So much for the perfect record and the deeper issue...

For most of us it seems as if the Presidential race for 2008 is ramping up earlier than normal, so it should come as no surprise that candidates are already missing what is supposed to be their job to campaign. As this morning's Washington Post points out, Barack Obama broke his record of 56 straight votes deciding that speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee meeting in Chicago was more important than the two votes he missed. Yes, the excuse that will be given is already out there, we've heard that before during the last Presidential campaign, "the bill was going to pass anyway". Realistically, given the days that Congress is actually in session and voting, there should be very few reasons why any of our elected represenatives should miss votes whether they are presidential candidates or not. Yet they do and this will continue to be a focus on all of the candidates that are currently office holders, as we watch how they try to balance their quest to be president with meeting the needs of the people they were elected to serve...