CNN

Obama is in 4th place missing 37.8% of votes – behind McCain and Biden. Hillary is not that far behind in 7th place with 23.6% of votes missed. I suspect it has something to do with campaigning every day. I don't think Hillary is right to criticize seeing the company he's in (all the other major presidential candidates that are senators) including herself.

I don't think the issue is whether or not it is fair for Obama to be criticized for missing 80% of votes since August. I think the real issue is whether Obama has paid his dues enough to even run for president . If Obama had been in the Senate at least one term, then we, the American people, would have an idea of what his voting record is and what he stands for. However, Obama chose to run for president when he was only one year into his first term. I'm guessing the voters in Illinois elected him to represent them in the Senate, not so he could just use the job title as a resume builder for his presidential run.

Obama needs to do the job that he was elected to do (Senator) for at least one term before he goes off trying to pursue higher offices. It's only fair to the people of Illinois and the nation.

Really a no-win situation for Obama. If he left the campaign trail for every vote the ignorant masses would not know who he is since he didn't have Clintons name recognition and they are too stupid to gain any knowledge on their own. He misses votes in order to tell the dummies who he is, which is how you campaign, and the fools castigate him for missing votes. Actually, if he didn't have the qualities we need right now to turn around this mess he would be better off not trying to become the leader of a nation of morons.

Where's Obama Hiding out!!

Where's Hillary"` In Rite Aid!!!
people here in Calif.
They have a talking Hillary Clinton doll its so adorable ,$14.99 its on sale, you ought to see the collectors out,Geez didnt know there were so many to collect Hillary.

If Hillary’s years as first lady are irrelevant then so are B.O.
years in the state legislature. He likes to talk a walk when
tough issues are at hand.

He'll make a good VP, for sure.

The article states "Sen. Barack Obama has missed more votes than ANOTHER OTHER Democrat running...." Is this supposed to read, more votes than ANY OTHER? Liberals sure can be confused and confusing.

This nincompoop Obama is definitely a LOSER!!! He can't even perform his obligations as a Senator and this IDIOT wants to be President? He cannot set his priorities straight. This is an insult to the people of Illinois. This hyprocite's witch hunt of Hillary Clinton is a sign of his insecurity. He and John Edwards are so desperate but Hillary Clinton is too classy, intelligent and smart not to stoop down to their disgusting level of politicking. Obama is a low life shrinking parasite and he is only a legend in his own pretentious mind.

This is extremely encouraging for the Obama campaign. One would expect Hillary and the Media to attack Obama for his pointing out the differences in this campaign. We would expect that to be absolutely ruthless. The fact that this ridiculous vote percentage survey is all they came up with speaks volumes. Obama and Edwards just began to read from a BOOK of reasons not to vote for Hillary and Hillary and the media come up with this vote NON-Sense…No one even mentioned Clinton scandals or infidelities yet.

The President thing went to his head,so he'll ignore his 80% that is 38 missed votes,I knew about in the first month of september, I live in chicago,the people are talking especially students and history buffs,I for one don't think his reponsiblity issues are for the most important Job to thee American People.everthing his says is me me 'me me'His gonna turn the page in washington Congress will change the page.he hasn't turn his papers over yet either hypocrite,chicago sun times.he doesn't get my vote

QUOTE: "Obama is big on criticizing other candidates for their votes, especially Hillary. At least they bother to show up and take a stand. Where does Obama stand? He is a blank slate, refuses to do or say anything even remotely bold or controversial, and yet he accuses Hillary of being evasive."

wow. what an unfulfilling post.

seriously. so a POOR decision in judgement (kyl/lieberman)by hillary
is somehow better than a no-show by Obama? even though he stated, clearly, before the resolution was on the floor, that he opposed it.

hardly.

i wish a clinton fan had anything other that blatant rhetoric or regurgitating talking points to offer to the table.

When you hear Obama and observe his various antics, you get the feeling " Something doesn't add up"

And true enough it doesn't. This guy doesn't even do his present job at the Senate, but wants to change the world. Hello Obama, you're a US Senator. That's a powerful post to bring change. Why don't you start bringing change now?

The trouble is, Obama is like a loser-magnet. He attracts all kinds of malcontents, with his wishy-washy message that means everything and nothing at the same time.

Look through some of the Obama groupie messages on this board and you will find a pop-idol type of adulation. Unthinking, uncritical, and patently unrealistic.

Obama groupies – please grow up and understand how the real world works. This is not a DIPAK CHOPRA book where you can lose yourself with vague banalities.

Sigh....

"Even funnier that of the 5 "presidential" senators, the only one that did not cast a vote on Iran was Obama.

P.S. To those who insist that it was Reid's fault for supposedly not giving him enough warning on the vote because his son works for the Hillary campaign, I ask: Does Reid have 3 other sons who work for McCain, Dodd and Biden?"

John McCain missed the vote on Iran.

