Senator Barack Obama has ducked an onslaught of political attacks, but none is more unfair than the slam that he lacks leadership because he voted "present" 129 times in the Illinois General Assembly.
Everyone from Hillary Clinton to Sarah Palin has attempted to portray Obama as some kind of weak-kneed waffler for his present votes. Even John McCain hit Obama for his present votes in the last presidential debate. However, if they had taken the time to understand the workings of the Illinois General Assembly and Senate, they'd have discovered that Obama was just following protocol.
That's because "present" doesn't mean "maybe" or "Gosh, I don't know," it's a no vote that makes a statement. Used for complex situations such as conflict of interest or bills with fatal flaws, the unusual vote is not found in most state legislatures, hence the criticism that's piled up on Obama from foes around the country.
Ill. Rep Lou Lang (D-16th dist., Skokie), assistant majority leader of the General Assembly , explained that many Illinois representatives and state senators use the present vote to avoid the signals a solid no vote might send. He acknowledges that most people, including most Illinoisians, don't know what a present vote means.
"Maybe you have a budget, and you support that budget, but there are some line items in there that you don't like," Lang said. Rather than vote no and send the wrong impression back to your constituents, "you might vote present because the bill falls short of what you expect."
"You can just abstain, but much of the time, 'present' makes a statement," Lang said. "On the record, present and no are the same thing."
Across the aisle, Rep. Bill Black (R-104th dist., Danville) agreed that the present vote is greatly misunderstood by the rest of the country. "We are one of the few states that still has it," Black said. (It's been on the books since 1931.) "I have used it, but sparingly."
He described a case of when it's appropriate: "When a veterans' rights benefits bill comes up, but attached to it is an amendment with a 10 1/2% salary increase, well there's a problem there. I'm for the veterans' benefits, but against the salary increase. I could have voted present, but in that case I just voted no. But there were several who voted present on that bill." In the end, present votes counted as no votes, anyway, so it's just up to the individual legislator how he wants his vote to appear.
Lang and Black say Obama is no different from any other legislator for using the present vote.
"I've used it," Lang said. "There are times it's appropriate and I don't feel guilty."
Black agreed. "There are times when you are in a dilemma and neither side is acceptable, as when you approve of the concept of a bill but are disgusted with the process, the way (the bill) has not gone through full committee hearings...that's when a present vote is needed," Black said.
So, if the present vote is widely accepted in Springfield, Ill., has Black explained it to national Republicans who are demonizing Obama over his voting record?
"I did, at the Republican Convention," Black said. "I talked to my candidate, Rudy Giuliani. But he's from New York and he just can't understand why we do things this way." Obviously, Giuliani didn't understand Black's message, because he went on to savage Obama at the convention saying "(Obama) nearly 130 times...couldn't make a decision. he couldn't figure out whether to vote yes or no. It was too tough. He voted...'present.' For President of the United States, it's not good enough to be present."
Black's reaction? "Politics is 'a contact sport,' " he said. Basically, if opponents are going to find something they can use, rightly or wrongly, they are going to employ it.
If anything can be learned from this tangle, Lang and Black are trying to cut down on the confusion.
"Lou and I give (advice) to incoming freshman and we tell them to use the present vote as sparingly as you can," Black said. Not only does it cut down on misunderstandings with home constituents, but it might help someday if one of them ever runs for President of the United States.