Vets for Freedom scorecards
posted at 11:52 am on October 11, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Earlier this week, I noted that Vets for Freedom had created scorecards for the US Senate based on voting records over a series of bills in the 110th Congress. Joe Biden and Harry Reid got a pair of Fs for their efforts, but the actual scores are even more interesting. The scorecard can be found here, and VFF explains their methodology:
To calculate the grades, Vets for Freedom reviewed all legislation voted on in the Senate that impacted the missions in Iraq, Afghanistan or GWOT, as well as the men and women who were carrying out that mission in the United States Armed Forces during the 110th Congress. Vets for Freedom took a position on each piece of legislation that was voted on, and graded each Senator based on the percentage of times his/her vote corresponded with the position of Vets for Freedom.
In the 110th Congress during the years of 2007 and 2008, a total of 30 votes were used to determine ratings … score for each Senator has been generated based on simple percentage of the time a Senator voted in a manner consistent with the Vets for Freedom position on legislation. One-half percent has been deducted for every missed vote.
The list of bills included in this calculation, as well as the VFF endorsed position, can be found in “Echo Section”. VFF mostly got its desired outcome, with a handful of exceptions in the 30 votes, and most of those were on procedural issues and amendments. It shows the effectiveness of the supposed lame-duck administration in handling a hostile Congress, and the impact VFF and other pro-victory groups had on the political debate during two years of Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill.
The report assigns school grades, but the numerical scores are more interesting. Biden and Reid got two fails. Reid only scored an 11, while Biden managed a complete 0. Even Biden’s Democratic colleague from Delaware, Thomas Carper, managed to get a 33.
Other notables:
- Barack Obama - 0.5
- John McCain - 93.5
- Dick Durbin - 6.5
- Norm Coleman - 81
- Hillary Clinton - 6.5
- Joe Lieberman - 92
- Chuck Hagel - 44
- Ben Nelson - 44
As one might imagine, there aren’t many Cs or Ds in this class. It demonstrates the level of polarization in the Senate on war-related legislation. Susan Collins (R-ME) gets a 70 and a C- for the only intermediate grade. Dick Lugar (R-IN), John Sununu (R-NH), and Coleman get the only Bs. Everyone else gets an A or an F. The numerical scores are more important in the Fs as a determinant for the level of opposition — and Biden and Obama certainly top the class.
This scorecard can come in handy for both supporters and opponents of the war in Iraq. The list of votes is fairly comprehensive, and the numerical score can simply be reversed for those who supported withdrawal and defunding.
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Biden managed a complete 0.
How ironic.
Tony737 on October 11, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Osama Obama: “That means McCain is one of the worst war-mongers in the Senate.”
MSM: “Amen, Messiah!”
MrScribbler on October 11, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Biden
managedis a complete 0TooTall on October 11, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Gonna keep saying this–As a vet, I just wish the left would take their “support” for our military and SHOVE IT til they CHOKE on it.
irongrampa on October 11, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Wait ’till Kathy’s Kitchen hears about Joe’s “0″. At least he has his friends at the diner and filling station to cheer him up. Maybe Gomer will sing him a song?
Hening on October 11, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Boy this is really going to encourage our troops overseas….
NOT!
fbcmusicman on October 11, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Their “Skipped” ad is awesome. I’ve donated to them in the past…perhaps it’s time to do so again. How sad that at leat 50 million American voters don’t seem to care about this stuff, though.
funky chicken on October 11, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Obviously Vets for Freedom is racist.
rbj on October 11, 2008 at 12:23 PM
Our military is made up of people from all different backgrounds. You can, and do have the son of a wealthy contractor serving who could never lift a finger to do anything for the rest of his life, but he is serving in the military. And then there is the daughter of a single Mom that barely makes ends meet and she is serving in order to go on to college. They all are unique in that they decided to give their lives, yes their lives, in defense of our country and to the service of others. They are the best of us without a doubt. Their opinions should matter. SO SHOULD THEIR VOTES!
It never ceases to amaze me how the opinions, and dare I say votes of these men and women, are not emphasized or focused upon by not only the media, but also by voters themselves. Who better to listen to, or to at least consider when casting your vote than those who have so much to lose if their boss ends up being a really bad egg? Beyond the damage to the nation, where would character matter more than to those and for those who live by a code of conduct that many Americans disregard or in some cases spit upon?
Whenever I have been discouraged by the polls, or by McCain, I think about the people like Vets For Freedom, and I think about our active military. If you are not fighting in some capacity for the success of McCain because you feel defeated, or that Obama is a lock; then I demand you reconsider your thinking. It is not just US, here stateside that this Presidency is going to impact. Some soldier is in some stinking, rock filled hole in the mountains of Afghanistan killing bad guys. Another soldier is trying to help both Afghanis and Iraqis to have a better clean water source for their families. Other soldiers are sitting behind desks drawing up some road plans for the infrastructure of Afghanistan. They are busy, and we MUST stand in their places here at home by fighting like mad for them. They do not give up, EVER! No matter what, we must not give in or give up or let this election go down without a fight.
And McCain might want to check with these guys about the fear factor!
freeus on October 11, 2008 at 2:03 PM
I was going to leave a comment. Instead, I’ll just say: Read freeus’ comments, and that I approve of them completely and he/she said it better than my ramblings anyway.
Webrider on October 11, 2008 at 4:55 PM