McCain - Barack Obama Attacks His Own National Co-Chair --

Attacking John McCain, Barack Obama Forgets That His Own National Co-Chair Joined McCain To Vote Against Bill That Put Pork Over Levees.

OBAMA'S WORDS: Barack Obama Says John McCain Is To Blame For Midwest Flooding Because He Voted Against The Water Resources Development Act Of 2007 (WRDA):

Barack Obama Says That John McCain Voted Against Funding Levees And Flood Control Programs, Implying That He Is Responsible For The Flooding. "'I know that Sen. McCain felt as strongly as I did,' Obama said, 'feeling enormous sympathy for the victims of the recent flooding. I'm sure they appreciated the sentiment, but they probably would have appreciated it even more if Sen. McCain hadn't opposed legislation to fund levees and flood control programs, which he considers pork.' The bill that McCain opposed spent $23 billion on water projects. It passed Congress overwhelmingly and was vetoed by President Bush because he said it spent too much on lawmaker's pet projects. Congress voted to override the veto, the first time of Bush's presidency." (Nedra Pickler, "Obama, McCain Spar On Levees," The Associated Press, 6/19/08)

FACT: In Attacking John McCain For Opposing The WRDA Bill, Barack Obama Is Attacking His Own National Co-Chair -- Senator Claire McCaskill -- Who Voted Against The Bill. Is She To Blame For Levees In Missouri Breaking?

Obama National Co-Chair Senator Claire McCaskill Voted Against The Passage Of The Water Resources Development Act -- The Same Bill That Barack Obama Is Citing Today To Attack John McCain. "Adoption of the conference report on the bill that would authorize $23.2 billion for more than 900 water resource development projects and studies by the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, navigation, beach erosion control and environmental restoration. The bill would require independent peer review for certain projects that exceed $40 million. It would authorize $3.9 billion for a system of new locks and dams and environmental restoration for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois waterway system. It also would authorize hurricane recovery activities along the Gulf Coast." (H.R. 1495, CQ Vote #347: Adopted 81-12: R 36-10; D 43-2; I 2-0. 9/24/07, McCaskill Voted Nay)

· Senator McCaskill: "This Isn't About The Projects. This Is About The Process." "This isn't about the projects or merits of the projects. Painfully for me, one is in Missouri. This isn't about the projects. This is about the process. This isn't about Democrats. And this isn't about is about a bad habit. This is about getting into the habit of directing authorization or spending in a conference report instead of under the bright lights of the Senate floor, the House floor or committee work." (Senator Claire McCaskill, "McCaskill Floor Speech on WRDA," Press Release, 9/24/07)

FACT: John McCain Opposed WRDA Bill Because Of "Outrageous Spending [And] ... Drastically Increase The Backlog Of Army Corps Of Engineers Construction Projects"

John McCain Opposed The Water Bill In 2007 Because It Included "Outrageous Spending" And "Would Drastically Increase The Backlog Of Army Corps Of Engineers Construction Projects." "Mr. President, I would like to express my strong opposition to the Conference Report on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. The legislation being considered today far exceeds the already outrageous spending that was approved in both the House- and Senate-passed bills and would drastically increase the backlog of Army Corps of Engineers construction projects while doing nothing to modernize the system for funding these projects. I wonder, did we learn nothing from Hurricane Katrina?" (Office Of U.S. Senator John McCain, "Statement By Senator McCain On The Water Resources Development Act Conference Report," Press Release, 9/24/07)

· The New York Times Said Democrats Took A "Dive" When It Came To Reforming The Status Quo. "Readers will recall that the Democrats promised to upend the status quo as soon as they won majority control. But some things, it appears, are untouchable, among them the Army Corps of Engineers. Presented with another opportunity to reform the Corps -- its weaknesses exposed by the levee failures in New Orleans and other misjudgments predating Hurricane Katrina -- Democrats on the House transportation committee took a dive." (Editorial, "Still Not Fixing the Army Corps," The New York Times, 3/19/07)

· The New York Times: While Containing Worthwhile Projects, The Bill Would Have Been "Far Better ... If The Democrats, As They Promised, Would Put The Interests Of Responsive Government Ahead Of Their Own." "In addition to the usual ration of pork, the bill contains several very important provisions, including vital and long-overdue financing for the Everglades restoration project, as well as money to begin the essential task of rebuilding Louisiana's vulnerable coastal wetlands. But it would be a far better bill if the Democrats, as they promised, would put the interests of responsive government ahead of their own and finally fix the Army Corps." (Editorial, "Still Not Fixing the Army Corps," The New York Times, 3/19/07)

· Time Magazine: "This Bill Just Sets The Stage For Future Katrinas." "WRDA is a lousy bill, stuffed with more pork than Sonny's Barbecue, coddling a dysfunctional agency, perpetuating a dysfunctional system. Louisiana and the Everglades need help, but they won't get it until Congress fixes the Corps. This bill just sets the stage for future Katrinas." (Michael Grunwald, "Setting the Stage for More Katrinas," Time Magazine, 8/2/07)