John McCain has missed 58% of all of the votes in the 110th Congress. (Nine more than Sen. Tim Johnson who suffered a brain hemorrhage and missed several months recovering).
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have each missed 40% and 30% respectively. Almost half of McCain.
We elect these people into positions of public office because we believe in what they can do for us, and what do they do in return? Use it as a stepping-stone. That is why I believe that there should be a federal "Resign to Run" law, much like what is in place in Hawai'i and Georgia.
Resign to run simply says that if an elected official desires to run for a higher office, he or she must resign from their current position during their campaign. I think that this would significantly lower the number of absent voters when important bills come up for a vote on the Senate floor.
In fact, McCain has only voted on ONE bill since March 13. Last year McCain missed 4 of 14 important votes that were directly related to the war in Iraq. Sens. Obama and Clinton did not miss any and have each seemed to planned their travels around such high profile votes.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was not happy saying, "Sen. McCain has spent considerable time defending the president on Iraq and catering to the Republican base, but has only managed to show up to four of the last 14 Iraq votes
Ethically, I don't think candidates should abuse the power that the American voters have given them. If a person has been chosen for a job, they should hold that responsibility over all else.
A resign to run law would alleviate this issue, and allow another respected figure the opportunity to represent their constituents in Washington.
[Thursday edit]
McCain skipped the vote today that would assist women in suing employers for pay discrimination...shocker.
-Will
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