Kucinich has been more effective in Congress than Pelosi. Look at the record:

[John Q. Citizen]

Records are from 1997 to present as per gov tracks http://www.govtrack.us /

I've seen post after post from Kucinich detractors and other rumor mongers that try to claim that Dennis Kucinich is somehow "less effective' in congress than his peers are. So i thought I'd look it up and find out for my self.

What I discovered is that Kucinich has more of his bills voted out of committee than does Pelosi during the same time frame. This despite the fact that in 1997, when Kucinich entered Congress, Pelosi was already a 10 year veteran of the House, and she was then elected to the Dem House Whip Post in 2001, as Minority leader in 2002, and assumed the Speakership at the beginning of 2007.

Also, relative to Kucinich's peers in the House of Representatives, he has a better record than say Senator Clinton, or Senator Dodd in getting bills voted out of committee, who have a "very poor" rating relative to their peers in the Senate.

I also included Bernie Sanders' record, since he was another quite liberal House member (moved up to the Senate in 2007) and I thought it might be interesting for comparison purposes. Sanders entered the house in 2001.

Dennis' attendance (missed votes) record is also average relative to his peers in the House, even though he is in his second run for the President. (2004 and current) This compares favorably against both Obama and Biden, who have a "very poor" and "poor" rating respectively when compared to their peers in the Senate.


US HOUSE

KUCINICH

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400227
Bill Sponsorship & Co sponsorship
Statistics: Dennis Kucinich has sponsored 101 bills since Jan 7, 1997, of which 92 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 1 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Kucinich has co-sponsored 3069 bills during the same time period (Very Many, relative to peers).

Voting History
Statistic: Dennis Kucinich missed 323 of 6907 votes (5%) since Jan 7, 1997 (Average relative to peers).

PELOSI

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400314
Bill Sponsorship & Co sponsorship
Statistics: Nancy Pelosi has sponsored 55 bills since Jan 7, 1997, of which 48 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 1 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Pelosi has co-sponsored 1724 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

Statistic: Nancy Pelosi missed 278 of 5936 votes (5%) since Jan 7, 1997 (Average relative to peers).

BERNIE SANDERS

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400357
Bill Sponsorship & Co sponsorship
Statistics: Bernard Sanders has sponsored 119 bills since Jan 7, 1997, of which 117 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 1 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Sanders has co-sponsored 2784 bills during the same time period (Very Many, relative to peers).

Voting History
Statistic: Bernard Sanders missed 267 of 6234 votes (4%) since Jan 7, 1997 (Average relative to peers).

US SENATE

OBAMA

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400629
Bill Sponsorship & Cosponsorship
Statistics: Barack Obama has sponsored 123 bills since Jan 4, 2005, of which 114 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 1 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Obama has co-sponsored 498 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

Voting History
Statistic: Barack Obama missed 148 of 1051 votes (14%) since Jan 6, 2005 (Very Poor relative to peers).

DODD

Bill Sponsorship & Cosponsorship
Statistics: Christopher Dodd has sponsored 327 bills since Jan 7, 1997, of which 262 haven't made it out of committee (Very Poor) and 8 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Dodd has co-sponsored 1815 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

Statistic: Christopher Dodd missed 245 of 3678 votes (7%) since Jan 22, 1997 (Average relative to peers).

CLINTON

Voting History
Bill Sponsorship & Cosponsorship
Statistics: Hillary Clinton has sponsored 337 bills since Jan 22, 2001, of which 291 haven't made it out of committee (Very Poor) and 2 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Clinton has co-sponsored 1670 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

Statistic: Hillary Clinton missed 114 of 2359 votes (5%) since Jan 23, 2001 (Average relative to peers).

BIDEN

Voting History
Bill Sponsorship & Cosponsorship
Statistics: Joseph Biden has sponsored 218 bills since Jan 21, 1997, of which 125 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 6 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). Biden has co-sponsored 1118 bills during the same time period (Average, relative to peers).

Statistic: Joseph Biden missed 334 of 3682 votes (9%) since Jan 22, 1997 (Poor relative to peers.)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=300008

EDWARDS

No info available at the govtracks site

[fenriswolf]

1. i agree

and i want to state that the people who think kucinich is doing impeachment and his bills on universal single payer health care is just grandstanding i want to remind you, we want something done and kucinich is addressing the problems as best he can, its up to the other representatives to sign those bills.

