Senator AWOL faces simmering criticism at home

From the Lowell Sun (Massachusetts): “Kerry’s Run Keeps Him Away from the Senate”

WASHINGTON Sen. John Kerry has missed 61 percent of the 370 roll-call votes in the Senate this session, seemingly putting his full-time job on hold as he crisscrosses the nation campaigning for president.

Kerry has missed more votes than any of the other Democratic senators running for the Oval Office, sparking criticism from government watchdogs.

"If most Americans took off work to look for another job, they wouldn't be paid," said John Berthoud, president of the National Taxpayers Union. "Why should members of Congress?"

The Taxpayers Union, which monitors government waste, is urging Congress to enforce federal code that requires lawmakers to forfeit salary for each day they are absent for anything other than medical leave.

For the record, Kerry's 61% missed vote record does not include votes missed when he was recovering from prostate cancer.