Yes, Obama has a lot of Substance (now with a graph!)

Apparently Obama just wants to compromise with nasty corporations. Apparently he does not have a proven track record of getting anything substantial accomplished. Apparently he is a fraud as a liberal and a progressive. Apparently he does not have a track record of using compromise to achieve progressive goals. Apparently not.

Please list 3 specific examples of Obama's "proven history of being able to work with the opposition", as you put it.  Then we can look at those examples, take them apart, analyze them, and see whether there really is any "there there", or if "proven history of being able to work with the opposition" is just a vacuous talking point.

Lugar-Obama non-proliferation legislation signed into Law by president

WASHINGTON – President Bush today signed the Lugar-Obama proliferation and threat reduction initiative into law.

Authored by U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Barack Obama (D-IL), the Lugar-Obama initiative expands U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expands the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction.

"The United States should do more to eliminate conventional weapons stockpiles and assist other nations in detecting and interdicting weapons of mass destruction. We believe that these functions are underfunded, fragmented and in need of high-level support," said Lugar, Republican leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"The Lugar-Obama initiative will help other nations find and eliminate conventional weapons that have been used against our own soldiers in Iraq and sought by terrorists all over the world," said Obama. "The Nunn-Lugar program has effectively disposed of thousands of weapons of mass destruction, but we must do far more to keep deadly conventional weapons like anti-aircraft missiles out of the hands of terrorists."

"We want to ensure that our government has the capacity to deal quickly with vulnerable stockpiles of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, otherwise known as Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS). Such weapons could be used by terrorists to attack commercial airliners, military installations and government facilities here at home and abroad. Al Qaeda reportedly has attempted to acquire MANPADS on a number of occasions," said Lugar.

The Lugar-Obama initiative would energize the U.S. program against unsecured, lightweight anti-aircraft missiles and other conventional weapons. There may be as many as 750,000 man-portable air defense systems in arsenals worldwide, and the State Department estimates that more than 40 civilian aircraft have been hit by such weapons since the 1970s. In addition, loose stocks of small arms and other weapons help fuel civil wars in Africa and elsewhere and provide the means for attacks on peacekeepers and aid workers seeking to stabilize war-torn societies. In Iraq, unsecured stockpiles of artillery shells and ammunition have been reconfigured into improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that have become an effective weapon for insurgents.

"Lugar-Obama would also strengthen the ability of America's allies to detect and interdict illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass destruction, a critical step in securing these weapons before they ever fall into the hands of terrorists that has not been a focus of current anti-terrorism efforts," Obama said.

Lugar and Obama traveled together to Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan in August 2005 to oversee a number of Nunn-Lugar projects. In Ukraine they saw a conventional weapons facility that is typical of the focus of the new legislation.

The Lugar-Obama initiative is modeled after the Nunn-Lugar program that focuses on weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union. Lugar and former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the program in 1991. It has provided U.S. funding and expertise to help the former Soviet Union safeguard and dismantle its enormous stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, related materials, and delivery systems. Among many accomplishments, the program has deactivated 7,000 nuclear warheads and reemployed 58,000 scientists in peaceful research. Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan are nuclear weapons free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar program. They otherwise would be the world's the third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear weapons powers, respectively.

Coburn-Obama Transparency Act signed into law

President Bush today signed into law S. 2590, the Coburn-Obama Transparency Act.  The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to create a website that allows citizens to know the recipients of all federal funds.  Most commonly, federal funding takes the form of grants and contracts, which are often awarded with very little transparency.  This new tool will provide for accountability and transparency at all levels of government, from the Executive Branch to the Legislative Branch.

Following the bill signing, Senators Coburn and Obama released the following statement:

"This legislation marks a small but important step in the effort to change the culture in Washington, D.C. American taxpayers soon will be equipped with a significant tool that will make it much easier to hold elected officials accountable for the way taxpayer money is spent. The army of bloggers, editorialists and concerned citizens who worked diligently to see this bill pass deserve all the credit and praise today," the senators said.

Kit Bond and Barack Obama co-author amendment adding safeguards for personality disorder military discharges

"With thousands of American service members suffering day in and day out from the less visible wounds of war, reports that the Pentagon has improperly diagnosed and discharged service members with personality disorders are deeply disturbing," said Senator Obama.  "It means that those who have served this country aren’t getting the care they need to heal from injuries like PTSD or brain injuries. This provision will add additional safeguards to the Department of Defense’s use of this discharge and mandate a comprehensive review of these policies.  This is an important first step and I will continue to fight for additional safeguards as well as the establishment of an independent review board to examine questionable cases in which service members were forced to fight a second war at home.  Given our service members’ courage and sacrifice for our country, it is our moral obligation to ensure that they receive the care and benefits they deserve."

"Many of our troops are returning from combat with injuries invisible to the eye but debilitating to them and their families.  Unfortunately, many of these injuries have been ignored or worse, dismissed, for too long," said Kit Bond.  "Abuse of personality disorder discharges is inexcusable.  This provision will force the Pentagon to stop using this discharge until we can fix the problem.  It is critical that we treat our troops’ battle wounds – whether physical or mental."

Obama's Complete Senate Track Record

Obama has a hell of an impressive record in the US Senate. Especially considering that nobody, prior to Obama, really expected freshmen Senators to accomplish a whole lot in their first term. They go in, get their footing, learn how things work, and once they've got a term or two under their belt they start pushing major legislation. Obama hit the ground running and has continued to do incredible things as a Senator. He has a track record that would be impressive from an experienced Senator like Feingold or Durbin, and is really just mind-blowing when you realize he doesn't even have (and probably won't) a full term in the Senate.

The guy does good work in a short time. He's been doing it through his entire political career. Yes, it's a short career, but that makes it all the more impressive for what he's accomplished.

But his record goes back to the Illinois State Senate as well.Barack in the IL State Senate

Mr. Obama did not bring revolution to Springfield in his eight years in the Senate, the longest chapter in his short public life. But he turned out to be practical and shrewd, a politician capable of playing hardball to win election (he squeezed every opponent out of his first race), a legislator with a sharp eye for an opportunity, a strategist willing to compromise to accomplish things.

He positioned himself early on as a protégé of the powerful Democratic leader, Senator Emil Jones, a beneficiary of the Chicago political machine. He courted collaboration with Republicans. He endured hazing from a few black colleagues, played poker with lobbyists, studiously took up golf. ("An awful lot happens on the golf course," a friend, Jean Rudd, says he told her.)

By the time he left Springfield in 2004, he had built not only the connections necessary to win election to the United States Senate but a record not inconsistent with his lofty rhetoric of consensus building and bipartisanship.

"He came with a huge dose of practicality," said Paul L. Williams, a lobbyist in Springfield and former state representative who is a supporter of Mr. Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. Mr. Williams characterized Mr. Obama’s attitude as, "O.K., that makes sense and sounds great, as I’d like to go to the moon, but right now I’ve only got enough gas to go this far."

With the assistance of Senator Jones, Mr. Obama helped deliver what is said to have been the first significant campaign finance reform law in Illinois in 25 years. He brought law enforcement groups around to back legislation requiring that homicide interrogations be taped and helped bring about passage of the state’s first racial-profiling law. He was a chief sponsor of a law enhancing tax credits for the working poor, played a central role in negotiations over welfare reform and successfully pushed for increasing child care subsidies.

Incidentally, the law requiring that homicide interrogations be taped was passed in the Illinois State Senate by a 58-0 vote. That's a pretty clear example of working with the opposition for positive change.

How is Obama rated as a liberal-progressive politician? According to VoteSmart:

Alliance for Retired Americans – 100% in 2006.
American Civil Liberties Union – 83% in 2005-2006.
American Conservative Union – 8% in 2006.
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees – 100% in 2006.
American Immigration Lawyers Association – 88% in 2006.
American Nurses Association – 100% in 2005-2006.
American Public Health Association – 100% in 2006.
American Wilderness Coalition – 100% in 2005-2006.
American Wind Energy Association – 100% in 2006.
Americans for Democratic Action – 95% in 2006.
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State – 100% in 2006.
Campaign for America's Future – 100% in 2005-2006 on energy legislation.
Children's Defense Fund – 100% in 2006.
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants – 70% in 2005-2006.
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund – 82% in 2005-2006
Disabled American Veterans – 80% in 2006.
Gun Owners of America – 100% in 2006.
Human Rights Campaign – 89% in 2005-2006.
League of Conservation Voters – 100% in 2006.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – 100% in 2005-2006.
National Association of Government Contractors – 100% in 2006.
National Criminal Justice Association – 75% in 2005.
National Education Association – 100% in 2005-2006.
National Farmers Union – 100% in 2005-2006.
National Journal Composite Liberal Score – voted more liberal on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 86% of the Senators.
National Journal Liberal on Economic Policy – voted more liberal on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 87% of the Senators.
National Journal Liberal on Foreign Policy – voted more liberal on foreign policy issues than 85% of the Senators.
National Journal Liberal on Social Policy – voted more liberal on social policy issues than 77% of the Senators.
National Organization for Women – 91% in 2005-2006.
National Trust for Historic Preservation – 100% in 2005.
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – 83% in 2005-2006.
Parkinsons Action Network – 100% in 2006.
Planned Parenthood – 100% in 2006.
Secular Coalition for America – 90% in 2006.
U.S. Public Interest Research Group – 86% in 2006.
United Auto Workers – 85% in 2006.

A year ago in an interview with MYDD, when asked if Edwards would bring both corporations and labor to the table in an effort to formulate health care policy, Edwards said:

"I think you try to bring everybody to the table. You want their participation, you want to make the system work for everybody. I think there's a difference between a healthcare plan that builds on the existing system but deals with some of its deficiencies and problems as opposed to a complete new way of doing healthcare in America. The latter will engender huge opposition. And it will engender a lot of just plain political opposition. If on the other hand you're taking the system that exists, dealing with the problems with it, making sure everybody gets covered, it's just much more likely to be achievable."

Edit:
Obama in the State Senate