AFL-CIO SENATE VOTE TALLIES: FIVE
DEMS PERFECT, OTHERS JUST MISS

Five Senate Democrats, including one presidential hopeful, plus one Independent, voted in agreement with the AFL-CIO on every vote on which they took a stand in 2007, a voting study by the federation shows.

And 16 other Democrats just missed the mark, disagreeing with the federation’s position only once in the key votes it compiled: The vote to limit debate, unsuccessfully, on the controversial immigration overhaul bill. The debate limit failed, and the AFL-CIO, which opposed the bill when it became too anti-worker, also opposed limiting debate. But a majority of Senate Democrats voted to limit debate.

The AFL-CIO cautions that vote tallies should be only one part of a lawmaker’s overall record workers use in evaluating whether to support the senator in future elections. And partisanship often reared its head in the AFL-CIO tallies--there were many votes where Democrats tried, usually unsuccessfully, to break GOP filibusters--but no Senate Republican hit zero.

Nevertheless, Democrats by and large agreed with the federation’s position on the 34 key votes it selected, including the Employee Free Choice Act, limiting guest worker programs, and funding children’s health care, among other issues.

Democrats with perfect 34-0 scores were Sens. Tom Harkin (Iowa), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Jim Webb (Va.). Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) had a 24-0 score. He missed 10 of the votes because he is running for president. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also went 34-0.

On the other end of the spectrum, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), finished last. He voted in agreement with the AFL-CIO on 3 of the 34 votes. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), at 4-30, and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) at 4-29 with one absence, were next.

The lowest-scoring Democrat was “independent Democrat” Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. He voted in agreement with the federation on 25 of the 34 votes, voted against it 8 times and missed once. His Connecticut colleague, Democrat Chris Dodd, who is also seeking the presidential nomination, had a 20-1 mark with 13 absences due to time on the campaign trail. His disagreement was on the immigration filibuster.

Senate Labor Committee Chairman Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) had a 22-6 mark. He missed 6 votes due to illness. Bay State colleague John Kerry (D) was 29-5.

The 2-Democrat Michigan delegation of Sens. Sander Levin and Stabenow tied the Vermont delegation of Sanders and Democrat Patrick J. Leahy for the best state score. Combined, each delegation was 67-1, with the single “wrong” votes coming from Levin and Leahy on immigration.

The least support for workers came from South Carolina Republicans James DeMint and Lindsay Graham, who combined to agree with the fed 9 times, oppose it 56 times and did not vote 3 times. In one key vote used, DeMint tried to kill restoration of the right to unionize for airport screeners. He lost on a virtual party-line tally.

Illinois’ Democratic senators had a combined 56-2 mark, with 10 absences, all by presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Once again, the immigration debate limit vote was the only one where Obama and Majority Whip Dick Durbin differed with the fed. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), also seeking the presidency, also broke with the fed on the immigration vote. Her score was 27-1, with 6 absences while campaigning.

The same single disagreement on immigration held true for Sens. Amy Klobu-char (D-Minn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), among others. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) was one of 10 Dems with a 32-2 mark, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.).

By contrast, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.), leader and orchestrator of the many successful filibusters--including the one that killed the Employee Free Choice Act--voted in agreement with the AFL-CIO on 6 of the 34 votes, fewer than his Kentucky GOP colleague, former big-league pitcher Jim Bunning (8-26).

Both trailed far behind the top two GOPers in labor support: The Maine delegation. Sens. Susan Collins--who faces the voters next year--and Olympia Snowe each voted in agreement with the federation on 22 of the 34 votes it tallied. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) was just behind with a 20-14 mark, while Sen., Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), a former Democrat who also faces the voters next year, was fourth at 17-17.

The vote charts are on www.aflcio.org under the legislative section.