresses. But people could still vote several times using different email addresses. Or we could insist on a unique identifier - a user's social security number. This was clearly way over the line in violation of user privacy.

What are other media organizations doing? CNN.com does exactly what we had been doing—their polls allow multiple votes. The website of the newspaper USA Today also uses polls, called "USA TODAY Snapshot", but it employs the "cookie" approach to restrict multiple voting.

So, is the Palin poll now "scientific"? Absolutely not. It is still subject to large scale efforts on the left and the right to mobilize people to vote. The poll has become something of a Rorschach test, a tiny political marker in a tightly contested race. Over the past two weeks, the results of the poll see-sawed back and forth from a majority saying "No" to a majority saying, "Yes". At the moment the single-voter system was implemented, it was close to a tie: 50% say Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as Vice President, and 48% say no. Those results, in my view, are actually a measure of the mobilization and manipulation efforts by partisans on both sides. Now it will be all about mobilization, and less about manipulation. Blogs on the left and right are circulating viral emails with the exact address of the poll.

Some users have raised questions about our decision to collect opinion about Sarah Palin's qualifications in a poll. For a more complete discussion, take a moment to read the September 19 column of Michael Getler, the PBS Ombudsman.

The Palin poll is no longer in our home page rotation. We've moved on to other polls; each week you'll find one in the bottom right corner of our home page. The current poll asks, "Who do you trust more to fix the nation's economic mess—Barack Obama or John McCain?" It has already attracted a lot of interest.

And let's keep in mind the purpose of these weekly polls. They invite people who might not ordinarily come to our site to participate, and they encourage people to explore the deep journalism that is offered throughout NOW's nearly 10,000 web pages and 1,000 video streams. They don't provide the nuanced interpretation of our investigative journalism and deep content, but do provide a gateway to that content. An example: on Friday, September 19, we aired a one-hour special about women and politics on our broadcast. In the days since the air date, that online video has become the most viewed video on the PBS Election Site. For online users who are deeply interested in the issues raised during this election, the polls are only a starting point. There's a lot more to explore, to read, and to view.

I welcome your thoughts and comments about the Palin poll. Please use this specific Feedback Forum to share your opinions.

[Penn]

Jamber97
Is it possible you can explain how Obama is qualified to be president and that she's is not ?

[SF_BHT]

Penn
Conrad's you read more and found what I found. What prompted me to post this is an e-mail from one of my work-mates that went as follows:

PBS is doing one of those instant online polls to ask " America " if they think Sarah Palin is fit to be Vice President.

The GOP has launched a successful all out blitz to get Republicans to go on the site and click "Yes". As a result right now it looks like 62% of " America " thinks Palin is qualified. The Republicans are going to be milking this for all its worth in their press efforts.

We need to drive more Democrats and those opposed to Palin to the site to click "NO". Let's not give the GOP another easy weapon to put in their PR arsenal!

Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

You don't have to enter your email address or anything, just click "yes or NO".

After discussing this with him I came to the conclusion that he only wants Obama is for the fact he is Black. Actually he said that.... He is a great friend and great Agent and very intelligent but that just statement and e-mail just blew me away.

The issue is not race, creed, sex, etc... It should be who is going to help the country in a beneficial manor. You are voting for President (McCain or Obama) Yest the VP is a "Heart Beat Away" but no one can see the future and you need to go with the best combo. The comparison of a Presidential runner to the other party's VP runner is apples and oranges. Oh She has run a Government, She has made those had Executive Decisions..etc..etc..etc...
Obama is a great speaker with the TelePrompTer and she is just getting her sea legs but you have to look at the whole package. This one is going to be close...in my opinion...

[Pete]

[QUOTE=jamber97;226402]..... Have you seen her interviews? She's coached like all politicians are and she still doesn't have much clue.....QUOTE]

Jamber;

I take it you viewed Charlie G's interview with her. Did it give you the impression that she was unqualified? Yes? Then it worked.

If you read the transcripts of the interview you'll find it was edited to appear that way. Compare it to the Obama interview. Did you read the discussion about him asking about "The Bush Doctrine"? If you watched the interview she was the one that appeared to stumble. In fact it was Charlie that didn't know what he was talking about.

This is an important election. The MSM is in the tank for Obama and force feeding swill to the public to get him in office. You have to gig deeper than the evening news for the truth.

[The Reaper]

What were JFK's vast leadership experience and qualifications against Nixon in 1960?