Posted By Dave. Queens NY : November 3, 2007 4:18 pm

I double checked and you're right. I stand corrected!

Although my point remains just as valid, the other 3 senators were there to cast their vote. I find it disingenuous for the Obama campaign to allege that Reid didn't give him enough notice of the upcoming vote.

Senators shouldn't miss no votes. What do they think their job is? Their only job is to vote. So, because Obama has a 20% voting record, that is very poor job performance indeed. Just because other Senators miss votes, doesn't mean that it is right. Besides having zero executive experience, Obama is performing very poorly as a Senator too. And he expects us to select him President on what basis? His job performance? No thanks. He dosen't even show up to work!

My Point Mr Obama Is So Busy Bashing Senator Clinton He Forgot To Clean Up His Own Problems Which A Great President He Doesnt Make. Remember Mr. Obama Every Vote Counts But Clearly Not Yours

TheInsider –

I meant "faring well" in terms of his attendance record in the Senate. If Hillary Clinton's attendance is great (83%) then Barack Obama's is good (67%), John McCain's is pretty bad (48%) and John Kerry, the previous Democratic nominee, was very bad (8%).

Every Senator shifts focus away from their duties in congress to run for President, which is too bad but a fact of life. Luckily, by way of historical comparison, Obama is doing a better job attendance-wise than most. His attendance record is not a knock against him, it's just the opposite.

Posted By Uriew, CA : November 3, 2007 5:34 pm

You do KNOW that your guy leads NOWHERE, never has, right? It isn't Clinton supporters who're wishing and hoping, claiming polls don't matter, CROWDS do, or tossing out last-ditch, death-spiral strategies like the Obama and Edwards' camps.
Remember what I told you Urine, there will be a shake-up in the BO camp before Dec. 1st, and a raft of defections.
As Michael Ray Richardson said about the Knicks, those many years ago,

"The ship be sinkin'"

In comparison to Senators running in recent political history, Obama fares well.
Posted By Dave, Queens NY : November 3, 2007 5:27 pm

Except that he's missed TWICE as many votes as Clinton and he's TWENTY points behind.
He's doing equally well in funds. Never has anyone raised so much money to be so far behind. He has never been above 27% in any national and hasn't seen 25% in a while.
He will have a chance to have a perfect attendance record in the senate as he completes his term and we should all wish him good luck and good health in that endeavor...

In response to the post By TheInsider : November 3, 2007 10:47 am.

Interesting link you posted there, and it shows Obama missed the 5 most recent votes (3 of which were essentially procedural cloture votes) between Oct 30th and November 1st. I checked out Hillary's voting record on those same 5 votes, and Hillary missed 4 of them.

Funny how you failed to point that out...I'm glad to help. Also interesting is that Obama is rated as more moderate than Hillary, who is described as a "radical".

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=300022

oe Ossai, Bedford, NH
How is Obama doing on the ground? tell us more about NH. I know the polls are very insignificant but you are on the ground and I am sure you know Obama will win NH after winning Iowa. Dont mind all the Clintonistas on this site like TheInsider and a.thomas who can defend anything until it is DEAD and on the ground which is what will happen with Hillary's chances of winning the primaries.

To Arshad – well said!

Obama 2008!!!!!!!!!!

And how many of these votes were to support Country Music Month, recognize professional athletes and name Post Offices?

You ran the story on how trivial many of the matters before Congress today really are, CNN. Why fault a presidential candidate who skips out on them?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2007/10/31/crowley.why.people.hate.congress.cnn?iref=videosearch

"I also like McCain and would like to see his voting record compared."

See above. So far this campaign, McCain has missed 52% of his votes (including the vote on Kyl-Lieberman), about 60% more than Obama.

In comparison to Senators running in recent political history, Obama fares well.

Harry Reid is Clintons friend. Because Obama is clean and nothing to pick on him, he didn't inform him on time about the vote till late in the evening and he was in NH with scheduled campaign there. Now, they have something against him,
connect your dots people
Bush campaining for clinton,
Clinton acting like she is already the nominee and ignoring other democrats
Reid informing Obama about the vote very late so that he can not have a chance to adjust himself,
I think myself I know Obama is a man of integrity and will be there to vote if needs be....
Isn't this OJ kinda of thing(setup?)
Wake up America!

All talk, no walk.

As an Obama fan this does bother me and I think it should also bother other fans, we shouldn't be blinded to the errors of our favorite politicians. I also like McCain and would like to see his voting record compared.

"Even funnier that of the 5 "presidential" senators, the only one that did not cast a vote on Iran was Obama.

P.S. To those who insist that it was Reid's fault for supposedly not giving him enough warning on the vote because his son works for the Hillary campaign, I ask: Does Reid have 3 other sons who work for McCain, Dodd and Biden?"

John McCain missed the vote on Iran.

Nice try to help Hillary with DAMAGE CONTROL, CNN!!!

PRICELESS!!!

TheInsider - I followed your link to the Washingpost section, and found that, at this point in 2004, John Kerry had missed 195 of 212 votes (91.9%) and John Edwards 127 of 212 (60%) compared to Obama's current 133 of 403 (33%). Just to reiterate, from Jan 2004 – Nov 2004, John Kerry only voted 17 times.

Include those statistics in there, and of all seven Senators to run for President in the past two election cycles, Barack Obama has the 2nd best record.

Kerry: 91.9%
Edwards: 60%
McCain: 52.6%
Biden: 34.7%
Dodd: 33.3%
Obama: 33%
Clinton: 17.4%

The previous Democratic nominee for President was absent three times as often in his cycle up to this point than Barack Obama has been.

Missing votes is an inevitability of any presidential campaign, it can't be avoided. Hillary Clinton deserves praise for her good attendance, but to smear Obama with these missed votes is to ignore the history of Senators running for president.

Why are all the Obama fans bashing CNN??? Is it their fault that Obama didn't show up to vote????? Too funny!!!

Even funnier that of the 5 "presidential" senators, the only one that did not cast a vote on Iran was Obama.

P.S. To those who insist that it was Reid's fault for supposedly not giving him enough warning on the vote because his son works for the Hillary campaign, I ask: Does Reid have 3 other sons who work for McCain, Dodd and Biden?

Obama is experinced and has good judgement ?

Here is a comment I copied from a different site and you guys do the thinking.

"He was lousy as a State Rep here in IL and is even worse as a Senator. He even voted to confirm Condi RIce as Sec of State, so that shows just how little judgment he really has."

That will explaine the reason why he did not vote for Iran issue. HA...

People comment a lot on Hillary's driver liscence issue a lot, including Hardball "round table" so called experts, intensionally missed to mention the last part which Obama, including Edwards, both totally agreed with Hillary on this issue, said same thing. HA .... Same bottle, different labels.

Here is another comment I copied

"Most of all, I have no respect to anyone who refuse to put his hand over his heart and say the pledge of Allegiance. If you love this country, you do as an American."

I couldn't agree more.

Edward ? Big joke. He should really give up his chance by now. If my leader spend $400 just for a haircut, I have no respect for that leader because he can not represent me. How many people here work the whole week to get that 400 dollar paycheck for the family ? How many parents try hard to save 400 dollars to pay their childrens tuitions, their parents nursing home fees, their houses.... Speechless. So please do not tell me you are ther for working middle class !

Last, I do not think Hillary play womens card, gender card. At our local Girls Incorporation, Girls Scouts, parents are encouraged to guide their daughters to be agressive and prepare to face today's chanllenge. If you have daughters that age, moms all understand how important for them to educate and guide their daughters to be tough and strong to face and deal with the society, deal with world. I can give you tons examples like this, female CEO, female lawyers, female world leaders, female soldiers.... If you have a daughter or you yourself are daughters, you will understand the meaning. Well, Edward use Elizabeth, Obama use his look, they all play that "card", so do not point that to Hillary. Anyway, she is a WOMAN !

I hope we all try to be a good listener first, listen to what they say, how they say it, do they do know 1,2,3, or just talk the talk, then do our homework, think well and think deep. We are here trying to choose a president, so please put our country first. Do not play tricks to each other, Dems and Reps. People are NOT stupid. They are well educated and informed. America has already lost big face and reputation in the world. We need to gain our respect back.

Someone said this before: How often in life that person never gets attention because he never looks like a prince. But when he talks, every one listen.

"I'm sorry to burst your little bubble, but if you read the thread even YOU would be able to see how bad Obama's record is, whatever parameters you choose…"

I checked your links, and it looks as though Obama has the second best record on missed votes of all the Senators currently running for President. That doesn't seem so bad to me.

First of all Jessica Yellin-

Your facts are wrong. Senator McCain did not make the vote either.

I'm not sure how many times people need to post the transcript from the Senate Floor on the evening prior to the vote, but it said that the vote would be postponed indefinitely.

I'm sure some Senators did get notice. Harry Reid's son works for the Clinton campaign. Joe Biden had legislation that he was staying around to promote.

The record shows that the vote was called for at 12 noon on the day after it had been postponed indefinitely. The vote was completed by 12:44 pm.

This is inaccurate and biased reporting.

Of all the Senators currently running for President, Obama has missed the second fewest votes:

McCain: 52.6%
Biden: 34.7%
Dodd: 33.3%
Obama: 33%
Clinton: 17.4%

You guys are stupid and sick.
Posted By Joe Ossai, Bedford, NH : November 3, 2007 1:18 pm

I'm sorry to burst your little bubble, but if you read the thread even YOU would be able to see how bad Obama's record is, whatever parameters you choose...

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400629

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/

"Obama is the new dream of 21st century. The new face America to the world,"
Posted By Arshad, Newburgh, NY : November 3, 2007 12:46 pm

Nothing in politics is more dangerous than the, "Cult of Personality", which your cloying, fawning, hero-worshiping posts exemplify.
Believing that your hero can do no wrong is a guarantee that he will...

And Hillary missed over 60%...biased reporting???? I think so...he's got my vote.

You noticed how this crap was framed. 80% since September. Why did they start from September, because if they start from January it will not be impressive. Missed 8 out of 10 votes, big deal.

You also noticed most of the post are from the Hilary camp. Hilary and his gang are like mafias, they are corrupt and want to win at any cost.

Hilary is freaking Joke and she is corrupt. How in the world did she turn $50,000 investment in the cattle futures into millions withins months.

You guys are stupid and sick.

Jim Bremer,
This man is so outstanding, so inspiring and so much of idealism. He is not pretending MLK but he is influenced by him. He is also influenced by Lincoln and JFK. This man's life can back up what he is talking about. He might not know what happens in White House but he knows what happens in ordinary people's house. He spent years on extremely poor neighborhood, helping people who in need. He has been tested on streets of Chicago's southside what it means to be people who are suffering in this country. Don't discount this man's authenticity. You won't take a job paying 13k/year when 6 figures offers are available. You don;t do it at the age of mid twenties unless you really believe in the cause, unless you have genuine passion for people.

Can change happen in this country? History is the witness, Jim. Slavery was ended when many believed not possible. Segregation ended same way. Blacks and women earned right to vote same way. When people called for those changes, many like you believed it was not possible. But people dared to dream and acted on those dreams and made great things possible in this country.

Obama is the new dream of 21st century. The new face America to the world, trnascending through the brick walls of race, religion, ethnicity, and geography and trying to make this country and the world a better place. You can be cynical about change and bad mouth about it. Or you can be a believer and be a part of the movement to make the change. Choice is your. Ofcourse some of us choose the latter.

Hillary refuses to bash either Obama or Edwards. As a lifelong Democrat, she is more and more my candidate with every debate as she points out what a debacle the whole Bush/Cheney administration has been now for nearly 7 years! The next time Obama criticizes Hillary's vote regarding Iran, I just wish she would say, "At least I was there to vote, unlike you!" Obama was informed that the vote was to take place the evening before and he was in the Northeast and could have made it to the Senate floor, but chose to continue campaigning. Is there even a choice? I think not!
HILLARY '08

Perhaps the country would be better off if Hillary missed a few more votes, she always seems to be on the wrong side of the vote anyway.

Obama WAS present for the Kyl-leiberman Iranian guard vote, Harry Reid pulled it off the floor and said the vote would be delayed. Once Obama left for NH the next day Reid put it back on the floor 24 hours later. Reid's son, a Hillary supporter, was responsible for notifying Obama about the vote but only told him 1 hour before the vote after he left for NH.

The point is, when Hillary has a chance to make a decision she shows lack of judgment.

Where's Obama?
Busy making sure flip-flopping, pandering, phony, calculated, poor debater, evasive Hillary is not elected president

Obama Machine is to talk only and do nothing people need to know. Hillary does flip flop some time but this person has been in politics so long and it's not easy to make straight judgment. People make mistakes and she makes too.

But any politician who doesn't attend 80% in senate for vote need to be punished. Why to pay public money who doesn't work.

SENATOR OBAMA SHAME ON YOU TAKING PUBLIC MONEY FOR NO WORK.

Missing the Senate vote is a trivial issue for presidential candidates, especially those who are not well-known nationwide and thus need the time to know the people better and let the people know them better. One can tally the ratio of missed notes by all previous and current candidates. I once read that Kerry missed almost all his notes in the last quarter before the primary.

To address why Obama missed the Iran vote, I cut and paste information below provided by other bloggers, which seems credible.

–The record says:

'Mr. REID. Mr. Chairman, there will be no more votes tonight. We have tried to work something out on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment and the Biden amendment. We have been unable to do that.

We have been very close a few times, but we have just been informed that Senator Biden will not have a vote anytime in the near future. There will not be a vote on the other one anytime in the near future. We hope tonight will bring more clearness on the issue.'

Presidential contenders have many out-of-town commitments. For those who are sitting senators, they change their campaign schedule when they do know an important vote is coming up but otherwise they will pursue their campaign plans."

–end record

That was on the Tuesday night on which the vote had been scheduled. Obama was there for it. After Reid's statement, he left for NH. Reid's office called him the next day in NH and told him the vote would be held in one hour. There was no way that he could fly back in an hour even on a private jet.

Obviously you can't adequately be a lawmaker and simultaneously fight to overtake the most powerful political machine in America: Hillary Clinton's.

If Obama becomes President, missing 80% of the votes will be trivial because he will accomplished his mission and the mission of his supporters: to upset the politics of division and to have a brand new legacy in American politics.

He is currently representing a larger number of constituents than just his state, and I would guess that most Illinois voters don't mind.

thank you for the moving speech by obama that you posted. obama should be given more time to elaborate on and specify his ideas.

Oh my God CNN, I'm glad you're reporting to news for once but why after the debate on MSNBC and not when this was more of an issue weeks ago? CNN = Clinton News Network "For Clinton News and Support"

Arshad in NY -

Thanks for posting that essay.

You do realize, don't you, that there is only a microscopic percentage of Americans that get swayed by speeches that are carefully scripted to have a MLK type effect.

The rest of this country relies on good old American intuition that helps them spot fakes, flakes and posers.

Your Obama talks and talks but won't take a stand on anything. He won't even vote on stuff – that's his paid job in case someone forgot.

He's being naive to think he can change the world with sophomoric speeches.

What the Clinton News Network didn't address is what are the averages of the two for 08′. I am willing to bet they are similar.
Posted By JB Boston MA : November 3, 2007 8:31 am

And you would lose your house...

NewsFlash!- There are ACTUAL places where you can find out if you're talking through an alternate orifice, and you are here.
Imagine if you were looking to find out the truth rather than pull a CYA with some smarmy moral-relativism.

"Hillary Clinton has missed 70 votes (17.4%) during the current Congress"

"Barack Obama has missed 133 votes (33.0%) during the current Congress."

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/

Twice as much.

Now where's that DEED?

"Why is Obama being signaled out?"

Because it's true.

"Sen. Barack Obama has missed more votes than another other Democrat running for the White House — nearly 80 percent since September."

He has been a senator for less than 3 years and has one of the poorest attendance records there;
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400629

Having no record in the US senate, he runs on his record as a state legislator and two self-penned books in praise of himself.
Indeed he has devoted his entire short tenure in the senate to running for even higher office, before and without ever distinguishing himself in his current position.
What criteria would YOU propose we judge our candidates on? Certainly showing up to do your job is one metric that all reasonable people can agree on as each of us would have been fired long ago if we adopted senator Obama's caviler attitude to doing the job he applied for...

Obama has been critizing & harping about Hillary on how she voted on the Iran bill YET he did not vote...another whiner & complainer

There You Go Mr Boston Find A Way To Excuse Mr Obama From His Duties As A US Senator,And If I'am Correct This Editorial Were About Mr Obama Missing 80% Of His Senate Vote,So Why Is All Of Mr Obama's Many Failures As A US Senator, Hilliary's Fault Because You Have To Post Something To Make Your Mr Obama Look Good,What Are you And he going To Do If For Some Reason He Is Elected President Of The US,And Let's Say,Approve War With Iran, & Pakinstan,Who Are You Going To Accusse Of His Many Flaws Then.And Remember Senator Clinton Want Be Around When He Make And I can Assure You Will His Many Gaffe's That He Has Shown Ever Since He's Announced He Would Running For POTUS,Oh I Know John Edwards Will Be His Vice President So He And Axlerod Can Blame Edwards,I Wouldn't Trust Axlerod,Plouffe,Sweet,Are Any Of The Rest Of That Chicago Mob.

Why didn't they put the percentage of votes missed for the entire year? CNN seems to have just wanted to show the stats since Aug. and give a true but but very misleading representation of Obama.

"I wonder what Ronald Regan thinks of his republican party. How the party been corrupted by loney toons." -alan St Louis MO

No doubt, Ronnie was a great tune leader. His accomplishments of peace fill the history books and sometimes I can still hear the echoes of the crying libs. Yes, Ronnie was our greatest leader, until now..

You see, we know that fifteen years from now, fairly stable democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq coupled with the longest economic expansion in history will once again silence all but the echo's of hate from the anti-peace libs certainly to still be crying about Bush's historical references too.

It's destiny..

That is how he keeps his promise. He told the people of the great state of Illinois that he would serve them, then forgot his duty.

WE EXPECT ALL PRESIDENTIAL CANIDATES TO MISS SOME VOTES, BUT NOT THE CRUCIAL ONES THAT AFFECTS THIS COUNTRY. OBAMA HAS CONTINUE TO MISS THESE MASSIVE IMPORTANT VOTES AND THEN ATTACK HILLARY. TRUTH IS OBAMA AND HILLARY VOTE THE SAME WAY ON EVERYTHING. PLUS IN THE DEBATE OBAMA ALSO AGREED WITH HILLARY ON GIVING DRIVERS LICENSES TO ILLEGALS.

Here is a speech Obama delivered yesterday on Civil Right in South Carolina. Read it with an open mind and see how this man is instrumental to bridge racial and political division in this country and why we can't afford not to elect him instead of an ambitious, whining, corrupt woman who is looking to live up to her own ambition as opposed to a strong agenda for all of us.

I don't see CNN is making any news on a great story like this one. Wake up CNN!!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/Cnx5

It’s a special honor to be here in Clarendon County. Because Clarendon County is the place that showed me and showed America that when ordinary people come together, they can do extraordinary things.

That’s the Clarendon County I know.

I know how sixty years ago, the NAACP’s James Hinton dared to ask why white children could ride buses to school but black children had to walk.

I know how Reverend J.A. DeLaine, a preacher and teacher in Summerton, heard that call and joined with Levi Pearson, a father who was sick and tired of seeing his children walk nine miles to school, and with Harry and Eliza Briggs and more than a dozen other Black parents to challenge unequal education.

I know that because of that challenge, Harry Briggs lost his job at the local service station, Eliza Briggs lost hers at a local hotel, and Reverend DeLaine’s home was burned to the ground while the fire department stood by and watched.

It would have been easy for them to stay home. To heed the voices of caution and convenience that said, “wait,” “the timing isn’t right,” or “the country just isn’t ready.” It would have been easy for them to give in to the fears that no doubt kept them awake some nights.

But I know that because they were willing to overcome their fears and reach for a larger dream, the Supreme Court overturned “separate but equal,” and Congress passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

And I know that I stand on their shoulders, that their courage and sacrifice six decades ago makes it possible for me to run today for President of the United States.

So I know Clarendon County. The Clarendon County that showed a nation how to look up rather than down. The Clarendon County that made a claim on the American Dream. The Clarendon County that changed the course of history.

But I also know another Clarendon County.

I know schools in the Corridor of Shame.

I know J.V. Martin Junior High School in Dillon was built more than a century ago, and for years had shattered windows, leaking ceilings, and broken bathrooms.

I know South Carolina has the worst high school dropout rate in America.

I know that all across this nation, one out of every four children go to schools just like J. V. Martin, and take away the same message that we don’t care enough about their education to do better by them.

I know that America today is still blind to the poverty in our midst, and that we still tolerate Jena justice for some and Scooter Libby justice for others.

I know that Black parents in Clarendon are still having to go to court to give their children an equal education – fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education.

There is another side of Clarendon County, another side of America, still waiting for what Harry and Eliza Briggs hoped for. The hope that our children’s destinies aren’t written before they are born. The hope that one day the world as it is and the world as it should be might be one and the same.

That is why I stand before you today as a candidate for President of the United States of America.

I am running because I refuse to accept that the way it is, is the way it has to be. I refuse to accept it when I hear adults say things like “these kids can’t learn” or “these kids come from tough backgrounds” or “these kids are too far behind.” We need to start treating “these kids” like “our kids.”

I am running because I want a sense of urgency about our kids in Washington. When I’m in the White House, we’ll reform No Child Left Behind so we don’t leave the money behind. We’ll recruit an army of new teachers – and make sure they come teach here in Manning – because the most important factor in a child’s education is the person standing at the head of the classroom. We’ll invest in early childhood education because for every dollar we put there, we get seven dollars back in reduced dropout rates, reduced delinquency, and reduced prison rates, and more young people can go to college and get good jobs. And we’ll rebuild our broken schools.

We know why this matters. It’s not just that a good education is essential to helping the children of today compete more effectively as the workers of tomorrow. It’s that the promise of a good education makes it possible for every child to transcend the barriers of race and class and background and achieve their God-given potential. That’s why Harry and Eliza Briggs put their names on that lawsuit. That’s why so many others risked so much to give their children an equal education. That’s my story. That’s what the American story is supposed to be about.

That cause is worth fighting for. A quality education is worth fighting for. Universal health care is worth fighting for. Economic opportunity is worth fighting for. Equality is still worth fighting for.

And when I’m President, we’re going to have a government that helps us win these fights. Not because it’s up to me alone. Not because I have a corner on all the best ideas. But because I understand that we need more than a new campaign or candidate – we need a movement. We need a president ready to partner with you and not too important to do so, ready to move the American people to common cause on these issues, and willing to ask you to do your part – not just as voters, but as citizens.

Because the truth is, no matter how many government programs we launch or how many tax dollars we spend, we can still fall short if each of us is unwilling to do our own part. If we’re unwilling to be responsible parents and turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to our child, and attend those parent/teacher conferences.

We can still fall short if we don’t heal the hole in the hearts of all those young men standing on street corners in every city in this country without a sense of any destiny other than ending up in jail or dead. And healing that hole is going to take more than a change in policy; it’s going to take a change of heart.

We’re going to have to reclaim in our own lives the belief that I am my brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper. It’s the belief that led folks in Clarendon not to turn their backs on Harry Briggs and his fellow foot soldiers, but to offer them money when their credit was cut at the local store, and a place to stay when they were kicked off the land. It’s the belief that led a white judge named J. Waites Waring to stand by their side even after a cross was burned on his lawn and shots were fired into his living room. And it’s the belief that led me into public service more than two decades ago.

