Yesterday morning, I reported on the shocking absence of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama from an important vote in the Senate. The vote was on an amendment by Russ Feingold to the FISA Amendments Act. Feingold’s amendment to the proposed legislation would have made it illegal for the American government to engage in reverse targeting of American citizens with unwarranted electronic spying.
Both Clinton and Obama were absent from the vote, too busy campaigning to do their duty as senators. John McCain was absent too. That was terrible neglect on their parts.
However, there is one important difference on this issue that distinguishes Barack Obama from Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Although none of these three bothered to show up to vote on the amendment, Barack Obama did add his name to the amendment as a cosponsor, in a show of support for Russ Feingold. Hillary Clinton and John McCain did not even do that much.
I’m not saying that this excuses Barack Obama’s neglect on the Feingold amendment to stop electronic spying against Americans. However, his cosponsorship does mitigate Obama’s neglect. John McCain and Hillary Clinton don’t even have that much.