How about Carter in 1976?

Clinton in 1992?

Obama in 2008?

Palin is not running for POTUS, McCain is. The other side is offering a guy at the top of the ticket with a thinner leadership resume than Palin's.

I like her and think she could do a fine job as POTUS, if she had to, but that isn't the job she is running for. And I like the experience at the top of the Repub ticket a lot more than I do the Dims.

TR

[Abu Jack]

Voted Yes. All tied up at 49%

[Razor]

I think the correct question in response to the "Palin isn't qualified to be Vice President" is what exactly are the "correct" qualifications, and where are they codified? If one can't expound upon those questions, they have absolutely no place to use "qualifications" as an argument for or against any candidate.

[jamber97]

Jamber97
Is it possible you can explain how Obama is qualified to be president and that she's is not ?


I'm of the thought that one can be considered unqualified without a direct comparison to another.

I see Obama as being barely qualified for the job. I could see him fitting better in the VP slot for a term or two.

When I conduct an interview I screen initially based upon the resume but largely what comes into play is the face to face discussion and how that candidate handles the questions. Then there’s the probationary period where we see how they perform on the job.

I feel that Palin's resume was sufficient to warrant a probationary try out and has been found wanting and MCcain, Obama, Biden are struggling to stay afloat.

[USANick7]

Yes she is qualified for the Vice Presidency.

[greenberetTFS]

Last stats are 49% even....Sarah is definitely VP timber. :)

GB TFS :munchin

[jamber97]

I think the correct question in response to the "Palin isn't qualified to be Vice President" is what exactly are the "correct" qualifications, and where are they codified? If one can't expound upon those questions, they have absolutely no place to use "qualifications" as an argument for or against any candidate.

You have to be a natural-born US Citizen (a citizen from birth - but not necessarily born in the USA, which is a common misconception).
You have to be at least 35 years of age.
You have to have resided in the US for the last 14 years.

Everything else is subjective. I would like a candidate to have a good grasp of the issues and to effectively be able to articulate their stance, be well educated in the areas of law and American History, proven track record of more than 2 years, have performed a substantial amount of public service prior to seeking office, no prior criminal background or punishment received, multicultural, be well respected, nondenominational, easy on the eyes just to name a few. My complete list is much longer, the more of these areas they cover, the better.

[afchic]

MCcain didn't pick Palin because her qualifications were her strong suit. The fact that she's not qualified to be president has nothing to do with Obama. Have you seen her interviews? She's coached like all politicians are and she still doesn't have much clue. I think she's the salt of the earth and think she's a great person. I would even go as far to say that I would feel comfortable having her as a close friend and neighbor but President of the United States, no way.

I can think of a few women here in Colorado Springs that are carbon copies of her and her views that I would feel more comfortable with as president.

Maybe the reason she looks unqualified to you is because all you bothered to do is watch the interviews. Had you taken the time to look up the original transcripts from said interviews you would see how highly edited the interviews were in an attempt to make her appear to be an idiot. The transcript show her to be very adept, intelligent, and articulate. But we wouldn't want that shown to the rest of the world because then they might have to actually listen to "Caribou Barbie" amd come to realize she is more than ready. WOuldn't be good for the Dems now would it???

I am interested in who you think in Colo Spgs would be better as president if they are carbon copies and have the same views. So what is it about Mrs. Palin that bothers you so much?? What is it about these women in Colo Spgs that you think they would be better qualified as VP? None of them have been mayor, and none of them have been a governor.

I would also like to hear just exactly why you don't think she is qualified. And "I just don't think she can do it" isn't an answer.

[jamber97]

Maybe the reason she looks unqualified to you is because all you bothered to do is watch the interviews. Had you taken the time to look up the original transcripts from said interviews you would see how highly edited the interviews were in an attempt to make her appear to be an idiot. The transcript show her to be very adept, intelligent, and articulate. But we wouldn't want that shown to the rest of the world because then they might have to actually listen to "Caribou Barbie" amd come to realize she is more than ready. WOuldn't be good for the Dems now would it???

I am interested in who you think in Colo Spgs would be better as president if they are carbon copies and have the same views. So what is it about Mrs. Palin that bothers you so much?? What is it about these women in Colo Spgs that you think they would be better qualified as VP? None of them have been mayor, and none of them have been a governor.

