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.