LA Times Finds Liberals Upset Obama Too Centrist

Los Angeles Times reporter Janet Hook informed readers of the October 24 paper that while "McCain seeks to portray Obama as an extreme liberal," that some liberals are worrying Obama is too centrist for their tastes.

One such liberal was Amy Isaacs of Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), a liberal advocacy group. Isaacs downplayed Obama's liberalism while affirming it, saying he was not a "flaming liberal" but would basically "do what every liberal does: keep the needs of ordinary working Americans foremost on his agenda."

But a review of ADA's own congressional ratings for Obama shows his voting record is overwhelmingly in line with the organization.:

• 75% with the ADA in 2007 votes (he missed 5 votes out of 20 votes, the other 15 he had 100% agreement with the ADA
• 95% with the ADA in 2006 (19 votes with the ADA, one against ADA's position)
• 100% with the ADA in 2005, his freshman year in the Senate.

That's an average 90% score over three full years of congressional ratings and even that may be low-balling it a bit as Obama's low score in 2007 was a result of missing key votes, not voting in opposition to the ADA.

Had Hooks included that information, it would have made clearer to her readers that while Obama may suffer the occasional gripe from the Left on tactics or campaign strategy that his heart is with the Left on the bread and butter issues that matter to liberal activists.