I would also like to hear just exactly why you don't think she is qualified. And "I just don't think she can do it" isn't an answer.

I read the transcripts. I would rather see the video. Do you honestly think she's qualified to be president? I voted yes as VP.

[afchic]

I read the transcripts. I would rather see the video. Do you honestly think she's qualified to be president? I voted yes as VP.

See here is the rub....SHE ISN"T RUNNNING FOR POTUS, McCain is. And if worse came to worse and she had to take over, yes I think she is just as ready as Bush was, or Clinton was, or Regan was, or any other governor that has sat in that seat. Do you care to tell me how any of them were more qualified than she was, given they were all governors?

You still didn't answer my question on what exactly makes her unqualified in your eyes.

[ZonieDiver]

You have to be a natural-born US Citizen (a citizen from birth - but not necessarily born in the USA, which is a common misconception).
You have to be at least 35 years of age.
You have to have resided in the US for the last 14 years.

Everything else is subjective. I would like a candidate to have a good grasp of the issues and to effectively be able to articulate their stance, be well educated in the areas of law and American History, proven track record of more than 2 years, have performed a substantial amount of public service prior to seeking office, no prior criminal background or punishment received, multicultural, be well respected, nondenominational, easy on the eyes just to name a few. My complete list is much longer, the more of these areas they cover, the better.

These two qualifiers would have ruled out most of our recent presidents, including JFK, Clinton, and the current officeholder. I am also not sure what "multicultural" means in this context. I'm Irish and Scots. Does that count?

[The Reaper]

These two qualifiers would have ruled out most of our recent presidents, including JFK, Clinton, and the current officeholder. I am also not sure what "multicultural" means in this context. I'm Irish and Scots. Does that count?


I have to agree.

Why multicultural? That seems to be pretty racist, as compared to selecting the better qualified candidiate with the positions that more closely represent yours.

Nondenominational?

I thought that in America, your religion was irrelevant. At least it is supposed to when it comes to the Dim nominee.

Easy on the eyes?

That is really pretty shallow, isn't it?

Are you arguing seriously here, or just trolling?

TR

[Slantwire]

good grasp of the issues

What is a "good grasp?" And which issues? People have differing ideas about what they consider to be an issue - and a particular issue's importance relative to the others. Some people care more about immigration than gun rights, some people focus more on education. Or the economy, or whatever.

(Not commenting on those who figure gun rights will fix the "immigration problem".... :p)

effectively be able to articulate their stance

Effective articulation can be difficult. Especially after it's been heavily edited and redacted by a third party. Or when the teleprompter dies.

be well educated in the areas of law and American History

I'd agree those are two good topics to know. Personally, I'd consider them very important secondary "skills." Such knowledge will allow a leader to make a more informed decision, but over-analytical paralysis is fatal. The leader still has to have the character to make a decision.

My minor nit is that "well educated" is still a vague term. An ivory tower legal historian will probably not make Putin or Hu blink. Besides, an engineer who is a history buff may well be better versed than a history major who skated through. And people start getting snobby about school rankings when this topic comes up, as well.

proven track record of more than 2 years

What proof? Just the fact of having held office, or do you have some kind of performance metric in mind?

have performed a substantial amount of public service prior to seeking office

Harder to define than a lot of your other criteria. There's a very fine (and blurry) line between public service prior to seeking office, as opposed to public service to position oneself for seeking office. I'd put military, first responders, and maybe even the PTA in the first category. A year of law practice or community politicking goes into the latter, I'd say.

no prior criminal background or punishment received

I'll agree to this one.

multicultural

I don't see this one. And if I did need it, it would mean that we've never had a qualified president. Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt(s), Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan and those other white guys just weren't multicultural enough.

be well respected

By whom? When? Everybody is disliked by someone. Obama is well respected, even revered, by many - and loathed by many others. Reagan was beloved by many, and reviled by others. Lincoln is well-respected now, but his election triggered half the country to walk out.

nondenominational

Why? To me, separation of church and state means that a Catholic president won't try to force the country to convert to Catholicism, or stuff government staffs with Catholics only. It doesn't mean that the president can't be Catholic. Or Jewish, Buddhist, or a Flying Spaghetti Monster worshiper.

easy on the eyes

If this was a major criteria, Kate Beckinsale would be running for her third term or so.

Like you said, subjective. You've stated that you consider Obama "barely qualified," and Palin "not qualified." Since you've stated your total assessment and your criteria, would you care to break down the scoring for us?