As some of you may know, after college, I walked away from a career on Wall Street, and went to work with a group of churches as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago so I could fight for folks who had lost their jobs when the local steel plant closed. And ever since, I’ve been fighting to put the American Dream within reach for every American. That’s why I went to work as a civil rights lawyer, and as a state Senator and as a U.S. Senator. That’s why I expanded health care to 150,000 children and their parents in Illinois. That's why I led the fight to reform a death penalty system that had sentenced 13 innocent men to death. That’s why I led the fight to reform racial profiling. And that’s why you can trust that I’ll fight for you as President.

Now, I’ve heard that some folks aren’t sure America is ready for an African-American president, so let me be clear: I never would have begun this campaign if I weren’t confident I could win. But you see, I am not asking anyone to take a chance on me. I am asking you to take a chance on your own aspirations.

Just imagine what we could do as partners in an Obama administration. Imagine a President who was raised like I was by a single mom who had to work and go to school and raise her kids and accept food stamps for a while. Imagine a President who could go into Holly Courts Apartments here in Manning or Scott’s Branch High School in Summerton, and give the young men and women there someone to look up to. Imagine a President who fought each day to narrow the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be.

Narrowing that gap is not going to be easy. But real change never is. I can still remember one of the early days when I was just starting out as a community organizer in Chicago. We had set up a meeting to figure out how to rebuild our neighborhoods, but no one showed up. And our volunteers felt so defeated, they wanted to quit. And I was tired too.

But at that moment, I looked outside and saw some young boys playing in a vacant lot across the street, tossing stones at a boarded-up apartment building. And I turned to the volunteers, and I asked them, “Before you quit, I want you to answer one question. What’s gonna happen to those boys?” I thought, if we cannot put aside our doubts and our cynicism; if we cannot see that we have a stake in those children; if we don’t realize that the fight for their future is the fight for our own, who will? One by one, the volunteers decided to stay. And block by block, we began to turn those neighborhoods around.

So today, sixty years after James Hinton issued his challenge, I want to issue a challenge of my own. If you’re tired of the politics of fear and division; if you’re tired of a government that stands idly by while our schools go underfunded, our children go unemployed, and our communities are neglected; if you feel as I do that if we don’t fight for that next generation of children, who will? – then I’m asking you to join me. And if you can do that – if you can overcome your doubts, cast away your fears, and believe once again that real change is possible in this country – then I truly believe we can bring about the world that Harry and Eliza Briggs dreamed of for their children.

Pandering to the voters like the other candidates, of course. What is being accomplished in Congress?

Is CNN harassing Obama for not jumping onto his C02 spewing private jet for a trip back to Washington every other day like Hillary??

Are you upset that he missed jokes in Senate like discussing esolution on newspaper advertisement on a General by a political group? Ae you talking about jokes in Senate to vote in a resolution allowing Bush to deal with Iran using forces in Iraq and then writing a letter to Bush saying you can use army in Iraq to deal with Iran but you can't start a war? Yes Obama missed these jokes because he is running a campaign to end these jokes. The only important vote he missed was on IRG resolution but he was in Senate when the vote was originially scheduled. Since the vote was postponed indefinitely without any specific time decalared, he went to New Hampshire to attend pre-scheduled campaign event. This guy is running for the President and can't wait indefinitely to vote if he does not know if Reid has any plan to take the vote and when. You Clinton News Network know it. He declared his position within hours of missing this important vote and his vote was not going to change the outcome of the vote. So keep bringing old news and repackaging it as a new news tells the story, CNN, you are interested in kissing Clinton's ass and not in real news. It also says you and Clintons are scared of this down to earth, intelligent, Charismatic leader so much that you are going out of the way to find something to talk negatively about him. Come join us, support Obama, save some embarassment for you because Clinton WILL be defeated by Obama in the primary. People will know how disconnected CNN is from the pulse of the nation.

I think Bush should get rid of presidential term limits (use executive privilege), make it unconstitutional (and unpatriotic) for anyone to run against him, and seek another presidential term.

We really need him to win the war against terror. Go Bush!!!

Congress is a mess. If I were him I wouldn't show up either.

For all of you yahoos who aren't capable of reading anything other than the blurb above, let me cliff note the video for you:

Biden and Dodd have missed the most votes in 08'

Since the August break, Obama has missed 80% of the votes, Clinton 63% and everyone else somewhere in between.

So, he missed 8 out of 10 votes since the break. She misses 6 out of 10.

What the Clinton News Network didn't address is what are the averages of the two for 08'. I am willing to bet they are similar.

The guy is running for President, expect him to miss many votes, that is common.

Obama missed 80% of votes, what is his priority except Senator's job with that kind of paycheck. Reid should punish Obama or reduce his paycheck because he paid attention for himself instead of Democrats priority votes.
I think he is naive and inexperienced so he actually didn't know what to do, if he knows he will open his mouth first. Obama is not qualified for Presidential candidate, Obama is no less a politician than Bush is. Our country will be worse than now if we put him in White House.

