What have...

[Wabash]

Obama or Hillary ever accomplished in their years in public life?

Answer: Nothing!

[patriotsblade]

Just a few of them here.

-Obama passed legislation with Republican Senator Jim Talent to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend.

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

-His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent.

-Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years.

-Obama joined forces with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators and banned gifts from lobbyists. Before the law was passed, one organization ranked Illinois worst among 50 states for its campaign finance regulations.

-As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan.

-He traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world.

-Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting.

- In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis began.

-Obama sponsored legislation to combat predatory payday loans, and he also was credited with lobbied the state to more closely regulate some of the most egregious predatory lending practices.

-Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.

-Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.

-Obama has introduced and helped pass bipartisan legislation to limit the abuse of no-bid federal contracts.

-Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on both parties and proposed ethics legislation that was described as the "gold standard" for reform. It was because of their leadership that ending subsidized corporate jet travel, mandating disclosure of lobbyists' bundling of contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law.

[Lone Laugher]

That argument has been smashed....go to any one of the many websites that track congressional voting records and legislation sponsorships....or to either of their campaign websites......it is all there.

[Yellowdogtexan]

Here is another partial list that overlaps with the list above
Senator Obama’s fight for universal children’s health care in Illinois.
His success bringing Republicans and Democrats together (a huge selling point for me in general) on bills such as the one in Illinois requiring police interrogations and confessions to be videotaped.
His leadership on ethics reform in Washington (the bill that lobbyists and special interests are complaining about right now has his name on it).
His bill to make the federal budget far more transparent and accessible to Americans via the Internet – we could use that openness in Texas.
And his vital work with Republicans to lock down nuclear weapons around the world.

[Wabash]

Can anybody cite Obama accomplishments?:shrug2

What has this man done that would qualify him for the highest public office. :shrug2

[Lone Laugher]

For crying out loud, this has been addressed so many times that I cannot believe you have yet to get it.

Barack Obama has a decent record of bills sponsored and co-sponsored. He also has an impressive resume from his term in the Illinois State Senate. Besides that, he is an accomplished community organizer, author and scholar.

-----------------------------------------------------

Taken from the Thom Hartmann Blog:

Obama came from nowhere to take the lead from a front runner that everyone considered the de-facto nominee a year ago. His community organization skills are clearly exhibited by his ability to run a campaign that concentrates heavily on footwork and grassroots efforts. He draws massive crowds of people who are inspired by what he has to say, exhibiting leadership that dwarfs anything we've seen in decades.

Obama was in the Illinois state senate since 1996 and he put forth literally hundreds of proposals with respect to health care, expanded welfare, and gun control among others. Now as a minority party in that legislative body most were killed by Republican leadership (an oxymoron or in Bush's case, an everyday moron) but he did what was humanly possible.

In the US Senate he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored 427. Examples that the Republicans didn't manage to obstruct:

Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006

The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act

The 2007 Government Ethics Bill

So anyone who complains about Obama's lack of accomplishments is just either a Hillary shill or a Republicant (sic) that is whining and spouting talking points and wasting people's time, which is better than stabbing you in the back, which is what they do with the rest of their copious free time.

--------------------------------------------------


By Charles Peters
Friday, January 4, 2008; A21

People who complain that Barack Obama lacks experience must be unaware of his legislative achievements. One reason these accomplishments are unfamiliar is that the media have not devoted enough attention to Obama's bills and the effort required to pass them, ignoring impressive, hard evidence of his character and ability.

Since most of Obama's legislation was enacted in Illinois, most of the evidence is found there -- and it has been largely ignored by the media in a kind of Washington snobbery that assumes state legislatures are not to be taken seriously. (Another factor is reporters' fascination with the horse race at the expense of substance that they assume is boring, a fascination that despite being ridiculed for years continues to dominate political journalism.)

I am a rarity among Washington journalists in that I have served in a state legislature. I know from my time in the West Virginia legislature that the challenges faced by reform-minded state representatives are no less, if indeed not more, formidable than those encountered in Congress. For me, at least, trying to deal with those challenges involved as much drama as any election. And the "heart and soul" bill, the one for which a legislator gives everything he or she has to get passed, has long told me more than anything else about a person's character and ability.

