Voters took a scythe to the Members of Congress who switched their votes to pass the financial services bailout legislation in October and those whose votes in 2000 set the stage for the financial crisis.

Except . . . it was a very dull scythe. Maybe one without a blade.

Of the 59 people featured in our Bailout Rogues Gallery - Members of Congress who switched their votes between Monday and Friday of the same week to pass the bailout legislation - 57 ran for reelection and 55 won. That’s a retention rate of about 96.5% - pretty much exactly in line with historical retention rates. So you people must not have been very mad about that.

As to the Members of Congress and Senators who voted to do away with state regulation on financial derivatives, the story is about the same in the Senate. Eighteen of 20 running were reelected, a 90% retention rate.

But it’s a little different in the House. One hundred forty-three in this bunch ran for reelection and 135 of them won. This is a retention rate of 94.4% - at the low end of recent historical averages. If you count the three Members of Congress who ran for Senate and lost, the rate drops to 92.5%.

All of these numbers are probably statistically insignificant, so there’s nothing to see here. What this illustrates is how insulated Members of Congress and Senators are, even in elections. You vote based on lots of things, and one or two particular votes - even coming near election time - are unlikely to dislodge all the other reasons we choose one candidate over another.

That’s why - broken record - it’s important to monitor events between elections. Watch the bills that come to the House and Senate floors and let your representatives know what you think.

One of the keys to WashingtonWatch.com is good data about federal legislation. A reason why WashingtonWatch.com is not a much better resource is because it’s very hard to get good data out of the legislative branch.

So it’s nice to see that a new Open Senate Project is joining the Open House Project. These are both efforts to improve the workings of the Congress and make it more transparent to the public.

Over the past year-and-a-half plus, the Open House Project has developed a list of recommendations for the House, some of which have gotten some traction, as discussed in this retrospective on that work.

Now, here’s the dirty, and unfortunate, little secret: It is against Congress’ institutional interests and Congressmembers’ individual interests to be more transparent. Information is power, and giving the public access to the really good, really timely information about Congress’ workings would dramatically reduce their freedom of action.

So, while they will say nice things and make nice gestures about transparency, Members of Congress and congressional leaders will not give up power all that easily. Roadblocks of all kinds will get in the way of these projects, and ultimately information will have to be taken from Congress. Congress won’t just hand it over.

Getting leaders to talk favorably about transparency and take small steps in that direction is a start, though. At the very least, these efforts will lay traps for the politicians whose natural habitat is still the cigar-smoke-filled room.

Kudos to the Sunlight Foundation for building on the Open House Project with Open Senate.

If you think Washington politics is restricted to the debates among politicians, think again.

Politics pervades everything. Washington is a gurgling swamp of people grasping for power and pursuing their varied interests. People don’t just get together and agree on the best policies for the country and move forward with them.

A comment here on the site has reminded me once again of how pervasively political this town is.

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. . . Or for those who preferred the “rescue package,” the Members of Congress listed below are a group who saw the light. Or they were strong-armed by their party leadership. Or they horse-traded their support for some benefit to themselves or their districts.

Each of these explanations may be true in one or another case. Americans will tend to prefer the story that fits the ideological and policy positions they already had, just like most people think that the winner of last Thursday’s debate was the vice presidential candidate they already liked.

But, with just a month to go before the election, the passage of the financial services bailout gives voters a chance to make clear their preferences in Washington’s policies, and in the behavior of their representatives.

Below, we’ve compiled the list of congressmembers who changed their votes between Monday and Friday last week. Collectively, they allowed the $700,000,000,000 financial services bailout bill to pass and become law. We’ve also listed their opponents in the upcoming election, who may gain or lose ground based on the incumbent’s treatment of this very important issue.

Click below to jump to your state and see if your representative, or someone that represents friends or family members, was one of the now infamous vote-switchers. And what are you going to do about it? Give them a piece of your mind? Donate to them or their opponents? Write a letter to your local paper? That’s up to you.

[Update: In collecting images and data for this posted, we originally treated Rep. Julia Carson as the representative from Indiana's 7th District. Her grandson Andre Carson took her place when she passed away, and his image and information has now taken the place of hers below. Embarrassing error.]

[Update II: A list of all votes in order of state and congressional districts is here.]

[Update III: A Web site for Vermont challenger Jerry Trudell has been added. Yes, a wee bit late.]

Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont.

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The Senate passed bailout legislation this evening by a vote of 74 to 25. Senators McCain and Obama both voted for it, as did Senator Biden. National Journal has a good story on the wheeling, dealing, and lobbying that pushed the Senate in favor.

It’s unclear whether the goodies added to the bill “sweeten” it in a way that will get it through the House, or if the backscratching represented by the bill coming out of the Senate will give more offense to the public and House members who opposed the bailout.

