United States Senate Career of Barack Obama - Legislation and Voting Record

Legislation and Voting Record

See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate

One analysis of bill co-sponsorship classified Obama as a "rank-and-file Democrat". Another, of party-line votes, tagged him a "Democratic Party loyalist." The National Journal, in its 27th annual vote ratings, identified Obama as "the most liberal senator" in 2007, though this conclusion was rated "Barely True" by PolitiFact. Asked about the Journal's characterization of his voting record, Obama expressed doubts about the survey's methodology and blamed "old politics" categorization of political positions as conservative or liberal for creating predispositions that prevent problem-solving.

Ratings of Obama's liberalism by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), based on 20 ADA-selected votes each year, declined from 100% in 2005 to 95% in 2006, with one vote the ADA counted as not-liberal in 2006, and 75%, with five missed votes, in 2007.

A study of the voting records of all 100 senators, using an average of the ratings of seven liberal interest groups, described Obama as "among the least liberal", of the Democrats, scoring an 80%.

Read more about this topic:  United States Senate Career Of Barack Obama

Famous quotes containing the words legislation and, legislation, voting and/or record:

    “Legislation and adjudication must follow, and conform to, the progress of society.”
    —Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)

    “The wise know that foolish legislation is a rope of sand, which perishes in the twisting.”
    —Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    “Common sense should tell us that reading is the ultimate weapon—destroying ignorance, poverty and despair before they can destroy us. A nation that doesn’t read much doesn’t know much. And a nation that doesn’t know much is more likely to make poor choices in the home, the marketplace, the jury box and the voting booth...The challenge, therefore, is to convince future generations of children that carrying a book is more rewarding than carrying guns.”
    —Jim Trelease (20th century)

    “It is a maxim among these lawyers, that whatever hath been done before, may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all the decisions formerly made against common justice and the general reason of mankind.”
    —Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)