[USANick7]

You have to be a natural-born US Citizen (a citizen from birth - but not necessarily born in the USA, which is a common misconception).
You have to be at least 35 years of age.
You have to have resided in the US for the last 14 years.

Everything else is subjective. I would like a candidate to have a good grasp of the issues and to effectively be able to articulate their stance, be well educated in the areas of law and American History, proven track record of more than 2 years, have performed a substantial amount of public service prior to seeking office, no prior criminal background or punishment received, multicultural, be well respected, nondenominational, easy on the eyes just to name a few. My complete list is much longer, the more of these areas they cover, the better.


your going to have to explain "multicultural" and "nondenominational"

[Razor]

I see Obama as being barely qualified for the job. I could see him fitting better in the VP slot for a term or two.

Ok, how about this? What are BHO's qualifications (in detail, rather than the generalities offered last time)?

[Sigaba]

I believe that Razor nails the point.

Candidates for vice president are increasingly picked to perform certain roles. Most often, the role is to balance the ticket during the campaign. For example, Senator Mondale was tapped to balance the ticket geographically, ideologically (remember, there was and is a lot of confusion regarding Carter as a liberal), culturally, and, perhaps most significantly, to balance the outsider (Carter) with a Beltway insider.

In some cases, a person is selected as the VP candidate with a view to how an administration will operate. Eisenhower picked Nixon because he understood that Nixon was a firebrand whose rhetoric would satisfy the more strident critics of the Soviet Union while Ike pursued more moderate policies.

In Palin's case, I'm of the view that she was picked for both reasons. She balances the ticket by appealing to working women, culturally conservative Republicans, westerners, and non-urban Americans, among other demographic groups.

Moreover, Senator McCain selection of Gov. Palin indicates how seriously he's going to pursue an agenda centering around reform. As a sitting governor who has successfully taken on established, entrenched interests, Palin has proven herself as a politician who can and will advance McCain's agenda.

On a slightly different topic, I would like to address unfavorable perceptions of Gov. Palin's education and intellect. If one considers the smartest and most educated men to serve as president since 1898, one will see that as often as not, such individuals had less than stellar presidencies.

Despite his brilliance, Hoover never could inspire Americans in his ability to fix the economy. Because of his brilliance, Wilson believed that he did not need to make the political argument for the League of Nations. Similarly, Carter was so confident in his views (many of which remain under-appreciated) that he alienated his own party. Only TR, Eisenhower, and (as much as it pains to say) Clinton were able to leverage their intellects into expanding their popular appeal.

By the bye, the vice president who was least ready to assume the duties of the president was Harry S Truman. FDR thought so little of Truman that Stalin knew more about FDR's policies than Truman. Despite the fact that he faced an incredibly steep learning curve in 1945 and left the office as an exceptionally unpopular person, there is a growing consensus among scholars that Truman was an exceptional president.

I think the correct question in response to the "Palin isn't qualified to be Vice President" is what exactly are the "correct" qualifications, and where are they codified? If one can't expound upon those questions, they have absolutely no place to use "qualifications" as an argument for or against any candidate.

[jamber97]

your going to have to explain "multicultural" and "nondenominational"

Multicultural, meaning exposure and understanding of multiple cultures.

Nondenominational, meaning not restricted to or associated with a religious denomination. I like my president to be generic in this area but still be religoius.

Ok, how about this? What are BHO's qualifications (in detail, rather than the generalities offered last time)?

Would you mind doing the same for Palin?


qual·i·fi·ca·tion n.

The act of qualifying or the condition of being qualified.
A quality, ability, or accomplishment that makes a person suitable for a particular position or task.
A condition or circumstance that must be met or complied with: fulfilled the qualifications for registering to vote in the presidential election.
A restriction or modification: an offer with a number of qualifications.



He is multicultural

Multiracial

2 years at Occidental College

Graduated Columbia University with a degree in Political Science

Worked for Business International Corporation and NYPIRG

Worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in
Chicago’s Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city’s South Side.

Graduated Harvard law School

Elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Obama graduated magna cum laude .

Practiced as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland

He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School.

He helped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign

Obama published an autobiography in 1995

Campaigned and was elected to State Senate

Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics,

Expanded health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor.

He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor.

And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush

Won reelection with 70% of the vote

Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia.

Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.

