Reply #17: The report I put up came from [View All]

[Nicholas_J]

Project Vote Smart, and it also does a more in depth breakdoown of voting record by actual legislation and areas of political interest.


The percentages are based on actual votes. and as you can see, between 1999 and 2003, Edwards does not have a record of voting against the legislation that Bush wanted passed:

Roll Call Vote Analysis
Year Voting Participation Party Support Presidential Support
2003 61% 97% 41%
2002 100% 84% 76%
2001 99% 91% 67%
2000 100% 94% 92%
1999 99% 92% 87%


Source: Congressional Quarterly

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=CNC68243&PHPSESSID=055dc9ec36e77581372e31b6e44186b6

The source that as used by vote smart, as you see, was Cngressional Quarterly, bases its data on the actual voting records in the Federal Register. Having worked as a librarian for nearly 25 years, as anyone working in the field can testify, Congressional Quarterly is considered the "Gold Standard" for research on topics regarding voting record, as they have no particular political ax to grind, simply being a reference source prepared by the Superintendent of Documents, just as the Statistical Abstracts of the United States is.

The in depth look at Edwards voting record exists on the same site and breaks down the voting record and Key Votes by the following topic for the years noted:

Senator John Reid Edwards (NC)


Current Office: U.S. Senator
Current District: Senior Seat
First Elected: 11/03/98
Last Elected: 11/03/98
Next Election: 2004
Party: Democrat
Biographical
Issue Positions(NPAT)
Campaign Finances
Interest Group Ratings
Voting Record
Speeches and Public Statements







Category Year
Abortion Issues 2004 2003 2000 1999
Agriculture Issues 2002 2001 1999
Appropriations 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
Arts and Humanities 1999
Budget, Spending and Taxes 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
Business and Consumers 2004 2002 2001 2000 1999
Campaign Finance and Election Issues 2002 2001 2000 1999
Civil Liberties 2000 1999
Civil Rights 2000
Congressional Affairs 2003 2001 2000 1999
Crime Issues 2004 2003 2000 1999
Defense 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
Drug Issues 2000 1999
Education 2004 2001 2000 1999
Employment and Affirmative Action 2004
Energy Issues 2003 2002 2000 1999
Environmental Issues 2003 2002 2000 1999
Executive Branch 2003 2001 2000 1999
Family and Children Issues 2003 2000 1999
Foreign Aid and Policy Issues 2002 2001 2000 1999
Government Reform 2002 2001 2000 1999
Gun Issues 2004 2000 1999
Health Issues 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
Housing and Property Issues 1999
Immigration 2000
Labor 2001 2000 1999
Legal Issues 2004 2003 1999
Military Issues 2004 2002 2000 1999
National Security Issues 2002 2001
Regulatory Issues 2003 2002 1999
Senior and Social Security Issues 2003 2001 2000 1999
Social Issues 2002 1999
Technology and Communication 2003 2000 1999
Trade Issues 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
Transportation Issues 2004 2003 2001 1999
Veterans Issues 2001 1999

http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=CNC68243

The fact is that Edwards does not have the record of most frequently voting against legislation that George Bush desired to have pssed and that in fact, Gephardt has record of voting against the president to a greater degree than Edwards has.

GQ did report that Edwards voted against Bush more often than anyone else did. LAST WINTER. A number of articles pointed out Edwards change in the last quarter of 2003 around the time when the public was gearing up for the primaries. The media did note the change in voting stance that quarter. somewhat cynically.

In fact, Gephardt probably has the record of voting agianst the Bush Administration more often than pretty much any other candidate who is sitting in Congress except Kucinich, and Gephart comes very close to matching Kucinich's opposition to the Bush Adminstration. vote-wise, at least:

Roll Call Vote Analysis
Year Voting Participation Party Support Presidential Support
2003 91% 96% 22%
2002 99% 96% 26%
2001 98% 89% 23%
2000 98% 89% 76%
1999 99% 83% 63%
1998 99% 83% 78%
1997 99% 80% 65%

http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC032003


Out of all of the candidates sitting in Congress, Gephardt and Kucinich's voting records are records that display the clearest differnce from the Bush Adminstration.

If you go back and look at Kucinich as well, his change in