Regarding Gramm-Leach-Bliley, McCain did vote FOR the original version when it first came up for a vote in the Senate (Senate vote #105, May 6). But then the bill went into conference committee, and some changes were made. During this period, there was intense lobbying, both pro and con, and much pressure in favor of the bill from the Clinton administration.
When the amended legislation returned to the Senate from conference committee for the final vote, McCain now refused to vote for it (Senate vote #354, Nov. 4).
Biden did the reverse switch. He did vote against the legislation in its original form (May 6). But the massive lobbying effort in favor of the bill between May and November influenced Biden. Also, the Clinton Administration pushed him strongly to vote Aye. Robert Rubin, Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury, canvassed the legislators and 'explained' why this 'reform' was absolutely crucial. Rubin had been a top dog at Goldman-Sachs before he joined the Clinton Administration, and after he left the treasury he moved into the leadership of Citigroup. (Rubin, you see, is a Democratic champion of the 'little people.')
Biden voted FOR the bill in November, i.e., the bill that became the law, just as I said he did. .
The link you posted is to a listing of the Senate vote in MAY, the vote on the preliminary form of the legislation that went to the conference committee. The link I provided above is to a listing of Senate votes on the final form of the bill, the one that became law, the one that actually matters. And, in THAT vote, Biden voted for the bill, McCain did not. Will you admit your mistake?
I claim that BOTH major parties are guilty of favoring the big corporations, and selling out the common people. You tell us that Democrats like Clinton, Rubin and Biden are champions of the common interest. This is ideological nonsense. Yet, your ideological bias is so strong that you 'see' Joe Biden voting AGAINST Gramm-Leach-Bliley, when it is insdisputable that he voted FOR it.
