Club for Growth Releases 2007 Congressional Scorecard

The Club for Growth ^ | May 8, 2008 4:08 PM | The Club for Growth

[mdefranc]

Washington - Today, the Club for Growth released its 2007 annual scorecard, awarding the Defender of Economic Freedom award to six senators and forty-nine representatives who scored a 90 or above on the Club's scorecard....

"These top-scoring members of Congress are staunch defenders of American taxpayers," said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. "Their votes are critical to lowering taxes, cutting wasteful spending, and promoting economic growth for all Americans. The Club for Growth scorecard allows taxpayers to see how their senators and representatives are performing in Congress and find out who is truly fighting for pro-growth, limited-government policies...."

The ratings are based on a comprehensive examination of votes in the House and Senate pertaining to key economic issues, including taxes, wasteful spending, entitlement reform, free trade, and regulation. Each lawmaker is given an economic growth score ranging from 0 to 100, with a score of 100 indicating the highest support for pro-growth policies. The Club is also introducing a searchable database that allows you to search past and current scorecards by party, state, house, and member.

[mdefranc]

Senators scoring the Defender of Economic Freedom award are DeMint, Coburn, Burr, Kyl, Inhofe, and Ensign.

Representatives scoring the award are Flake, Lamborn, Hensarling, Pence, Broun, Linder, Price, Feeney, Sali, Bachmann, Garrett, Blackburn, King, Shadegg, Cannon, Royce, Campbell, Jordan, Kline, Neugebauer, Cantor, Sullivan, Conaway, Ryan, Johnson, Franks, Musgrave, Pearce, Deal, Walberg, Heller, Pitts, Davis, Mack, Culberson, Westmoreland, Boehner, Bilbray, Akin Sensenbrenner, Herger, McKeon, Granger, Carter, Brady, McCarthy, Kingston, Myrick, and Radanovich.

Summary Senate and House rankings as well as detail vote listings for 2007, 2006, and 2005 are available here:

http://clubforgrowth.org/2007/03/the_clubs_2006_congressional_s_1.php

[Tribune7]

ping

[MNJohnnie]

http://clubforgrowth.org/scorecard/index.php

State________________Name_____________Score____Ranking

IL Sen D Obama, B 0 97 (out of 100)

[Kleebo151]

John McCain scored a very solid 94%, one of the most conservative records in 2007 when it comes to the economy, yet some here have the audacity to call him a liberal.

Obama and Clinton scored 0%, Elizabeth Dole in the 80’s, Orrin Hatch 53%, and Ted Kennedy 14%.

[WOSG]

Obama is a ZERO

[mdefranc]

McCain didn’t qualify to be ranked; he failed to vote often enough. The 94% represents only his record on those few votes he bothered to cast.

[lesser_satan]

Here are the MN delegation's Club for Growth scores. Once again, Bachmann and Kline did great, Coleman, Ramstad, and the DFL'rs all suck.

State	District	Party	Representative	Score	Rank	Year
MN	6	R	Bachmann, M	98	9	2007
MN	2	R	Kline, J	96	19	2007
MN	Sen	R	Coleman, N	43	42	2007
MN	Sen	D	Klobuchar, A	7	79	2007
MN	3	R	Ramstad, J	39	178	2007
MN	4	D	McCollum, B	12	271	2007
MN	7	D	Peterson, C	8	300	2007
MN	5	D	Ellison, K	6	326	2007
MN	8	D	Oberstar, J	1	382	2007
MN	1	D	Walz, T	1	394	2007

[WOSG]

“John McCain scored a very solid 94%, one of the most conservative records in 2007 when it comes to the economy, yet some here have the audacity to call him a liberal”

Worthy of note!

McCain is wrong on a few ‘hot-button’ issues (we all know waht they are) but he is very good on spending and his health care and tax plans are very much in line with free market Phil Gramm / Tom Coburn conservative policies.

[Gene Eric]

>> yet some here have the audacity to call him a liberal.

The wallet is a privilege of liberty which is not an audacious issue.

[WOSG]

Walz is the newbie ... HE IS AWFUL.

Does MN 1 really belong in the left-liberal Obama-Walz socialists-R-us column??

[WOSG]

??? translation plz.

[stockpirate]

I for one was surprised at Juan’s rating.

He is still a Liberal in the areas that I knew him to be.

There are 20,000,000 reasons to not support McAmnesty.

He is against drilling ANWAR.

He is speaking to LaRaza, a racist group wanting to return the northwest to Mexico.

He is opposed to freespeech.

He is a Socialist in other areas, just not redistribution of wealth, at least not yet.