Without specific information about what is in the package passed in the Senate, it is impossible to estimate the cost of the overall bill. But it is large.

Below is the vote in the Senate. If you don’t know which Senators are yours, find the name of a U.S. state on the front of an envelope that has been delivered to your house, then find that state below . . . .

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As we’ve done with Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Democratic vice presidential candidate Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), this week we take a look at the legislative activities of Senator Barack Obama, (D-IL), the Democratic candidate for president.

Of the three, Obama is the most prolific legislator as far as bills introduced, but the least successful at getting them passed. None of his 59 bills have become law.

Senator Obama has had successes as a legislator, of course. In the government transparency movement (of which this Web site is a part), there is a great deal of fondness for the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (aka the Coburn-Obama bill). Passed in the 109th Congress, it created a federal government Web site that reveals where all that federal spending goes. A follow-on in the current Congress is S. 3077, The Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.

Senator Obama’s recent bills reflect a focus on energy issues and health care and benefits for military veterans, though he has bills in a wide variety of areas.

One or two are of particular interest. S. 2433, The Global Poverty Act of 2007, is probably the most controversial. It would require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce global poverty, but many believe it would do much more.

I made fun of the House version of a bill Obama has introduced in the Senate. That’s S. 976, The Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2007. The bill’s statement of purpose makes some exaggerated claims about what it will do, winning it membership in the “And a Pony” club.

With that, here are Senator Barack Obama’s legislative priorities, as expressed by his actions in the current Congress. It’s one of many snapshots of this contender for the presidency.

PASSED INTO LAW

none

INTRODUCED BILLS

S. 114
The Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act

S. 115
The Oil SENSE Act

S. 116
The STEP UP ACT OF 2007

S. 117
The Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2007

S. 133
The American Fuels Act of 2007

S. 433
The Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007

S. 453
The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2007
Costs $0.02 per family

S. 674
The Transparency and Accountability in Military and Security Contracting Act of 2007

S. 692
The VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2007

S. 713
The Dignity for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007

S. 737
The Voter Advocate and Democracy Index Act of 2007

S. 767
The Fuel Economy Reform Act

S. 768
The Fuel Economy Reform Act

S. 795
The Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007

S. 823
The Microbicide Development Act

S. 906
The Mercury Market Minimization Act of 2007

S. 976
The Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2007

S. 1067
The Healthy Places Act of 2007

S. 1068
The Healthy Communities Act of 2007

S. 1084
The Homes for Heroes Act of 2007

S. 1151
The Health Care for Hybrids Act

S. 1181
The Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act

S. 1222
The STOP FRAUD Act

S. 1271
The Homecoming Enhancement Research and Oversight (HERO) Act

S. 1306
The Lead Free Toys Act of 2007

S. 1324
The National Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Act of 2007

S. 1389
The Climate Change Education Act

S. 1430
The Iran Sanctions Enabling Act

S. 1513
The Predominantly Black Institution Act of 2007

S. 1574
The Teaching Residency Act

S. 1713
A bill to provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp in honor of Rosa Parks

S. 1790
The Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007

S. 1811
The Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2007

S. 1817
A bill to ensure proper administration of the discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder, and for other purposes

S. 1818
The Missing Mercury in Manufacturing Monitoring and Mitigation Act

S. 1824
The Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2007

S. 1873
The Improving Emergency Medical Care and Response Act of 2007

S. 1885
The Military Family Job Protection Act

S. 1977
The Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act of 2007

S. 1989
The Pigford Claims Remedy Act of 2007

S. 2030
A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists

S. 2044
The Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007

S. 2066
The Back to School: Improving Standards for Nutrition and Physical Education in Schools Act of 2007

S. 2111
The Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act

S. 2132
A bill to prohibit the introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of children’s products that contain lead, and for other purposes

S. 2147
The Security Contractor Accountability Act of 2007

S. 2202
The Renewable Fuel Standard Extension Act of 2007

S. 2224
The Nuclear Release Notice Act of 2007

S. 2227
The Success in the Middle Act of 2007

S. 2330
The Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act

S. 2347
The Prevention Through Affordable Access Act

S. 2392
The National STEM Scholarship Database Act

S. 2428
The National STEM Scholarship Database Act

S. 2433
The Global Poverty Act of 2007
Costs $0.03 per family

S. 2519
The Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2007

S. 3047
The Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Act of 2008

S. 3077
The Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008

S. 3142
The Preventing Stillbirth and SUID Act of 2008

S. 3358
The Improving Food-borne Illness Surveillance and Response Act of 2008

When Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) was announced as Senator Barack Obama’s (D-IL) running mate, I did a quick scan here of his legislative priorities in the current Congress. Now, for the start of the Republican convention, here’s one on Senator John McCain (R-AZ).