[rjones2818]

3. What it says is

that those who don't like Dennis going for HR 676 or H Res 733 (formerly H Res 333) is that they actually don't want Universal Health Care or impeachment.

I want both!

Go Dennis!
http://dennis4president.com
Choose Peace!

[rjones2818]

2. B...b...but he doesn't have a perfect record!

Good posting! I don't think it'll tone down the 'Dennis is ineffective' people, though. They want perfection for any other candidate other than their own.

Go Dennis!
http://dennis4president.com
Choose Peace!

[PeaceNikki]

4. Kucinich's votes on choice. One of the most anti-choice voting records of

Voted to forbid dispersal of funds to international groups that perform abortions:
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...

Voted for the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban":
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...
again: http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...
and again: http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...

Voted AGAINST an amendment that allows female members of the armed forces and dependents at Department of Defense facilities overseas to obtain an abortion with their own funds.
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...

Voted to prohibit funds to be used by the FDA for any drug for the chemical inducement of abortion.
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...
again: http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...

Voted to pass a bill that prohibits transportation of a minor across state lines to avoid parental notification laws and obtain access to abortion services
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...

Oh, look... he voted AGAINST contreceptives:
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_i...

It goes on and on... http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=31...

He's no friend to women.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Dennis has a 100% rating from NARAL. Look it up.

You know, people change sometimes.

Gore used to be 100% NAFTA. He used to oppose single payer heath insurance. He's changed his stances and I welcome that. I wish he would run.

I would hope that you would welcome Dennis' change of heart, also, instead of attempting to smear him for his 6 years past stance that he no longer holds.

[PeaceNikki]

6. Oh, I have. But, his voting record speaks volumes.

[John Q. Citizen]

11. I edited my first reply to you to point out that Gore used to support NAFTA

100% and also opposed single payer health insurance. I welcome Al's change of heart, and I don't support punishing him because he was wrong on those issues but came to see the light.

I hope you will welcome Dennis' change of heart on choice.

[PeaceNikki]

12. Is it "smearing" to point out his voting record?

Serious?

[John Q. Citizen]

15. No, but it is perhaps vindictive to want to punish someone who made the

effort to change.

In your post, you pointed out his voting record from 5 to ten years ago, and you didn't mention that he had done the right thing and switched his position on choice to being very pro-choice.

I think the fact that you didn't include his change of position on choice for the last 5 or six years could certainly be interpreted as a smear. It certainly gave a skewed picture of his voting record.

What do you think?

[PeaceNikki]

19. And, in your OP YOU mentioned his votes going back 10 years.

He conveniently changed his position when? Ah, yes... when he wanted to run for POTUS on the Democratic ticket. Convenient. I applaud his recent change of heart, but it doesn't mean I trust it. That, as Bobby Brown would say, is my prerogative.

I don't attempt to smear him or any other Democratic candidate. I simply pointed out one of my many issues with Dennis and his voting record - since that was the topic of your OP. He's not perfect. No candidate is for all of us. DK is not the Lord and Saviour to me that he is to some here.

I am not here "hawking" Gore despite your attempts to egg me on with that. He's not even running.

[ISUGRADIA]

46. People change when they decide to run for president apparently

[fenriswolf]

8. he believes life begins at conception

however he has had to make some personal choices to allow women the right to choose even if in his mind he believes it is wrong, the man doesnt believe in abortion he thinks its wrong but has had to quell that in order to do the right thing. The man is great and votes for the will of the people.

[PeaceNikki]

10. He voted against women's choice. Repeatedly. "Great" is relative.

As a woman who places a great deal of value on choice, his voting record sickens me and I could never vote for him in a primary. Dealbreaker.

Abortion is not a religion in which one "believes" or doesn't, it's a choice.

[John Q. Citizen]

13. How many women are dead from NAFTA? But I forgive Al because he's

seen the light.

It was wrong to vote against choice and it was wrong to destroy whole communities for corporate profit. Yet if we can't forgive people who have decided to change and do the right thing, what does that say about us?

[fenriswolf]

16. belief in when life begins is part of a value system

abortion is a choice you are right on that. My point is that he is circumventing his personal belief in order to do what is right (eg legal abortion)

[LWolf]

17. Wrong, and of course it has nothing whatsoever to do

with the point being made by the OP.

DK has had a 100% rating from NARAL for several years now.

His history on choice has been discussed, sorted, sifted, and examined from every angle I can think of here on DU over the years; it's not exactly "breaking" news.

And again, it has nothing to do with the point of the OP, which is that Dennis Kucinich is at least as effective as all, and more effective than some, of his opponents in Congress.

Happily, there are plenty of women, myself included, who are happy to include him on their "friends" list.

Do you have any comment to make about the actual subject of the OP?

[PeaceNikki]

21. Hmm. I read the OP as a discussion of his record. His anti-choice history is part of that. Like it

or not. I happen to not.

Part of his overall "effectiveness" has been in restricting women's rights. He voted right along with the GOP many times on that.

[LWolf]

38. The OP is a direct response to repeated

posts by 2 or 3 posters claiming that he isn't executive material because he doesn't accomplish things in Congress.

While it's true that he began his career in the house as a pro-lifer, I don't believe that he effected a change in Roe v Wade. For those that paid attention, his shift in position came about from actually listening to women and their concerns. Once that shift was made, he has not deviated. That's why he gets the consistent 100% rating from NARAL.

That's what he does best; he listens, and he acts on the concerns that he hears. I think he's looking out for the best interests of all of us, women included.

I'd like to share a recent statement he made about women in this interview:

<snip>

Hannah Storm: You have a core group of supporters for your political views, but a lot of people talking about your wife and the fact that she's over three decades younger and she statuesque and beautiful and has a pierced tongue. What do you make of the attention on her?

Dennis Kucinich: Well, the most important thing I would tell you, Hannah, as a professional, is it's important not to trivialize a woman who has worked on international humanitarian matters, you know, helping people in Africa get access to energy and to housing and education, helping poor people and children in India, working with a group connected with Mother Teresa, working with the Mission To Seafarers in London. Here's a woman of great accomplishment with a Master's degree in international conflict resolution, and I hope that you're going to talk about more than a tongue stud.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/11/02/politics/horser...

He doesn't trivialize women, or their issues.

[slipslidingaway]

24. Dennis Kucinich on Abortion in America

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[polichick]

41. But aren't his more recent votes pro-choice??

I assume his Catholic faith had something to do with his earlier views ~ do you believe that he is still "no friend to women?"

[eridani]

48. Please put this in the Research section so it doesn't get archived so fast.

Thanks

[Matt Bud]

7. If we only had a media mogul like WmRHearst

Hearst used media empire AND lots of his own money to promote progressive causes. If there was such a person like him today, Kucinich would probably win the nomination and the election.

[stuartrida]

9. My problem is record as an executive more than a legislator

though his anti-choice roots bug me. He was a very ineffective mayor, and I think he would be an ineffective president, even though I agree with him on most of the issues. I would still hold my nose and vote for him if nominated.

[John Q. Citizen]

18. He was given a special award by the city concel of Cleveland because he saved the

City hundreds of millions of dollars by refusing to go along with the privatizers and sell out the City power company.

He also did some other very good things as Mayor. He kicked the Mafia out of their lucretive garbage hauling contracts. He suffered horrible retribution from his political enemies but he stuck by his guns and by the people of Cleveland, even though it cost him personally.

He does admit that firing his chief of police on live TV was a mistake. He was 30 years old at the time.

[fenriswolf]

20. not to mention the mob put a hit out on him for the

garbage.

[fenriswolf]

29. that is a huge load

he was a great mayor and has been vindicated since he was ousted

he is pro choice and has been for a while before he declared and he changed his opinion to do what is right not to sway voters.

[stuartrida]

35. Yes, a huge load of my opinion. One that is shared by many others

Sorry, not everyone wants St. Dennis to be President. By looking at the number of people who donate to him, and the polls, it is safe to say very, very few people want him to be President. I had high hopes for him as mayor, and he gave us too much drama and too few results.

[fenriswolf]

36. so you dont like him because of what he did as mayor

your profile states your from florida so did you move from cleveland? or did you just "study" his time as mayor extensivly, the city of cleveland loves him for what he has done for the city, explain that then. Opinions are great, sucks when they are not backed up.

[stuartrida]

40. I'm from Cleveland

My opinion is that Kucinich would be a mediocre president. The fact is very, very few people want him to be President and, after seeing him in action, I am one of them. Take a look at the painfully low number of people giving him money, or his weak poll numbers if you'd like to see this "backed up."

Here is a recent one with my two least favorite candidates, Hillary and Dennis, duking it out for last place in the hearts of Ohio voters.
http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2007/11/november_2007...

[LWolf]

14. Important information, thank you.

Bookmarking for future reference. It's good to have some evidence to rebut those claims.

[dsc]

22. No he hasn't and your own numbers prove it

I will say she hasn't been vastly more effective but she has been some more effective.

Kucinich has advanced 9 bills out of 101 which is just a tiny bit under 9%. He got one bill passed which is a tiny bit under 1%.

Pelosi advanced 7 bills out of 55 which is slightly better than 12.5%. She got 1 bill passed which is about 1.8%.

Again, I won't call her hugely more effective but she is more effective.

[John Q. Citizen]

26. Dennis got 9 bill out of committee, and Pelosi got 8 bills out of committee.

Dennis is just a harder worker and introduces more bills, and co-sponcers more bills. I think it's because he is very good at working with other people in the house, and offers them his support.

If you want to hold that against him, fine.

I suppose if a congress person only offered one bill in 10 years, and it was voted out of committee, and passed, you could claim that they are 100% effective?

[dsc]

31. If we were discussing bills passed vs just getting out of committee you might have a point

but since they each got one bill into law your point is pointless.

[slipslidingaway]

23. Thank you K&R n/t

[Basileus Basileon]

25. So, ah, one bill enacted. Great.

Biden's got 6.

[rjones2818]

27. Including the bankruptcy bill

which pretty much should disqualify him for serious consideration for President.

[Basileus Basileon]

33. That was Chuck Grassley, not Joe Biden.

Biden voted for it, and I disagree with that vote.

[rjones2818]

28. Plus,

Biden's been at it much longner.

[Basileus Basileon]

30. Both are "since 1997."

[John Q. Citizen]

34. Comparing the House and the Senate in sure numbers doesn't make a lot of

sense for a lot of reasons. The Dems took back the Senate from 98 to 2004, where as the House was controlled by the Repos until the begining of this year.

However comparing Sentors to other Senators and House members to other house members makes more sense. And then, based on the averages for the house and for the Senate, one may be able to draw some inferences.

And of course, in both, senority makes a lot of difference as well.

I just find it interesting that people can just throw out a lot of crap about Kucinich without any data to back it up.

[dsc]

37. you are wrong

The Senate was GOP until June of 2001 and stayed Dem until Jan of 2003. From June 01 to Jan 03 we had a one vote majority just like we have now.

[John Q. Citizen]

39. I stand corrected on the date. Thanks.

[cyclezealot]

32. It's was a Repuke era.

few Dems' made gains. What's important is what attempts were made to stop what is bad for the American people. Nafta, The war in Iraq. DK was a miracle worker in rallying opposition to what has so negatively impacted the American people.

[polichick]

42. Thanks for putting this together...

It's very interesting. One thing I don't understand in Dodd's record ~ if he had 8 bills successfully enacted, why is that still considered average? Most of the others only had 1 (and Biden 6, which was also considered average for some reason.)

[John Q. Citizen]

44. What's average in the Senate isn't average in the House. The Senate has only

100 members, for one thing.

On spending bills, a Senator will usually sponsor a house bill that has already passed, because spending bills all start in the house. So final passage is easier of course since it already passed the house.

Also, senority matters a lot.

[rucky]

43. I didn't realize how difficult it was to get a bill out of committee.

shit.

[John Q. Citizen]

45. especially if you are a Dem in a Repo controlled house.

[ISUGRADIA]

47. Effectiveness is not bills out of committee alone

earmarking, committee positions, successful amendments, and more make up "effectiveness" Oh, and position in the leadership: Pelosi, Speaker, Kucinich, backbencher. Enough Said.

[Perry Logan]

49. Doesn't this prove that Pelosi and Hillary are not compromising corporate shills?

If Pelosi and Clinton were shills, it seems like they'd be doing much better than Dennis with their legislation.

[MonkeyFunk]

50. That's one cherry-picked measure of effectiveness

look at congress.org and their power rankings. DK actually has a NEGATIVE influence score.

only 8 representatives are rated lower, including William Jefferson, Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo.

In total power standings, he ranks 198th in the House. In 2006, he was 391st.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/powe...

[John Q. Citizen]

51. No, I didn't claim that Kucinich has more power in congress than the Speaker.

That would be silly, wouldn't it?

However, I bet if Kucinich moved to SF, and had a simular sized war chest, that he would probably be able to knock Pelosi off in the primary.

I doubt the Speaker could do the same to Kucinich in his own district.

Here's an interesting take on Capitol Advantage, the company that runs the site you linked to.

http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/capitol-advantage-th...