Obama vs McCain, who is really more of the same?

It was always going to be a stretch, comparing John McCain to George Bush, which of course is the centerpiece of Obama’s campaign attack. McBush, more of the same, 4 more years, etc. McCain and Bush together like twins. Anyone who saw the news for any length of time knows there are probably no two men in the Republican Party more different than George Bush and John McCain. Their battles have been epic and legendary.

There main attack is of course McCain voted with Bush, 90% of the time. I realize what they're trying to say, although technically of course, Bush doesn't vote on anything, he either signs a bill, which he may or may not agree completely with, or he vetoes a bill which he may agree with in some parts, but he vetoes it because of a specific part of the legislation. Let's go ahead and accept that George Bush and John McCain voted together 90% of the time, which of course brings up the question is McCain really bipartisan, or more of the same.

So I decided to do some research to find out how often Obama voted with his party led by Nancy Pelosi and of course in the Senate, Harry Reid. Astoundingly Obama voted with his party 96% of the time! There's only one group in politics today that has managed to achieve the dubious distinction of having a lower approval rating than President Bush. And of course, the winner of this dubious honor is the democratically controlled House and Senate. This was achieved when, to the astonishment of I think 70 to 80% of people in the country, at a time when gas prices and oil prices and energy prices in general had reached an all-time high, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi decided they would close Congress and go home and take a vacation instead of simply passing a bill to do something about it.

Obama says that he is going to be the great uniter, to see past red states and blue states, and just see American states. This phrase rings a little hollow, however, since he voted exclusively with the blue states and Democrats 96% of the time. So if by more the same, you mean more partisan deadlock that has stopped Washington from accomplishing anything for years, Obama is more of the same. It's a little difficult for Obama to argue voting with his party 96% of the time makes him more of a uniter than John McCain, which voted with his party 90% of the time. Or, as Obama asks, is a 10 percent chance of change enough? How about 4 percent?

Also see:
Democrats blocked Bush’s Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Reforms.
Economic and Energy crisis, the real 3 a.m. call for Obama and McCain.
Democrats created Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mess then stopped reforms.