As I mentioned just a short time ago, we have updated our legislative ratings of members of the House and Senate over at progressivepatriots.com this morning. Our ratings include recent activity by members of Congress, including the passage of the Constitution-gutting Protect America Act. None of the current presidential candidates have made our honor roll of the most progressive Representatives and Senators, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t variation among them.
Here are our current legislative ratings of the 2008 presidential candidates who are also members of Congress. Click through the links with each candidate’s name to find out more about their legislative record in the 110th Congress on bills we think matter. Members of the House and Senate placed in separate lists, since the ratings for each chamber of Congress are based on lists of different bills.
House:
Dennis Kucinich, Democrat representing Ohio’s 10th District. Progressive index: 70/100. Right wing index: 0/100.
Ron Paul, Republican representing Texas’ 14th District. Progressive index: 10/100. Right wing index: 17/100.
Tom Tancredo, Republican representing Colorado’s 6th District. Progressive index: 10/100. Right wing index: 50/100.
Duncan Hunter, Republican representing California’s 52nd District. Progressive index: 0/100. Right wing index: 33/100.
Senate:
Barack Obama, Senator for Illinois. Progressive Index: 67/100. Right wing index: 0/100.
Hillary Clinton, Senator for New York. Progressive Index: 60/100. Right wing index: 0/100.
Christopher Dodd, Senator for Connecticut. Progressive Index: 60/100. Right wing index: 0/100.
Joseph Biden, Senator for Delaware. Progressive Index: 47/100. Right wing index: 0/100.
Sam Brownback, Senator for Kansas. Progressive Index: 7/100. Right wing index: 67/100.
John McCain, Senator for Arizona. Progressive Index: 0/100. Right wing index: 0/100.
I’m confused. When you say a candidate “failed to vote for…” or “failed to vote against….” does that mean that he or she didn’t vote at all? Wasn’t there that day? Or does “failed to vote for” mean the same thing as “voted against”?
I ask because it’s implied that some candidates are supporting things that seem incredibly out of character, but that’s such a strange way to phrase it that I thought perhaps you simply meant they didn’t vote at all on something important.
“Failed to vote for” means EITHER that they voted NO, OR that they didn’t show up to vote at all. Senator John Kerry, for instance, failed to show up to vote against the Protect America Act. He failed to vote against the bill. Senator Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, showed up and voted against the Protect America Act. Her specific NO vote is noted. John McCain’s index score is zero for progressive action AND right-wing action, because he’s hardly showing up in the Senate to vote on anything any more.
RE: HR 676-HEALTHCARE FOR ALL….
WHERE ARE YOU GUYS? THIS IS THE NUMBER TWO ISSUE AND I DON’T SEE DOODLY ABOUT IT! IN ADDITION…MUCH AS I ADMIRE WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO ‘DO’..MAY I SUGGEST YOU NARROW YOUR ‘FOCUS’ TO A COUPLE OF ISSUES AND THE REST WOULD FALL INTO PLACE MORE EASILY:
1. IMPEACH BUSH-KEEPS HIM BUSY/OUT OF OUR HAIR/PUTS HIS CRIMES OUT FRONT WHERE EVEN MAINSTREAM ‘MEDIA’ CAN’T IGNORE HIM
2. REFUSE TO FUND THE WAR…
3. ‘HERE’S THE BIGGIE
EARMARK THE FORMER ‘WAR’ MONEY…FOR HR 676-UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE AND FREE COLLEGE EDUCATIONS FOR ALL WHO MAINTAIN A ‘C’ IN ALL CLASSES!
4. MAKE EARTH DAY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY…