John McCain's Missed Vote

He's trying to be the president. He wants us to believe he's decisive, a straight-talker, and a "maverick."

Well, he's not. Despite being in Washington, D.C. on the night of a crucial vote to expand economic aid to working families, seniors, unemployed workers, and veterans, McCain took a pass.

Additionally, the economic stimulus package would have injected large investments into clean energy projects, creating jobs and new possibilities for alternative energy.

McCain stayed home.

In fact he was the only one who stayed home. And like his demand for a 100-year long occupation of Iraq, his failure to vote on this last night shows where he really is in terms of what working families need and want.

According to media accounts, the Senate needed a single vote to stop a Republican filibuster and force an up-or-down vote on passage of an economic stimulus package that included investments for alternative energy.

How many times have we heard McCain use the phrase, "let's have an up-or-down vote."

According to the Sierra Club, the missed vote McCain short-changed working families with included a $5.7 billion investment in the following:

1-year extension of the Production Tax Credit--$3 billion

Solar, fuel cell, and micro turbine investment credits--$130 million

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds--$400 million

High-efficiency appliance credits--$323 million

Energy efficiency credits for new homes--$61 million

Energy efficiency credits for home retrofits--$1.5 billion

Energy efficiency credits for commercial buildings--$153 million

When 99 other Senators showed up to vote, John McCain was hiding. Is that what a straight-talker does? A "maverick"?