I do not trust him to keep his word.

[MNJohnnie]

Considerable difference between either Coleman or Ramstad score and scores of all the DFLers. Could they do better? Yes, but the the problem is they would not get elected here. I am sure Mark Kennedy and Gil Guntneck scored well on this, where are they now?

[Kleebo151]

McCain didn’t qualify to be ranked; he failed to vote often enough. The 94% represents only his record on those few votes he bothered to cast.

That makes no sense. He was ranked. How could you say he didn't qualify to be ranked, if they ranked him?

It's like saying a person who doesn't qualify for food stamps is getting food stamps.

[lesser_satan]

Does MN 1 really belong in the left-liberal Obama-Walz socialists-R-us column??

No. The GOP should target him big time.

[mvpel]

John McCain scored a very solid 94%, one of the most conservative records in 2007 when it comes to the economy, yet some here have the audacity to call him a liberal.

There are other issues besides "the economy." Ron Paul got an "A" grade from the National Taxpayers Union and posted third place in 2006, and yet some here have the audacity to call him a liberal.

For Paul, it was his stance towards the global threat of Islamic terrorism, for McCain it's his stance towards illegal immigration and amnesty.

At least when Ron Paul wants to bring the troops home, he wants to secure our borders with the money instead - noting that "border security is national security" - while McCain gripes about the "goddamned fence" and promotes amnesty measures.

This Club for Growth rating is encouraging - let's hope McCain doesn't drop in the future for the sake of "bipartisanship."

[mvpel]

It's like saying a person who doesn't qualify for food stamps is getting food stamps.

What's wrong with saying that? Another term for it is "fraud" and "deception."

[MNJohnnie]

No and it will be interesting to see how long he holds it. This year is probably going to suck for the GOP Congressionally but I hope they are busy recruiting in Districts like MN 1 for 2010. This is another of the districts where the Dem ran as GOP Lite in 2006 and turned into John Kerry Jr in DC.

[Huck]

My man Garrett making Sussex cty proud.

[lesser_satan]

I am sure Mark Kennedy and Gil Guntneck scored well on this, where are they now?

Kennedy ran a horrible campaign. I don't know why Gutnecht lost, but I doubt fiscal restraint was the reason.

[Kleebo151]

Are you saying McCain has a 94% rating because he’s deceiving Americans? What about his conservative record year after year since he started his senate career? Has he been deceiving everyone forever? Give me a break.

[Gene Eric]

Speech and sovereignty.

[mdefranc]

Here are the Senate rankings:

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2008/05/the_2007_congressional_scoreca_1.php

McCain appears near the very bottom with an “n.a.” for “not applicable” in his rankings column. Go to the detailed voting record pdf to see how many times Senator McCain played hookey.

[mvpel]

Is granting amnesty to millions of gangsters, thugs, and tuberculosis-ridden poverty-stricken freeloaders “conservative?”

Is stifling political speech in direct, flagrant violation of the First Amendment “conservative?”

Is opposing tax cuts which resulted in increased revenue “conservative?”

Is calling religious leaders “agents of intolerance” “conservative?”

Is opposing a ban on federal recognition and acceptance of same-sex marriage “conservative?”

[Beagle8U]

I looked for a score for my Rep, Tim Walberg, R-Mi but couldn’t find the score, just a silly chart of gibberish.

[lesser_satan]

Here ya go:

State	District	Party	Representative	Score	Rank	Year
MI	7	R	Walberg, T	92	29	2007
MI	2	R	Hoekstra, P	79	36	2006
MI	Sen	D	Stabenow, D	6	65	2006
MI	Sen	D	Levin, C	10	70	2007
MI	Sen	D	Levin, C	5	70	2006
MI	8	R	Rogers, Michael J.	75	71	2005
MI	Sen	D	Levin, C	0	80	2005
MI	Sen	D	Stabenow, D	0	80	2005
MI	2	R	Hoekstra, P	71	85	2005
MI	4	R	Camp, D	84	88	2007
MI	Sen	D	Stabenow, D	4	89	2007
MI	8	R	Rogers, Michael J.	83	90	2007
MI	8	R	Rogers, Michael J.	58	100	2006
MI	2	R	Hoekstra, P	80	101	2007
MI	9	R	Knollenberg, J	57	104	2006
MI	9	R	Knollenberg, J	67	125	2007
MI	11	R	McCotter, T	65	128	2007
MI	4	R	Camp, D	53	129	2006
MI	4	R	Camp, D	56	144	2005
MI	10	R	Miller, C	50	156	2006
MI	9	R	Knollenberg, J	55	157	2005
MI	11	R	McCotter, T	54	163	2005
MI	3	R	Ehlers, V	45	164	2007
MI	10	R	Miller, C	43	167	2007
MI	3	R	Ehlers, V	49	168	2006
MI	6	R	Upton, F	41	173	2007
MI	6	R	Upton, F	48	178	2006
MI	6	R	Upton, F	48	192	2005
MI	11	R	McCotter, T	44	195	2006
MI	10	R	Miller, C	43	207	2005
MI	3	R	Ehlers, V	40	214	2005
MI	7	R	Schwarz, J	37	222	2006
MI	7	R	Schwarz, J	35	224	2005
MI	12	D	Levin, S	12	271	2007
MI	14	D	Conyers, J	12	281	2005
MI	15	D	Dingell, J	6	351	2007
MI	15	D	Dingell, J	8	353	2006
MI	12	D	Levin, S	7	368	2006
MI	13	D	Kilpatrick, C	7	368	2006
MI	1	D	Stupak, B	3	373	2005
MI	13	D	Kilpatrick, C	3	384	2005
MI	15	D	Dingell, J	3	384	2005
MI	5	D	Kildee, D	3	384	2005
MI	12	D	Levin, S	3	384	2005
MI	1	D	Stupak, B	1	385	2007
MI	5	D	Kildee, D	1	394	2007
MI	1	D	Stupak, B	5	397	2006
MI	14	D	Conyers, J	4	411	2006
MI	5	D	Kildee, D	4	411	2006
MI	13	D	Kilpatrick, C	0	426	2007
MI	14	D	Conyers, J	0	426	2007

[nicola_tesla]

You forgot McCain’s vote against the Bush tax cuts because they were “cuts for rich folk”.

[stockpirate]

Did you see the post stating that McCain wasn’t rated because he hadn’t voted on enough bills to qualify and his 94 is for the few bills he did vote for.

[Beagle8U]

Thanks!

I campaigned hard for Walberg and got the RINO puke he replaced (Schwartz) booted out of my district.

[AuntB]

Just remember that the Club for growth is all about open borders and any ‘free trade’, no matter how lopsided it is.

They like John because of his amnesty. Don’t forget McCAin came out AGAINST Prop. 200 in his own state to control the illegals.

[Norman Bates]

Is stifling political speech in direct, flagrant violation of the First Amendment “conservative?”

Is opposing a ban on federal recognition and acceptance of same-sex marriage “conservative?”

Is Fred Thompson a conservative?

[mvpel]

That’s the point, see? Hooray for McCain for scoring 94% on the Club for Growth report card! But to trumpet this result as if it sweeps away all other conservative objections to McCain’s voting record and political views is just absurd.

[Gene Eric]

>> Did you see the post

No.

I like the Club for Growth which provides valuable insight but it doesn’t paint the entire picture.

[FreedomProtector]

Thanks for posting....score of zero says a lot....

[MNJohnnie]

You McCain haters are actually claiming that McCain did not vote for enough bills but Hillary and Obama did? Come on, hate McCain all you want but that is an utterly ridiculous claim which is not at all backed up by the Club for Growth report.

[mdefranc]

For rebuttal to your post, please read message #23 in this thread.

[dangus]

Frankly, I am heartened to see him score so well. The problem is that he always runs to the left whenever it can make him point man in the Senate. As President, he will ALWAYS be point man.

[lethrneck]

McCain must have had one of his campaign workers doing the counting. How could he score 94% when he FAVORS amnesty for up to 20 million illegal aliens; when he FAVORS embryo stem cell research; when he is AGAINST the marriage amendment; when he co-sponsors a bill with a Democrat that violates the first amendment on free speech (McCain-Finegold Campaign Reform Act); when he believes Al Gore and on global warming and FAVORS an embargo on production industries on greehouse emissions; when he is AGAINST keeping our terrorist prison in Guantanamo Bay; when he is AGAINST waterboarding to obtain needed intelligence from terrorists; and when he is AGAINST drilling and exploration in the Alaskan ANWR and in our offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico where Cuba and China are currently driling and taking away untold milllons of barrels of oil?

If you think he is a conservative I would like to hear your definition of that word. Obama has ‘Audacity’ as he writes in his book. And yes I do have the audacity to call McCain a liberal; his best friend in the Senate is Joe Lieberman who is like McCain with only one conservative position: support for the war in Iraq. Otherwise, they are both like McCain’s other buddy, Russ Feingold; and both of those buddies are Jewish liberals.