Now, there is only one way to research a politician.  You can’t listen to speeches, interviews or read biographies. They’re too smart for that.  They know the right things to say to the right people at the right time, and their staffs get paid good money to help them craft their image.  The only way to uncover what a politician is truly about is to look at his/her voting record.  Clever as they may be, they can’t spin that.

There is an organization called the ACU.  They provide citizens with a useful tool in evaluating our representative’s voting records.  They score voting records on a scale of 0-100 with a score of 0 representing the farthest left a voting record can be and with 100 being the farthest right.  So, when a Congressman scores 50, for example, he is right down the middle with half of his votes supporting the liberal side of an issue and and half of his votes supporting the conservative side.  Understand?  Good.  So what does our Congressman, James McGovern, and his voting record score: 2.  That’s right a 2.  I have to write that again: on a scale of 0-100, with 0 being the most liberal you can be, James McGovern scores a 2.  To put this in perspective, even Hillary Clinton scores a 9.

After seeing that, I dug a little deeper into his voting record.  I looked up the roll call for some actual 2006 votes and here is what I’ve found. Keep in mind that the titles and descriptions are from the actual bills, amendments and/or resolutions.

HR 4297 Tax Rates:

This bill extended $70 Billion in tax cuts through 2010.  James McGovern voted against extending the tax cuts.  It passed.

HR 5427 Pork Barrel Spending:

This amendment would have barred the use of taxpayer funds for the Juniata Ultra Low Emission Locomotive Demonstration in Pennsylvania.  James McGovern voted against this amendment and for the pork barrel spending.  It was defeated.

HR 4844 Voter Identification:

This bill required individuals voting in federal elections to provide photo identification and after 2010 proof of citizenship.  James McGovern voted against the bill.  The bill passed.

HR 5672 Public Prayer:

This amendment sought to prevent a federal court in Indiana from banning prayer in the Indiana House of Representatives.  James McGovern voted against the amendment and in favor of banning prayer.  The amendment passed.

HR 477 Property Rights and Eminent Domain:

This bill ensured access to federal courts for individuals challenging government attempts to take their property under eminent domain.  James McGovern voted against this bill and for limiting an individual’s access to federal courts to save his/her property.  It passed.

S 403 Parental Notification:

This bill made it a federal crime to take a minor across state lines to obtain an abortion in order to circumvent state parental notification and consent laws.  James McGovern voted against this bill and for circumventing parental notification and consent in obtaining an abortion for a minor.  It passed.

HR 6061 Border Fencing:

This bill authorized the construction of a 700 mile fence along the Mexican Border.James McGovern voted against the bill and the construction of the fence.  The bill passed.

HR 6094 Immigration Law Enforcement:

This bill set new procedures to expedite lawsuits against the government involving immigration law, require the Justice Department to hire attorneys to prosecute human smuggling cases and clarify that state and local law enforcement agencies have the authority to investigate and apprehend illegal immigrants.  James McGovern voted against this bill and the authority for state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and apprehend illegal immigrants.  It passed.

S 3930 Military Tribunals:

This bill authorized military tribunals to try unlawful enemy combatants in the war on terror and re-affirmed a ban on evidence obtained through torture.  James McGovern voted against this bill.  It passed.

H Res 861 Iraq War Resolution:

This resolution declared an opposition to an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of U.S. armed forces from Iraq, affirming the U.S. commitment to establishing democracy in Iraq and honoring Americans taking an active part in the war on terror and the sacrifices of the U.S. armed forces who have died or been wounded.   James McGovern voted against this affirmation and in support of a date for withdrawal.   The resolution was adopted.

Well, there you have it, a glance at our Congressman, James McGovern’s voting record.  One thing is clear.  He really deserves that 2.  In fact, I’m surprised he has a score that high.  One question remains though: how can he say with a straight face that he is working for the people of North Attleboro?  Maybe it is “the other way around”?




...more columns by Todd A. Carges