Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Here you go, Chris

I just watched Chris Matthews grill a Texas state senator who supports Barack Obama over naming any of Obama's legislative accomplishments. The Texas lawmaker couldn't name any. Brutal.

So, for Chris' edification, here are a few of Obama's legislative accomplishments.

In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.
I dunno, maybe Matthews was trying to make up for some of his sexist rhetoric against Hillary. Who knows. But anyhoo, I hope this answers his question.

1 comments:

billie said...

i guess my question is- why would you send out the guy from tex-ass? and having done so- with and ill prepared and probably under educated person used to texas style politics- expect him to perform? isn't it par for the course with this particular congress anyway? or am i being way too cynical?