As a Democrat I do not approve of Obama. He is the kind of person who likes to please everyone, yet pleases no one. I do not believe that Dems go along with the crowd as do the Republicans. We may flip flop on our candidates from time to time, but in the end we band together to get that one person elected.

That is the problem of Obama being relatively young and inexperienced. He is scared to take a stand, and finds it easily to be the monday nite quraterback. That explains that his proposed changes to the DC politics are meaningless, wtihout experience and qualfifications to back them up.

Withouht taking a stand, Obama can later criticize, complain and condemn later, and any fool can do that.

Obama is no Joshua, JFK or Lincoln, for sure.

Doing his job helping democracy.

The real question?
WHERES OSAMA BIN LADDEN

Oh Osama drinking margritas and counting his money. He is a good pupet to let lose to keep the republican sheep under the control of a radical facist right wing.

I wonder what Ronald Regan thinks of his republican party. How the party been courrupted by loney toons. Ronald looking down at his party thinking where did i go wrong what happen??

Obama...is all talk...no action. Where is he when it comes to voting???? This is an ongoing situation with him. Why does this man not vote on issues/bills?
Personally I think it is because he does not want American citizens to know which way he is going to vote on issues. Yet he has the gall to attack Hillary, who votes all the time, whether or not you agree with her vote. Nice try Obama...not going to pull the wool over American citizens eyes though.....this election is too important. You are running as a Democrat, but coming across as a Republican. VOTE ON ISSUES IF YOU WANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY! All talk...no action!

I can't believe CNN would go this low to deflect criticisms against Clinton on her flip-flop on the immigration issue as well as Iran, Social Security, etc...

All CNN does is make sure they mention Hillary's name ... on a negative or positive story (negative only on sth trivial or trivialized story).
This is all to reinforce Clinton's accusation of Obama not taking a stand on the Iran vote ... that he missed it as usual...

People (used to) talk about how Clinton ran for US Senate from New York just to run for the Presidency, but at least she did her dang job.

It just goes to show, Obama is all talk, no substance.

WOW, at least this way he can say he's against anything, or for anything. No track record. He's learning from Hillary I see!

Wait, so he actually wants to *learn* about a bill before casting a vote one way or another?! Who does he think he is?!! Just do whatever the lobbyists tell you to do, like everyone else!

Why are you asking now ? Where have you been ? He has always been missing.

How sad...he can't even do his work.

Ha, oh the irony. Obama is big on criticizing other candidates for their votes, especially Hillary. At least they bother to show up and take a stand. Where does Obama stand? He is a blank slate, refuses to do or say anything even remotely bold or controversial, and yet he accuses Hillary of being evasive.

I've always felt that had Obama been in the Senate when the Iraq resolution went through, he likely would have voted for it, just like Edwards and Clinton. Now when he has a chance to put his votes where his mouth is he's suddenly disappeared. It's easy for him to chastise Hillary for voting yes to have the Iranian Revolutionary Guard when he HE DIDN'T BOTHER TO VOTE HIMSELF.

For the record, the question is not whether this resolution will give Bush authorization to attack Iran (it doesn't, and besides he doesn't have the troops to do it), the question is whether or not the IRG is actually a terrorist organization. Something Obama and Edwards aren't talking about, because they know it definitely is. But they wouldn't dare suggest Hillary actually did something right.

More evidence that he is a fake leader at best, and an empty suit who has taken no chances. Not ready and not tough enough for prime time.

Obama is a loser that is why he can not do his job as senator.

If he can't do his present job in the Senate, why should he be given a really important one? Further evidence that this Harvard Law Review guy is not ready for prime time, assuming he could be elected, which he cannot.

This guy is clearly a clown and living a pipe dream. The American people sent him to the senate to take a stand, not running his mouth around the country. We couldn't give a hoots if he is running for president while neglecting his primary responsibility.

Well, I guess that's one strategy. Don't show up to vote, then hammer your opponent for their votes. Gee, how convenient.

ratio*

how about you post the records of the other candidates? and the avg. vote per bill ration of all other members? Fair and balanced journalism please...

Why is Obama being signaled out? Hillary campaign is behind all of this. You have other candidates missing votes; but Obama is being scrutinized for missing votes. This is a pilitical thing. I dislike Hillary with a passion. I would never vote for her. If she wins the primary I will not vote for her. I am sick-and-tired and tired of being sick-and tired of Bush-clinton-bush-clinton. Please, can someone else lead the country?
Please vote for ANYONE but hillary.

He is working hard for justice and for all Americans!!!

That's because this guy is a fake and a poser. He won't take a stand on anything because then he would have to defend it. He thinks it's much safer to mouth vague platitudes that seem like they came out of New Age books.