Who gives a damn about genocide? Mostly just Democrats, apparently

[WildEyedLiberal]

From the Darfur Genocide Congressional Scorecard:

Darfur Scorecard: At a Glance

The House of Representatives earned an overall C; 18% of the chamber (79 members) earned an A or A+; Two-thirds earned a C or worse; one-third earned a D or worse.

* Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL): D
* Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH): D
* Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO): D
* Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): A+
* Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD): C

* International Relations Chair Henry Hyde (R-IL): B
* International Relations Ranking Member Tom Lantos (D-CA): A+

The Senate also performed poorly, earning an overall C; 30% of the chamber (30 members) earned an A or A+; Nearly 40% (39 members) failed with an F.

* Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN): B
* Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY): F
* Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): A
* Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL): A+

* Foreign Relations Chair Richard Lugar (R-IN): B
* Foreign Relations Ranking Member Joseph Biden (D-DE): B

Of the 30 Senators who scored an A, only six were Republicans. The rest were Democrats.

Of the 39 Senators who scored an F, only eight were Democrats. The rest were Republicans.

The Darfur scorecard is based on amendment sponsorships and votes. 39 Senators - including the vast majority of the Republican caucus - could not be bothered to add their name to an amendment calling for peace in Darfur or vote for emergency relief funds.

Over half the Democratic caucus, on the other hand, has actively sponsored amendments to bring peacekeepers and relief money to Darfur.

Genocide should NOT be a partisan issue. The slaughter of millions of innocents should shock and horrify EVERYONE. Yet there is an undeniable trend, and it's clear that Democrats, as a whole, are far more concerned about the genocide than are Republicans.

Let's let the family values crowd try and rationalize this one away.

[Mass]

1. Shameful if you consider how little was asked to get an A.

All was asked was to vote for three bills that would have helped Darfur. How is it possible that so many Republicans and even Democrats thought this was not important.

[WildEyedLiberal]

2. Exactly, it's not like they had to really strain to get an A

But most couldn't even be bothered to VOTE for these amendments. How pathetic is that?

"Never again" my ass - if it's not in our backyard, it may as well not be happening. Shameful and tragic. I am heartened that at least 30 Senators care, but at 1/3 of the entire body, that is not enough.

[genie_weenie]

3. I don't think we should

send troops into Darfur. I can not condone sending someone's son or daughter into a war zone. And without troops how is money and/or supplies going to help?

[blm]

4. No surprise - there were plenty of Repubs against interceding in Kosovo.

Of course, they used it just as another stick to beat at Clinton - I don't believe any of them have sincere convictions one way or another.

[TahitiNut]

5. "The GOP Is Soft On Genocide"

Why not a headline like that? Why do we hear about "soft on crime" and "soft on defense" and not about the party taking money from war profiteers and the exploiters of human suffering and death?

[MrCoffee]

6. Rwanda - The single biggest stain on Clinton's presidency.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Ba da dum. (rimshot)

[MH1]

7. Family values only matter for "my" family.

(the republican view).

[Democrafty]

8. Thanks for this.

I'm tired of hearing about partisan bickering. Bickering is justified when only one party - the minority party - does any work in Washington, and for the rest of the world.