Consider a bill into which Obama clearly put his heart and soul. The problem he wanted to address was that too many confessions, rather than being voluntary, were coerced -- by beating the daylights out of the accused.

Obama proposed requiring that interrogations and confessions be videotaped.

This seemed likely to stop the beatings, but the bill itself aroused immediate opposition. There were Republicans who were automatically tough on crime and Democrats who feared being thought soft on crime. There were death penalty abolitionists, some of whom worried that Obama's bill, by preventing the execution of innocents, would deprive them of their best argument. Vigorous opposition came from the police, too many of whom had become accustomed to using muscle to "solve" crimes. And the incoming governor, Rod Blagojevich, announced that he was against it.

Obama had his work cut out for him.

He responded with an all-out campaign of cajolery. It had not been easy for a Harvard man to become a regular guy to his colleagues. Obama had managed to do so by playing basketball and poker with them and, most of all, by listening to their concerns. Even Republicans came to respect him. One Republican state senator, Kirk Dillard, has said that "Barack had a way both intellectually and in demeanor that defused skeptics."

The police proved to be Obama's toughest opponent. Legislators tend to quail when cops say things like, "This means we won't be able to protect your children." The police tried to limit the videotaping to confessions, but Obama, knowing that the beatings were most likely to occur during questioning, fought -- successfully -- to keep interrogations included in the required videotaping.

By showing officers that he shared many of their concerns, even going so far as to help pass other legislation they wanted, he was able to quiet the fears of many.

Obama proved persuasive enough that the bill passed both houses of the legislature, the Senate by an incredible 35 to 0. Then he talked Blagojevich into signing the bill, making Illinois the first state to require such videotaping.

Obama didn't stop there. He played a major role in passing many other bills, including the state's first earned-income tax credit to help the working poor and the first ethics and campaign finance law in 25 years (a law a Post story said made Illinois "one of the best in the nation on campaign finance disclosure". Obama's commitment to ethics continued in the U.S. Senate, where he co-authored the new lobbying reform law that, among its hard-to-sell provisions, requires lawmakers to disclose the names of lobbyists who "bundle" contributions for them.

Taken together, these accomplishments demonstrate that Obama has what Dillard, the Republican state senator, calls a "unique" ability "to deal with extremely complex issues, to reach across the aisle and to deal with diverse people." In other words, Obama's campaign claim that he can persuade us to rise above what divides us is not just rhetoric.

I do not think that a candidate's legislative record is the only measure of presidential potential, simply that Obama's is revealing enough to merit far more attention than it has received. Indeed, the media have been equally delinquent in reporting the legislative achievements of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, both of whom spent years in the U.S. Senate. The media should compare their legislative records to Obama's, devoting special attention to their heart-and-soul bills and how effective each was in actually making law.

Charles Peters, the founding editor of the Washington Monthly, is president of Understanding Government, a foundation devoted to better government through better reporting.


Need more?

[Wabash]

Well the reason I asked the question was this:
I watched a focus group of Obama supporters, try to identify Obama's accommplishments and they were embarrassed.
His accomplishments boil down to a couple of things it seems... He's the first viable black candidate for President, and he votes in the US Senate. The only other thing said is he's a nice guy and he articulate. Even though they were Obama supporters, they were embarrassed by their inability to identify one damn thing that qualifies him for president of the US.

Fact is, Hillary Clinton is right about one thing; Obama has zero experience and is totally unqualified to be the top executive of the most powerful nation on earth.

Obama is a phenom. Democrats are pitiful in their lemming like attraction to a candidate who is really just a hope, made up of a fabric of their imagination.

