Easy Senate Score Chart 2007

Best score in 2006: Russ Feingold

Best scores in 2005:

Key to Chart:  (range is +550 to -550).     Barbara Boxer had the highest score (+152.5). 
Mark Dayton, Frank Lautenberg and Edward Kennedy tied for 2nd place (+132.5) .

This year everyone started over.
There are two scores: a vote score and a human rights percentage.

IN 2006, RUSS FEINGOLD FINISHED FIRST WITH (+280, 73%).  ALL OTHER SENATORS WERE BELOW 70%
IN 2007, SENATOR TIM JOHNSON IS THE DEMOCRAT WITH THE HIGHEST HUMAN RIGHTS SCORES IN THE SENATE (0, 50%)
(NOBODY HERE FORCED THE SENATORS TO VOTE THE WAY THEY DID. )
COMPARE THIS WITH DENNIS KUCINICH'S 100% SCORE ON THIS YEAR'S HOUSE CHART.

Obama's voting record is identical with that of Clinton except for the votes Obama missed.  Missed votes are rated only -5 while bad votes are rated -10.

How the score is calculated:

Home Run (HRUN):  This Senator took a stand for the American people. +10 points

AWOL: This Senator was AWOL when the American people needed him/her to take a stand.  – 5 points. This does not apply to cloture votes.   The only Senator with an excuse for not voting is Tim Johnson, who was in a coma and then recovering his speech and motor skills.  His votes will be calculated upon his return.  Until then, he has no positive or negative scores.

NH: This stands for no harm.  Those who fail to vote against cloture don't have the courage of those who do take a stand but their votes counts with the "nay" votes in a cloture motion.  Therefore, unless a home run requires a vote for cloture on an issue, NH counts as 0.

STR for Strike: This Senator voted or agreed to an outcome harmful to the American people, freedom and/or democracy. -10 points

F: This stands for Fraud.  This applies to Senators who vote one way when it matters and another way when it makes no difference. An example is when they vote for cloture on a bill or nomination and then vote against the nomination in circumstances where the only chance to stop a bill or nominee was through a fillibuster.  In an election year, Senators like to argue meaningless votes and mislead their public into fogetting that they voted the other way when it mattered.  An F will be placed after the total of all Senators who do this on the chart that contains the vote wherein they pull this.  The Fs will also be counted on the final total of the final chart at the end of the year..

Total Score: The accumulated points to date on major votes/consents.

Human Rights Percentage or HR%: Current percentage of Senator from bottom to top of chart, rounded to the nearest whole number.  This is only calculated after 10 scores are on the chart.

The vote descriptions link to the top of the chart, and each column header and footer links back to the description for that date.

Prior score charts:   (01/06/05-04/21/05B)   (04/28/05-06/09/05B)   (06/14/05-07/01/05)   (07/14/05-07/29/05B)   (09/13/05-10/07/05)  (10/27/05A-11/15/05A)  (11/15/05B-12/21/05)  (1/30/06-3/16/06A)  (3/16/06B-5/8/06B)  (5/11/06-6/7/06)  (6/8/06-6/22/06C)  (6/27/06-8/3/06B)  (8/3/06C-12/7/06)

Votes/Consents counted this page:

NOTE: GRANDSTANDING BILLS DON'T COUNT.  THESE ARE WHERE INDIVIDUALS GO ON RECORD ON A BILL THEY KNOW WILL BE VETOED.   VOTES TO BLOCK FUNDING FOR WAR AND CONFIRMATION OF ANTI-HUMAN RIGHTS JUDICIAL NOMINEES CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

2/15/07: This was the confirmation of conservative Norman Randy Smith of Idaho for the 9th Circuit.  This nomination is part of Bush's plan to pack the 9th Circuit against labor, against the environment, against choice, against civil rights and civil liberties and in favor of corporate rule.  Roll Call 49

3/15/07: This was the confirmation of conservative Thomas M. Hardiman for the 3rd Circuit.  This confirmation worked to turn the 3rd circuit further against the environment, choice, labor, civil rights and civil liberties and in favor of corporate rule.  Roll Call 95

3/28/07: This was the cloture vote on the bill to finance the occupation in Iraq for years to come (with a timetable Bush could choose to suspend) and to finance a war with Iran. Roll Call 117.  Because of the support for approriations, every vote counted in stopping it and cloture only requires 40 opponents.

3/29/07: This was the vote to pass HR 1591, the bill to finance the occupation in Iraq for years to come (with a timetable Bush could choose to suspend) and to finance a war with Iran. Roll Call 126

4/16/07: This was the vote for cloture on  S372, The Intelligence Authorization Act for 2007.  This Act included occupational & war funding and funding for surveillance on us.  Roll Call 130

4/17/07: This was another cloture motion on S372 (more funds for occupation, war and surveillance) Roll Call 131

4/25/07: S 761 (inclusive of HR 2272)  funded extensive nuclear research to support programs that threaten all life on Earth.  Roll Call 146

4/26/07: This was the vote to approve the conference report on HR 1591 (more occupation and war funding).  Roll Call 147

5/9/07: This was the vote to confirm anti-human rights justice Debra Ann Livingston to the Second Circuit. Roll Call 158

5/17/07: This was the vote on the conference report on the budget (S. Con Res 21), which includes lots of funding to continue the occupation in Iraq.  Roll call 172