McCain and Obama both claim to be supporters of the middle class and small businesses. Both have offered a myriad of proposals meant to benefit small businesses, but how can we know whose will be best? One way to know is to look at their voting record.

When browsing the political action committee (PAC) website for my employer eBay, I stumbled across the “How Congress Voted” guide of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).  The NFIB is a “the voice of small business” in America. eBay, which has been the driving force behind over a million small businesses is a member, and co-hosted the 1st Small Business Summit in Washington DC. I think it is fair to say these guys understand the issues facing small businesses.

According to the NFIB congressional voter guide, John McCain supported small businesses 100% in both the 110th and 109th Congressional Sessions. Obama only supported small businesses 50% of the time in the 110th Congress, and a dismal 13% of the time in the 109th. Joe Biden was slightly better than his running mate at 56% and 25% respectively.

The issues the NFIB judged them on were:

1. Minimum wage
2. Line item veto
3. Small business expensing of business investments
4. Tax cuts
5. Sarbanes-Oxley regulatory changes
6. Employee Free Choice Act
7. Alternative Minimum Tax changes
8. Economic Stimulus
9. Mortgage Relief
10. Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Obama doesn’t have much of a record, having spent much of his legislative career voting “present.” The record he does have sucks. He can say he wants to help small business now, but his record over the past four years says otherwise.