Furthermore...
Seems to me that they also included his Harvard education, but that was rebutted by "W" having been to Harvard and Yale both.
It's also mitigated by the fact that Harvard shows a strong preference to minority admissions, so it's less of an achievement for him since he was admitted for the color of his skin, instead of his academic achievements or the content of his character

[Lone Laugher]

Well...I've also seen such focus groups....they are fond of them on Hannity and Colmes. Their guy Frank Luntz comes up with the groups....and it is true...none of the folks can ever answer the Obama accomplishments question. They do not posess a working knowledge of the senate dealings of anyone...not even Obama.

So...is that such a big deal? I don't think so. People have had a fair amount of time to size up the candidates, don't you think? They have been page one news for about a year. Basically, people like what Obama has to say...and they think he is being genuine with them...and they think he's got the ability ( read personality and intelligence ) to get things done. It is possible to make that judgement without knowing one iota about Obama's accomplishments.

Some even find the fact that he has so few nationally recognized political accomplishments to be a plus.

Obama supporters are not dimwitted dreamers...they are making an informed decision in this age of information.

[Lone Laugher]

http://www.redstate.com/stories/elections/2008/professional_undecideds

[Wabash]

Ok then, if he gets into office, we will have to wait and see what he can do....It will be Good, Bad...or........... Ugly!

[Wabash]

Side note:
When I was growing up, we looked up to our leaders and sports figures as model moral compasses...

Nowadays that's shattered by the truth.... The former POTUS is a convicted liar, and our sports heroes are cheaters... Pride in America is nearly extinct due to grass roots liberalism... We can't have a parade anymore without a bunch of faggots in it, and demonstrators trying to fuck it up... Road rage is no longer uncommon... Decent customer service is hard to come by....

The entire societal attitude is negative, where it used to be positive....

Look at Fred Thompson... Nobody in their right mind really wants to be President... Fred was the only guy running in his right mind, and just reflecting on my own hopes for his campaign it was obvious he didn't want to do it... Look at what we have left.....

[Trueblue]

Are you serious with that list?

[Saguaro]

Here ya go Wabash .......it is too long to copy

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d109&querybd=@FIELD(FLD003+@4((@1(Sen+Obama++Barack))+0 1763))

[nixon]

Obama or Hillary ever accomplished in their years in public life?

Answer: Nothing!What of McCain? Oh yeah, he managed to stay out of prison when he was a member of the Keating Five.

[issac the dragon]

Ugly we've seen. Ugly we've got.

[Matt]

Can anybody cite Obama accomplishments?:shrug2

What has this man done that would qualify him for the highest public office. :shrug2

Perhaps it would be clear if the Wab/Ringo approach is used to explain.
Bush had a record of failed military service, failed business ventures, poor school records, heavy drinking into his 40s, as governor of Texas he had little to do because the lt governor takes care of the details.

Obama's partial record has been listed. He is very intelligent and will be able to communicate with leaders at home and abroad. That will be a big plus.

There was a lot of complaints when Michelle Obama indicated that she had not been proud of her country.
As a black it is likely she had a lot more to deal with than any of us. There is still a lot of prejudice in our country.

I think our heroes are not worse ~ just more exposed.
Have you read about the lives of the first 7 astronauts?
And our past presidents.
The more crowded the world gets, the more problems we will have. That's a given. Over population is one of the problems that Al Gore addressed before he wrote his first book on global warming. Birth control is a tricky issue to get into.
The more automated we become the harder customer service is.

I don't think Obama, Hillary or McCain will be able to do away with those problems.
I do believe that as Americans become more secure in their jobs and health services there will be less rage.
I think both Obama's have the personality and language skills to be good role models.
We need to get away from living by lines from movies like 'make my day' and 'bring it on'.
Let's get back to the real world and real people instead of playing like this is just a movie with a controlled ending.

[issac the dragon]

One of the bills Obama helped get passed in Illinois was a law that politicians who take bundled contributions must reveal the names of the contributers bundled.

Today, he likes to sound like he has no idea who is contributing money to him through those sources. Such as the big insurance companies. I think he is sounding a lot like a typical politician speaking out of both sides of his mouth. And his health insurance plan sounds a lot like it was written by the insurance industry. Could it be a coincidence?

[Wabash]

Are you serious with that list?
Yes!

Here ya go Wabash .......it is too long to copy

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d109&querybd=@FIELD(FLD003+@4((@1(Sen+Obama++Barack))+0 1763))
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Link no good! Says a lot!
What of McCain? Oh yeah, he managed to stay out of prison when he was a member of the Keating Five.
Close only counts in Horseshoes and hand grenades nix!
He wasn't convicted of anything ...bottom line! Look at all the shit the clintons have gotten away with?

[Wabash]

Perhaps it would be clear if the Wab/Ringo approach is used to explain.
Bush had a record of failed military service, failed business ventures, poor school records, heavy drinking into his 40s, as governor of Texas he had little to do because the lt governor takes care of the details.

Obama's partial record has been listed. He is very intelligent and will be able to communicate with leaders at home and abroad. That will be a big plus.

There was a lot of complaints when Michelle Obama indicated that she had not been proud of her country.
As a black it is likely she had a lot more to deal with than any of us. There is still a lot of prejudice in our country.

I think our heroes are not worse ~ just more exposed.
Have you read about the lives of the first 7 astronauts?
And our past presidents.
The more crowded the world gets, the more problems we will have. That's a given. Over population is one of the problems that Al Gore addressed before he wrote his first book on global warming. Birth control is a tricky issue to get into.
The more automated we become the harder customer service is.

I don't think Obama, Hillary or McCain will be able to do away with those problems.
I do believe that as Americans become more secure in their jobs and health services there will be less rage.
I think both Obama's have the personality and language skills to be good role models.
We need to get away from living by lines from movies like 'make my day' and 'bring it on'.
Let's get back to the real world and real people instead of playing like this is just a movie with a controlled ending.
Those movie lines ARE real life Matt! And a lot more just like em! True Grit! That's what Americans are lacking!

One of the bills Obama helped get passed in Illinois was a law that politicians who take bundled contributions must reveal the names of the contributers bundled.

Today, he likes to sound like he has no idea who is contributing money to him through those sources. Such as the big insurance companies. I think he is sounding a lot like a typical politician speaking out of both sides of his mouth. And his health insurance plan sounds a lot like it was written by the insurance industry. Could it be a coincidence?
I think he is bought and paid for by certain groups...if we can expose that...I think Obie will fade.....he is already starting to fade via the media...they are no longer idolizing him like they were a month or so ago......like I said the other day..it's sad that with all the intelligence and talent that we have in this country, that all we can get is the same old stuff or inexperience!

[Capitalist]

Just a few of them here.

-Obama passed legislation with Republican Senator Jim Talent to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend.

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

-His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent.

-Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years.

-Obama joined forces with former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon (D-IL) to pass the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators and banned gifts from lobbyists. Before the law was passed, one organization ranked Illinois worst among 50 states for its campaign finance regulations.

-As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan.

-He traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world.

-Obama has been a leading advocate for protecting the right to vote, helping to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and leading the opposition against discriminatory barriers to voting.

- In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis began.

-Obama sponsored legislation to combat predatory payday loans, and he also was credited with lobbied the state to more closely regulate some of the most egregious predatory lending practices.

-Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.

-Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.

-Obama has introduced and helped pass bipartisan legislation to limit the abuse of no-bid federal contracts.

-Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on both parties and proposed ethics legislation that was described as the "gold standard" for reform. It was because of their leadership that ending subsidized corporate jet travel, mandating disclosure of lobbyists' bundling of contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law.

That's it, 45+ years on the planet and that is all you can find?

Did he ever do anything outside of government but flap his gums?

[Capitalist]

Here is another partial list that overlaps with the list above

He will not be able to work with republicans on anything significant. He will never get 41 republicans to let any of his massive spending proposals through the Senate.

He is all hot air and pretty words.

He is worthless. If you want to know what he is going to do actually go to his website issues page (I have read it all) there is plenty there to run against.

[issac the dragon]

I don't think Clinton or Obama are going to get any cooperation form the Republicans. I do hope that it won't matter. A super majority would do it. And if the Republicans get too uncooperative, there is always the nuclear option.