In article 1095907970.dW+BCcNdpDcql8iWKrAJ7w@teranews,
says...
[...]
While what you say may have merit regarding useless meetings, more
telling is attendance to cast votes during normal Senate business. One
cannot argue that attendance at Senate votes is bureaucracy or "useless"
meetings -- it is what these Senators were hired to do. Both before and
following their announcements of candidacy, both Kerry and Edwards had
absentee rates far higher than most of their peers. As a matter of fact,
Kerry's absentee record following his announcement actually improved after
he announced. Before he announced, his absentee record was 57% (yep, he
missed more votes than he cast).

http://www.mwilliams.info/archives/001349.php
http://www.rapp.org/archives/2004/03/vote_dammit/ Just a couple links
found in a google search for "kerry senate voting attendance"

Yes, the voting record is a horse of a different color. Definitely a
potent negative in the Kerry column, I won't deny that. Not enough to
tip the balance in terms of adding up all the other positives and
negatives in my book, but possibly a determining factor for folks that
are otherwise on the fence, I would imagine.

- Al