Answering Mrs. Mikey

Mrs. Mikey is a fan of Senator Obama.

In her comment to my post about thinking about not voting for any candidate she did some research on Senator Obama and Senator McCain. First, I am pleased that she has taken an interest in politics. Her responses need to be answered. Her base premise is that Senator McCain is more of the same, i.e. W3. There are certainly a lot of people who believe that. I can even concede that point. But that does not answer whether Senator Obama is Carter 2.

In her first point she cites his co-sponsorship of almost 600 bills and having 15 where he was a co-sponsor that became law. My response is simple. Every member of congress sponsors hundreds of bills. The real test of leadership is not sponsorship but how actively the member gets in on the issues. Senator Obama has been largely absent in this congress (as has Senator McCain) and based on his voting record had a prior record of no real leadership in either the Senate nor the Illinois legislature. As an insider, I find people who vote present on major issues(which Obama has done a lot), a demonstration of lack of leadership. He might well be a good executive leader. Many great presidents were lousy legislators. (And indeed the skills are not transferrable.) But I keep thinking that he is a Seinfeld Senator - great talk not a lot of substance. Indeed, one argument that Mrs. Mikey could make about McCain is that he has taken a number of leadership roles in the Senate on a number of issues - based on prior experience - Most Senators have not made good presidents. So one could argue that Obama's lack of a record in the Senate could be positive. I wonder.

Second, I would concede, although with a lot less energy, that both candidates have not been at their best in the last couple of weeks. I don't like McCain people using Obama's middle name. Nor do I like John Lewis making absurd charges about racism.

Third, I am concerned about both candidates relationships with people who I think have ulterior motives. Bill Ayers IS an unrepentant terrorist. His association to Senator Obama has been demonstrated. Tony Rezko is a convicted felon. And Rezko did at a minimum create the appearance of impropriety in his assistance to the Obamas on their home. In both of these cases and in the relationship with Franklin Raines, who I believe is a key figure in the current financial crisis, Obama has not offered a clear understanding of his relationships. He should. McCain does have some relationships with people who I find abhorrent. The Keating incident, if you go back and look at the history, is a big problem for me. But the size and scope of the savings and loan crisis, which began with efforts by a Rhode Island Congressman who was convicted of illegal activity to loosen the strings on Savings and Loan institutions was by most accounts minor. McCain, among the people in the center of the storm was the only one who was not directly accused of ethical lapses. But he did have a huge lapse in judgement. Note the outside scope of the S&L crisis was about a seventh of the current crisis.

So in spite of Mrs. Mikey's determined efforts to convince me I remain undecided.