Obama Words Differ from Actions

Senator Obama is capable of getting elected. He proved that when he came to the senate. However how did he do once he got into office? In a New York Times article this week, his U.S. Senate record was closely examined and it might be a look into his possible presidency.

On an issue that is central to Senator Obama’s presidential campaign, Iraq, according to the Times article, “He disappointed some Democrats by not taking a more prominent role opposing the war — he voted against a troop withdrawal proposal by Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin in June 2006, arguing that a firm date for withdrawal would hamstring diplomats and military commanders in the field.”

The article went on to say, “He was cautious — even on the Iraq war, which he had opposed as a Senate candidate. He voted against the withdrawal of troops and proposed legislation calling for a drawdown only after he was running for president and polls showed voters favoring it.”

This week Senator Obama’s foreign policy advisor, Samantha Power, had to resign after making very negative comments about Senator Hillary Clinton and regarding Iraq she said the following, “He will of course not rely upon some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or as a US senator. He will rely upon a plan, an operational plan that he pulls together, in consultation with people who are on the ground, to whom he doesn’t have daily access now as a result of not being the president.”

Regarding the issue of Immigration, a priority for republican voters, the Times reported, “While some senators spent hours in closed-door meetings over immigration reform in early 2007, he dropped in only occasionally, prompting complaints that he was something of a dilettante.”

It went on to report, “Yet when the measure reached the floor, Mr. Obama distanced himself from the compromise, advocating changes sought by labor groups. The bill collapsed. To some in the bipartisan coalition, Mr. Obama’s move showed an unwillingness to take a tough stand.”
Not long ago, I read about a move Senator Obama made to require nuclear facilities to report leaks, based on a case in his home Illinois. The gist of that article was that he was unable to get traction under his bill and it died, after he promised his constituents to take action.

Bottom line here is that electability and effectiveness are two different things. And once you get past his campaign rhetoric about the issues, you find that his actions, as in the Iraq war, are very different than his words.