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Thomas Daschle's Ratings and Endorsements

Vote Smart displays all known interest group ratings for each candidate and official, regardless of issue or bias.

Keep in mind that ratings done by special interest groups often do not represent a non-partisan stance. In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members of one political party over another, rather than choosing votes based solely on issue concerns. Nevertheless, they can be invaluable in showing where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years, especially when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue are compared. Website links, if available, and descriptions of the organizations offering performance evaluations are accessible by clicking on the name of the group.

With rare exceptions, Vote Smart displays interest group ratings as a 0-100 percentage. While many interest groups use percentages as ratings to begin with, please note that Vote Smart has translated some ratings to a percentage from a different rating system for consistency and ease in understanding. Please visit the group's website, email us at ratings@votesmart.org or call our Voter Information Hotline at 1-888-VOTESMART for more specific information.

13%
2001-2002
5%
1999-2000
100%
2001
100%
2000
65%
1999
65%
1997
100%
1996
0%
2001-2002
11%
1999-2000
13%
1999
20%
1997-1998
17%
1997
0%
1996
85%
1999
89%
1996-2003
83%
1995-1998
94%
1993-1996
100%
2002
60%
1999
42%
1995-1996
67%
1993-1994
25%
2001-2002
25%
2001-2002
90%
1991-1992
100%
1999-2000
100%
1999-2000
100%
1998
86%
1997
100%
1996
80%
1995
78%
1994
78%
1993
75%
2001-2002
60%
2001-2002
75%
2001-2002
75%
2001-2002
50%
2000
75%
2001-2002
75%
2001-2002
75%
2001-2002
75%
2001-2002
75%
2001-2002
60%
1999-2000
50%
1999
75%
1995-1996
50%
1995
25%
1993-1994
70%
2003
70%
2003
100%
2000
20%
2003
20%
2003
68%
2003
68%
2003
79%
2003
79%
2003
80%
2003
80%
2003
82%
2003
82%
2003
26%
2003
26%
2003
10%
2003
10%
2003
38%
2002
38%
2002
20%
2002
20%
2002
59%
2002
59%
2002
68%
2002
68%
2002
73%
2002
73%
2002
69%
2002
69%
2002
28%
2002
28%
2002
31%
2002
31%
2002
14%
2001
14%
2001
82%
2001
82%
2001
15%
2001
15%
2001
74%
2001
74%
2001
81%
2001
81%
2001
8%
2001
24%
2000
24%
2000
0%
2000
75%
2000
75%
2000
72%
2000
72%
2000
15%
2000
15%
2000
79%
2000
79%
2000
90%
1999
90%
1999
87%
1999
87%
1999
0%
1999
64%
1999
64%
1999
0%
1999
31%
1999
31%
1999
79%
1998
79%
1998
26%
1998
26%
1998
15%
1998
15%
1998
83%
1998
83%
1998
63%
1998
63%
1998
10%
1998
10%
1998
24%
1996
24%
1996
73%
1996
73%
1996
27%
1996
27%
1996
80%
1996
80%
1996
70%
1996
70%
1996
8%
1996
0%
2001-2002
6%
2001-2002
38%
2001-2002
50%
2003
0%
2001-2002
81%
2001-2002
81%
2001-2002
75%
1999-2000
75%
1999-2000
67%
1997-1998
67%
1997-1998
62%
1997
62%
1997
86%
1995-1996
86%
1995-1996
100%
2001
100%
2001
100%
2001
86%
1999-2000
86%
1999-2000
100%
1999
83%
1997-1998
83%
1997-1998
78%
1995-1996
78%