(We’ll look at Barack Obama in a week. Without a record as a federal legislator, Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) won’t get a similar analysis, but we’ll be looking for tidbits on her as well.)

Senator McCain has introduced 21 bills in the current Congress. Just one of them has passed into law. That is S. 327, the Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act, which was passed as a part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008.

This law authorizes a study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement. It’s not a significant piece of legislation, and the life of a farm labor organizer is not the usual fare for a Republican, but it probably appeals to some of McCain’s home state constituencies, which include Mexican-American immigrants and the children of immigrants and farm workers who have established themselves as U.S. citizens.

Much of McCain’s legislating is oriented toward his home state, with native American issues and Arizona land issues joining interests of Senator McCain’s like military reform, campaign finance regulation, and a smattering of other things. Boxing regulation has been a McCain hobby horse for some time.

Senator McCain has introduced only one bill in 2008. This is the fuel tax holiday he proposed at the beginning of the summer. McCain’s 2008 is the portrait of a man campaigning for the presidency. (I hasten to add that quantity is not an important metric of a representative’s work. One good bill is worth a thousand pieces of symbolic legislation or 10,000 bad bills passed into law.)

With that, here are Senator John McCain’s legislative priorities, as expressed by his actions in the current Congress. It’s one of many snapshots of this contender for the presidency.

PASSED INTO LAW

S. 327
The Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act
was passed as The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, Public Law 110-229

INTRODUCED BILLS

S. 32
The Defense Acquisition Reform Act of 2007

S. 83
The Rail Security Act of 2007

S. 84
The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2007
Costs $0.32 per family

S. 85
The Indian Tribes Methamphetamine Reduction Grants Act of 2007

S. 86
The Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Act of 2007
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 166
The Cell Phone Tax Moratorium Act of 2007

S. 192
The Lobbying, Ethics, and Earmarks Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007

S. 463
The 527 Reform Act of 2007

S. 478
The Federal Election Administration Act of 2007

S. 519
The SAFE Act of 2007

S. 531
A bill to repeal section 10(f) of Public Law 93-531, commonly known as the “Bennett Freeze”
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 663
A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the statutory designation of beneficiaries of the $100,000 death gratuity under section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, and to permit members of the Armed Forces to designate in writing their beneficiaries of choice in the event of their death while serving on active duty

S. 722
The Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2007

S. 744
The SAVE LIVES Act

S. 952
A bill to amend the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Public Policy Act of 1992 to provide funds for training in tribal leadership, management, and policy, and for other purposes
Costs $0.04 per family

S. 1255
The Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2007
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1304
The Arizona National Scenic Trail Act
Costs $0.01 per family

S. 1900
A bill to authorize appropriations for the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution

S. 2172
The Saffron Revolution Support Act of 2007

S. 2890
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a highway fuel tax holiday

Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) will be Senator Barack Obama’s (D-IL) running mate. A Bloomberg story says the Biden pick is “aimed at addressing questions about Obama’s inexperience on international affairs, his biggest vulnerability against [Republican presidential candidate Senator John] McCain.”

Let’s take a look at Senator Biden’s legislative priorities. (Disclosure: I was a college intern in Senator Biden’s personal office in the fall of 1988.)

So far in the current Congress, Biden has introduced 37 bills, mostly dealing with foreign affairs and criminal justice issues. Of those, nine have passed into law, either directly or as part of other legislation. (This analysis does include amendments or symbolic resolutions, and relies on the Thomas legislative database for incorporation of bills into passed legislation.)

Listed below are bills that Senator Biden has introduced and that have been passed into law, followed by the bills he has introduced but that have not been passed into law.

PASSED INTO LAW

S. 676 became Public Law 110-38
A bill to provide that the Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank or the Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank may serve on the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1060
The Recidivism Reduction and Second Chance Act of 2007
Costs $3.49 per family
was passed as The Second Chance Act of 2007, Public Law 110-199

S. 1709
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2007
was passed as The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, Public Law 110-229.

S. 2106 became P.L. 110-113
The Procedural Fairness for September 11 Victims Act of 2007

S. 2257
The Burma Democracy Promotion Act of 2007
was pased as The Block Burmese JADE (Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2007, Public Law 110-286.

S. 2565 became P.L. 110-298
The Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2007
Costs $0.01 per family

S. 2731
The Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008
Costs $298.60 per family
was passed as The Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, Law 110-293.

S. 3218 became Public Law 110-296
The Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2008

S. 3370 became Public Law 110-301
The Libyan Claims Resolution Act

INTRODUCED BILLS

S. 345
The Homeland Security Trust Fund Act of 2007

S. 368
The COPS Improvements Act of 2007
Costs $1.72 per family

S. 392
A bill to ensure payment of United States assessments for United Nations peacekeeping operations for the 2005 through 2008 time period
Costs $1.59 per family

S. 449
The State and Local Law Enforcement Discipline, Accountability, and Due Process Act of 2007

S. 534
The FBI Act of 2007

S. 1011
The Recognizing Addiction as a Disease Act of 2007
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1044
The Effective Care for the Armed Forces and Veterans Act of 2007

S. 1055
The American Automobile Industry Promotion Act of 2007

S. 1399
The College Affordability and Creating Chances for Educational Success for Students Act of 2007

S. 1467
A bill to establish an establish an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Demonstration Program

S. 1515
The National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Act

S. 1562
The Fluorescent Lightbulb Implementation Program to Save Americans Value and Energy

S. 1565
The Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2007
Saves $0.52 per family

S. 1684
The Return of Talent Act

S. 1687
The Global Pathogen Surveillance Act of 2007
Costs $0.98 per family

S. 1711
The Drug Sentencing Reform and Cocaine Kingpin Trafficking Act of 2007

S. 1738
The Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2007
Costs $4.91 per family

S. 1839
A bill to require periodic reports on claims related to acts of terrorism against Americans perpetrated or supported by the Government of Libya
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 1876
The National Security with Justice Act of 2007

S. 2230
The Nursing Education Opportunities Act

S. 2237
The Crime Control and Prevention Act of 2007

S. 2274
The Dextromethorphan Abuse Reduction Act of 2007

S. 2279
The International Violence Against Women Act of 2007

S. 2349
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation Reauthorization Act of 2007

S. 2495
The Bail Bond Fairness Act of 2007

S. 2756
The Child Protection Improvements Act of 2008
Costs $0.09 per family

S. 3024
The Eurasia Foundation Act
Costs $0.26 per family

S. 3052
The Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 3061
The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008

S. 3103
The International Space Station Payments Act of 2008

S. 3136
The FIND Act

S. 3168
The International Development Association Replenishment Act of 2008
Costs $33.81 per family

S. 3169
A bill to authorize United States participation in, and appropriations for the United States contribution to, the eleventh replenishment of the resources of the African Development Fund
Costs $4.21 per family

S. 3245
The Justice Integrity Act of 2008

S. 3263
The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2008

S. 3273
The International Clean Development Technology Fund Act of 2008

S. 3351
The Drug Trafficking Interdiction Assistance Act of 2008

S. 3433
The Iraq Security Agreement Act of 2008

And I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

Via TechCrunch, the Republican party has a site up that purports to give ordinary people a voice in the platform that the GOP will adopt.

The Republican Party is seeking your input as we develop the policies and principles upon which we should stand for the next four years. On this website, you can share your thoughts, participate in polls, and communicate directly with the policymakers who will be shaping the party’s agenda. All comments and feedback will be reviewed and taken into full consideration as we prepare for our convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

“Full consideration” is the equivalent to the weasel-phrase “all due respect.” When none is due, none is given.

The math here is fairly simple. The people who serve on the platform committees in either party have spent thousands of hours over years and years getting to where they are in the party hierarchy. They are not going to hand their power and pet issues over to the unwashed masses just because someone in the party set up a Web site.

It’s good that a party feels like it should make its platform process “open,” but this will only be a pretense of openness. It’s designed to look good to folks like the writers at TechCrunch, but don’t expect a lot of change from this. (Not a knock on TC - the power dynamics in the political system is not their beat.)

An interesting post on the Official Google Blog called “More Tools for Citizen Participation” says:

Political participation isn’t just about casting your vote; everyone should be able to become an informed participant instantly. When Americans want to learn about candidates and issues using Google, we find that they want more than one source, and immediate results. Instead of sitting through entire television broadcasts, voters are going online to get their daily dose of politics - as they did during the primaries, when searches for political queries spiked.

The piece links to a map showing search queries for the presidential candidates.

It’s true that television lacks the depth people need to become informed citizens, and people are going online to get what they need to know, but I’m not sure who expects to be informed “instantly.” It takes time and some work. The political process would be quite different if it were that easy to gather and distribute the most relevant information about political candidates.

More importantly, though, I think the focus on politicians in most of the tools Google is pointing to is just a little bit beside the point. During campaign time, we get a lot of biography and a lot of promises, but what happens when election season ends and our attention wanes? Back in 2006, we pointed out that they spend enough money to buy every American family a new car.

Rather than following politicians, it would be good to know what is happening with our nation’s public policies. (Needless to say, that’s what we focus on here at WashingtonWatch.com, where you can track the newest bills in Congress, for example - in your browser or your RSS reader.) Maybe policy should animate our inquiries about politicians, rather than putting politicians first.

The toys they’ve put together are interesting, of course - and there’s nothing wrong at all with studying politicians. Here, for example, is a fun biography of Barack Obama: