John McCain claims to not have missed one crucial vote on our nation's energy legislation. Yet like most things that exit his mouth, this one is a flat out lie. When it comes to telling the truth, Mr. Maverick has no idea on how to do that, maybe that is what makes him a maverick. Perhaps he forgets that people can track members' votes in the Senate, but nevertheless, the facts speak for themselves.
From ThinkProgress:
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) currently holds the title of most absent U.S. senator, missing over 60 percent of votes this session. In an interview with Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Institute yesterday, McCain claimed he has not “missed any crucial vote” on energy legislation:
McCAIN: I have a long record of that support of alternate energy. … I’ve always been for all of those and I have not missed any crucial vote. But my citizens in Arizona know that when I’m running for the President of the United States I have to be out campaigning.
McCain’s has actually missed several “crucial” energy votes. In July alone, he missed every single energy vote brought to the floor. This session, McCain has skipped votes supporting renewable energy tax credits four times, all of which were filibustered. In June, for example, McCain missed a vote on the landmark Lieberman-Warner climate change legislation.
McCain has also been the “crucial” absent vote on key legislation. In December, legislation stripping tax break giveaways to Big Oil and investing in cleaner sources failed by one vote, 59-40 (Vote #425); McCain missed that vote to campaign. In February, McCain skipped a vote on extending tax credits to renewables, which also failed by one vote (Vote #8). Both times, McCain was the only senator absent.
It really is amazing how those pesky facts get in the way of McCain's incredibly amazing "Straight-Talk Express." And for the last week his train had unfettered access to the public, since Barack Obama was in Hawaii. Despite that, the polls show the race virtually unchanged from the time Obama went to the Aloha State until he got back.
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