1995-1996
6%
1995-1996
6%
1995-1996
0%
1997
7%
1996
63%
1999-2000
57%
1999
70%
1997-1998
67%
1997
100%
1996
92%
1995
20%
2002
20%
2002
43%
2001
43%
2001
44%
2000
44%
2000
46%
1999
46%
1999
50%
1998
50%
1998
42%
1997
42%
1997
91%
1996
91%
1996
92%
1995
92%
1995
67%
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
100%
2001
100%
2001
95%
1989-1990
81%
2001-2002
81%
2001-2002
75%
1999-2000
75%
1999-2000
67%
1997-1998
67%
1997-1998
62%
1997
62%
1997
86%
1995-1996
86%
1995-1996
33%
1999-2000
33%
1999-2000
60%
2001-2002
100%
2001
69%
2002-2003
89%
2002
0%
2001-2002
0%
1999-2000
0%
1997-1998
21%
1995-1996
18%
2002
6%
2001
2%
1999
12%
1998
17%
1997
17%
1995
38%
2001-2002
38%
2001-2002
73%
1999-2000
73%
1999-2000
50%
1997-1998
50%
1997-1998
40%
1995
35%
1995
50%
2003-2004
50%
2003-2004
80%
2001-2002
-7
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
67%
2001-2002
69%
2002-2003
63%
1999-2000
57%
1999
70%
1997-1998
67%
1997
100%
1996
92%
1995
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
75%
1997
100%
1996
100%
2003
80%
1997-1998
80%
1997-1998
100%
1995-1996
100%
1995-1996
100%
1991
100%
1999-2000
100%
1999-2000
100%
1998
86%
1997
100%
1996
80%
1995
78%
1994
78%
1993
100%
1989-1990
100%
2001
86%
1999-2000
86%
1999-2000
100%
1999
83%
1997-1998
83%
1997-1998
78%
1995-1996
78%
1995-1996
75%
2001-2002
90%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
100%
1997
93%
1996
100%
2003
100%
2001
50%
2003-2004
50%
2003-2004
0%
1997
7%
1996
63%
1999-2000
57%
1999
70%
1997-1998
67%
1997
100%
1996
92%
1995
20%
2002
20%
2002
43%
2001
43%
2001
44%
2000
44%
2000
46%
1999
46%
1999
50%
1998
50%
1998
42%
1997
42%
1997
91%
1996
91%
1996
92%
1995
92%
1995
68%
2001-2002
56%
1999-2000
56%
1999
73%
1998
71%
1997
85%
1995-1996
-7
2001-2002
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
75%
1997
100%
1996
33%
2003
0%
2001
23%
1999-2000
9%
1997-1998
14%
1997
7%
1995-1996
36%
1991-1992
36%
1991-1992
25%
2001-2002
29%
2000
25%
1997-1998
50%
1995-1996
6%
1995-1996
6%
1995-1996
100%
2001
86%
1999-2000
86%
1999-2000
100%
1999
83%
1997-1998
83%
1997-1998
78%
1995-1996
78%
1995-1996
27%
1991-1992
100%
2001
5%
2003
13%
2001-2002
13%
2001-2002
5%
1999-2000
5%
1999-2000
16%
2003
0%
2001
0%
2001
23%
1999-2000
23%
1999-2000
9%
1997-1998
9%
1997-1998
14%
1997
14%
1997
7%
1995-1996
7%
1995-1996
36%
1991-1992
36%
1991-1992
35
2003
35
2003
35
2003
35
2003
35
2003
29
2002
29
2002
29
2002
29
2002
29
2002
29
2002
17%
2001
17%
2001
21%
2000
21%
2000
7%
2002
5%
2001
5%
2001
10%
2000
10%
2000
12%
1999
12%
1999
10%
1998
10%
1998
10%
1997
10%
1997
12%
1995-1996
12%
1995-1996
12%
1995-1996
12%
1995-1996
6%
1995-1996
6%
1995-1996
29%
2002
81%
2001-2002
81%
2001-2002
75%
1999-2000
75%
1999-2000
67%
1997-1998
67%
1997-1998
62%
1997
62%
1997
86%
1995-1996
86%
1995-1996
89%
2002
100%
2000
100%
1999
100%
1998
75%
1997
100%
1996
100%
1999
66%
2000
50%
2003
50%
1997-1998
100%
1989-1990
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