Tag Archives: League of Conservation Voters

Seven of Dirty Dozen in Congress Defeated

Posted on November 11th, 2008 | Comments Off on Seven of Dirty Dozen in Congress Defeated

The national League of Conservation Voters has been active for many year working to defeat anti-environmental members of Congress. Each Congressional election year since 1996 they target the worst environmental Congressmen as the Dirty Dozen.

Since 1996 over half of the candidates named to the Dirty Dozen list have been defeated.This year was no different – seven of their targeted anti-environmental Congressmen went down to defeat.

The losers included:

1. Senator Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Senate race- 7% LCV lifetime voting average

winner Democrat Kay Hagan 53%/44%.

2. Rep. Tim Walberg – Michigan House race (MI-7) – 5% LCV lifetime rating

winner Democrat Mark Schauer 49%/46%.

3. former Rep Ann Northup, Kentucky House race (CD-03)- 7% LCV lifetime score

winner Rep John Yarmuth 59% /41%.

4. Steve Pearce, New Mexico Senate race – 1% LCV lifetime rating

winner Rep. Tom Udall – 96% LCV lifetime rating – 61%/39%.

5. Rep Joe Knollenberg, Michigan House race (MI-09)- 7% LCV lifetime rating

winner Gary Peters 52%/43%.

6. Dean Andal, California House race (CA-11) – 9% LCV lifetime voting rating

winner incumbent Rep. Jerry McNerney 55%/45%.

7. Rep Bob Schaffer – Colorado Senate race – 5% LCV lifetime rating

winner Rep Mark Udall 53%/42%

Other targeted Dirty Dozen races were those of Rep Don Young of Alaska, Rep Sam Graves of Missouri, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, Sen James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senator Mary Landreau of Louisiana.

Senator Steven is leading in Alaska 48%/47% (106,594 / 103,337) with the race still not called. Rep Young of Alaska had 114,043 votes to Berkowitz’s 97,104 for a 54%/44% vote.
(latest CNN results)

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Hastings and McMorris Rodgers Consistently Vote Against the Environment

Posted on March 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off on Hastings and McMorris Rodgers Consistently Vote Against the Environment

The national League of Conservation Voters gave Republicans Doc Hastings (WA-4) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5) both a 5 out of 100 rating for their environmental voting record for 2007. For the first time in 9 years Hastings scored one environmentally correct vote. For the previous 8 years Hastings had a score of zero. McMorris Rodgers also had a zero for her previous rating.

Hasting is being challenged this year by Democrat George Fearing.

Republican Dave Reichert (WA-8), in a tough re-election campaign in eastern King County, has finally seen the green light through the trees and actually doubled his score from 43 in the previous session of Congress to an 85 rating for 2007. Reichert is facing Democratic challenger Darcy Burner who he narrowly beat in 2006.

Of course one has to evaluate what this score actually represents for Reichert. A careful look at two different bills that Reichert voted for last year and this year show that he opposed the bills at every step of the way up until the final vote. You can read these stories about Reichert at Daniel Kirkdorffer’s blog On the Road to 2008.

see “Reichert Votes For Another Bill He Opposes Every Step Of The Way” Jan 18, 2007 and “Anatomy of a Reichert Vote ” Feb. 28, 2008

We observed this same voting behavior by Reichert, when he first voted for an amendment to weaken popcorn worker safety legislation and then was the outcome was clear, voted for final passage of the bill.

see “Republicans Hastings, McMorris Rodgers and Reichert Record Votes Opposing Popcorn Worker Safety” Oct 1, 2007

Meanwhile all of Washington’s Democratic Congressmen continued their strong voting records for the environment in 2007. Jay Inslee (WA-1), Brian Baird (WA-3), Norm Dicks (WA-6), and Jim McDermott (WA -7) all received scores of 95. Adam Smith (WA-9) received a 90 and Rick Larsen (WA-2) received the lowest rating of 80.

On the Senate side, Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell both received scores of 87 for their 2007 voting records.

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John McCain Gets Zero Rating from League of Conservation Voters

Posted on February 28th, 2008 | Comments Off on John McCain Gets Zero Rating from League of Conservation Voters

John McCain missed so many votes last year in Congress that he scored a zero on the League of Conservation Voters 2007 ratings. He was the only Senator to miss all of the key environmental votes used in the scoring.

As LCV noted in their recent press release:

“The presidential candidates’ scores all suffered from the occupational hazard of absenteeism. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) missed four votes each in 2007, although both made a point of being on hand for the key vote that would have allowed a version of the energy bill to move forward that included a provision to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil and put that money toward clean energy programs.

Clinton’s score in 2007 was 73 percent (87 percent lifetime); Obama’s was 67 percent (86 percent lifetime). * Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) scored 0 percent in 2007 (24 percent lifetime) due to missing all 15 votes scored, including the key vote on repealing tax giveaways to big oil – a measure that failed by only one vote.”

McCain’s LCV ratings:
0 (2007), 41 (2005-2006), 56 (2003-2004), 36 (2001-2002), 6 (1999-2000)

Obama’s LCV ratings:
67 (2007), 96 (2005-2006)

Clinton’s LCV ratings
73 (2007), 89 (2005-2006), 92 (2003-2004), 88 (2001-2002)

Of the other Presidential candidates who have dropped out of the race Joe Biden missed 4 of the environmental votes used in the rating in 2007 and received a score of 67. Christopher Dodd missed 6 of the environmental votes in 2007 and received a score of 60. Dennis Kucinich missed 3 of the environmental votes in the House and received a score of 80.

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