Obama was also the first to raise the threat of avian flu on the Senate floor,

Spoke out for victims of Hurricane Katrina,

Pushed for alternative energy development and

Championed improved veterans´ benefits.

He also worked with Democrat Russ Feingold of Wisconsin to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress.


Just to name a few

[Pete]

Jamber;

You will keep your opinion of the candidates and we'll keep ours. All four are qualified to run for either position. The argument is over which is "most qualified". The traits that make you feel that Obama is the best qualified are the same that make most of use feel the McCain/Palin ticket is the best choice.

You have made great statements about what he would not support if elected. If he is elected and does push gun control (sign a bill pushed by Democrats) - does push UN treaties that the Senate will sign - goes for punishing taxes on small business (remember most small business' file on their personal tax return) it's a little late for you to come back and say "Sorry guys, I quess I was wrong."

BTW - An earned income tax credit is welfare with my money.

[jamber97]

Heres another list someone created after that Obama supporter on HardBall couldn't name any acomplishments


As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In August 2005, he traveled to Russia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. The trip focused on strategies to control the world's supply of conventional weapons, biological weapons, and weapons of mass destruction as a first defense against potential terrorist attacks.<61>

Following meetings with U.S. military in Kuwait and Iraq in January 2006, Obama visited Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.

He left for his third official trip in August 2006, traveling to South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Chad. In a nationally televised speech at the University of Nairobi, he spoke forcefully on the influence of ethnic rivalries and corruption in Kenya.

Obama worked with Russ Feingold (D–WI) to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress and require disclosure of bundled campaign contributions under the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act", which was signed into law in September 2007.

He joined Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in sponsoring S. 453, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections, including fraudulent flyers and automated phone calls, as witnessed in the 2006 midterm elections.

Obama also introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act", a bill to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008.<68>

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored with Kit Bond (R-MO) an amendment to the 2008 Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges, and calling for a review by the Government Accountability Office following reports that the procedure had been used inappropriately to reduce government costs.

joined Chuck Hagel (R-NE) in introducing legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.A provision from the Obama-Hagel bill was passed by Congress in December 2007 as an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries. After passing both houses of Congress with bipartisan majorities, SCHIP was vetoed by President Bush in early October 2007, a move Obama said "shows a callousness of priorities that is offensive to the ideals we hold as Americans."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama


THESE ARE BARACK'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE U.S. SENATE TO DATE:

** First legislation, the HOPE Act, which increased Pell Grants to $5100, and later joined Senator Kennedy on the Higher Education legislation that passed July 20, by a vote of 78-18. That legislation also included funding for Predominantly Black Colleges to assist with counseling, tutoring and other needs of low income students. It also creates the Teaching Residency Act which will create a school-based teacher preparation program in high needs schools to provide each teacher with a mentor, content instruction, classroom management skills, a master’s degree and state certification, and a 2 year follow-up program.


**The Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006
is an act that requires the full disclosure of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2007 on a website maintained by the Office of Management and Budget.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Funding_Accountabi...


**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act
Authored by U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), the Lugar-Obama initiative expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction.
Signed into Law on January 11, 2007.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/chrisblas...


**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_17/news/19664-1.html?...
http://www.commonblog.com/story/2007/9/14/164837/331

** The “Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-2125

** S116 - Summer Learning demonstration project to provide summer learning grants and encourage new teaching methods.
http://www.pasesetter.org/demonstrationPrograms/nasd.ht...

and this one, moved out of committee just a few days ago:
Obama's Global Poverty Act of 2007, passed out of committee just a few days ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) today hailed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage of the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), which requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive policy to cut extreme global poverty in half by 2015 through aid, trade, debt relief, and coordination with the international community, businesses and NGOs. This legislation was introduced in December. Smith and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) sponsored the House version of the bill (H.R. 1302), which passed the House last September.
http://obama.senate.gov /



Amendments, that have all passed:

S.Amdt.159 to S.Con.Res.18 - To prevent and, if necessary, respond to an international outbreak of the avian flu.

S.Amdt.390 to H.R.1268 - To provide meal and telephone benefits for members of the Armed Forces who are recuperating from injuries incurred on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

S.Amdt.670 to H.R.3 - To provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) refueling capability at new and existing refueling station facilities to promote energy security and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

S.Amdt.808 to H.R.6 - To establish a program to develop Fischer-Tropsch transportation fuels from Illinois basin coal.

S.Amdt.851 to H.R.6 - To require the Secretary to establish a Joint Flexible Fuel/Hybrid Vehicle Commercialization Initiative, and for other purposes.

S.Amdt.1362 to S.1042 - To require a report on the Department of Defense Composite Health Care System II.

S.Amdt.1453 to S.1402 - To ensure the protection of military and civilian personnel in the Department of Defense from an influenza pandemic, including an avian influenza pandemic.

S.Amdt.2301 to H.R.3010 - To increase funds to the Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity Program and to the Office of Special Education Programs of the Department of Education for the purposes of expanding positive behavioral interventions and supports.

S.Amdt.2605 to S.2020 - Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should immediately address issues relating to no-bid contracting.

S.Amdt.2930 to S.2349 - To clarify that availability of legislation does not include nonbusiness days.
S.Amdt.3144 to S.Con.Res.83 - To provide a $40 million increase in FY 2007 for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and to improve job services for hard-to-place veterans

S. Amdt 41 to S. 1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.

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Barack has Written a total of 890 Bills and Co-sponsored Another 1096 since he started serving in the U.S. Senate.

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[jamber97]

Jamber;

You will keep your opinion of the candidates and we'll keep ours. All four are qualified to run for either position. The argument is over which is "most qualified". The traits that make you feel that Obama is the best qualified are the same that make most of use feel the McCain/Palin ticket is the best choice.

You have made great statements about what he would not support if elected. If he is elected and does push gun control (sign a bill pushed by Democrats) - does push UN treaties that the Senate will sign - goes for punishing taxes on small business (remember most small business' file on their personal tax return) it's a little late for you to come back and say "Sorry guys, I quess I was wrong."

BTW - An earned income tax credit is welfare with my money.

I respect all your opinions. I'm not interested in swaying you one way or the other. I'm just interested in communicating to you the other side of the coin from a young mans perspective.

As a side note: I was a small business owner for approximately 2 years. I tried very hard not to show a profit over 200k. I knew of very few small business owners that did show a profit over 250k. I don't see his tax plan negatively effecting small business.

I would be interested in seeing some concrete numbers on what percentage of small business owners show a profit over 250k on their tax returns.

[Pete]

..As a side note: I was a small business owner for approximately 2 years. I tried very hard not to show a profit over 200k. ...


You might not know it but you just proved with that post why you should vote for McCain/Palin.

You admit - and I really don't care which it was - that you either limited your work to stay under 200K or wiggled a bit on the taxes.

Either way will have a negative impact on the typical small business and government income.

Cut taxes or keep them low and small business will boom. Raise taxes and .... somebody might shrug.

[greenberetTFS]

I respect all your opinions. I'm not interested in swaying you one way or the other. I'm just interested in communicating to you the other side of the coin from a young mans perspective.

As a side note: I was a small business owner for approximately 2 years. I tried very hard not to show a profit over 200k. I knew of very few small business owners that did show a profit over 250k. I don't see his tax plan negatively effecting small business.

I would be interested in seeing some concrete numbers on what percentage of small business owners show a profit over 250k on their tax returns.

Jamber97,

You've just proven Pete's point was well taken, review what you've just said! :confused:

GB TFS :munchin

[jamber97]

Jamber97,

You've just proven Pete's point was well taken, review what you've just said! :confused:

GB TFS :munchin

I sure did, although that was my goal under the Bush tax cuts. As a business owner in order to avoid certain tax pitfalls, I would invest a large chuck of my profits right back into my business in the form of equipment, personnel and advertising.

"Obama's plan would bring in an additional $700 billion in taxes over the next 10 years, while McCain's would cost the Treasury $600 billion. Assuming legislators would have let the tax breaks expire, Obama's plan would cost the U.S. Treasury $2.7 trillion and McCain's $3.7 trillion."- BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Political Reporter/apallasch@suntimes.com


Obama’s definitely looking to shift more of the tax burden to the 1% that’s already shouldering a majority of the load.

Joining the ARMY drops me back down into the 85% so it looks like I won’t have to worry about being in the 1% any more lol

[PSM]

As a business owner in order to avoid certain tax pitfalls, I would invest a large chuck of my profits right back into my business in the form of equipment, personnel and advertising.

That's exactly what was supposed to happen. You helped the economy grow and unemployment shrink.

If you weren't interested in growing your own business, you could have invested in someone else's or just paid the taxes.

Pat