Please help me decide which votes were important in Congress

[Zodiak]

Well, it is post-election time, and I need to update my list of Democratic Senators and how "progressive" they are. The last few months have some really iffy bills as far as determining the "right" way to vote for progressives.

I am a populist, libertarian type of Democrat, so sometimes my opinion isn't always necessarily the "progressive" one.

Here are the bills and nomination I am flagging. Let me know if you feel they should be included/excluded and how you would vote if you were a Senator.

1. Robert Gates' nomination (a war criminal from the Iran-Contra days)
2. Atomic Energy Coopertion with India (violates neutrality in the India/Pakistan disputes).
3. The border fence
4. The Military Commissions act (I'm pretty sure everyone here will want me to include this)
5. SAFE port act (I am not familiar with this...is this an act that sold our ports to Dubai?)
6. Pension Protection Act of 2006 (don;t know much about this...it is 356 pages long..seems like a neutral bill)
7. Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (sounds like opening the Gulf to off-shore drilling)
8. Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act
9. Stem Cell Enhancement Act


Well, that is all I have flagged from July until now.

If you care to see what I am doing and how your senators scored for the 109th Congress up until July (1.5 years worth of votes), go here:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Zodiak%20Ironfist/4

Thanks in advance to anyone who offer their insight....gutter-snipes excepted.

[Zodiak]

1. Well, that sank like a stone n/t

[cali]

2. Wasn't Gates' confirmation by

unanimous consent?

[Zodiak]

3. Could be...not sure

Every Democrat who was present was listed on a roll call vote as voting for it. Two were not present.

[cali]

4. I want to add

that all these scoring schemes- whether the ADA's or yours, are seriously flawed. They really don't tell us how progressive or liberal a Senator is- except in a very rough way. I'd certainly argue that your ratings leave a lot to be desired.

[Zodiak]

5. please expand your arguments

As your reasoning is vague, I cannot answer.