As might be expected, the AFL-CIO voting records for the final year, 2010, of the Democratic-run 111th Congress reflected the overall partisan and ideological split on Capitol Hill.

    The Democratic columns in the House voting table were a sea of blue “yes” checkmarks and the Republicans in that same chart were a similar sea of red “no” X symbols.  Seeing a lawmaker going against the grain was rare.

    The federation chose 12 key House votes and 18 Senate votes in 2010 on which to evaluate whether lawmakers voted in agreement with or against its position.  Those votes, however, did not cover all the issues labor was interested in.  Some, such as the Employee Free Choice Act, never hit the House or Senate floor.

    But when they did, Democrats voted as a bloc with labor’s positions.  For example, the 10-Democrat Massachusetts delegation voted in agreement with the AFL-CIO’s scorecard by a 119-1 margin.  The odd man out was Rep. Michael Capuano, who voted against the Senate version of a jobs bill on May 28.  There are no GOP representatives from Massachusetts.

    Other states with big blocs of pro-worker Dems were New York – 18 were 12-0, with four others at 11-1 -- and California, where 23 were perfect, five others had 11-1 records and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who usually does not vote, was 10-0.

    Overall, 141 House Democrats achieved perfect 12-0 scores last year, with another three dozen or so racking up 11-1 marks.  Only six House Democrats agreed with the AFL-CIO half the time or less.  Just one – Idaho’s Walt Minnick (2-10) – was not from the South.  Alabaman Bobby Bright (1-11) was last.  Both lost on Nov. 3.

    The GOP side was the reverse.  The two top GOP leaders, John Boehner (Ohio) and Eric Cantor (Va.) led 103 Republicans with 0-12 scores.  Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-La., elected over a scandal-plagued Democrat from heavily Democratic New Orleans, was 7-4 with one absence, with the AFL-CIO.  It didn’t help him in November.  Cao was one of only two incumbent Republicans to lose.  Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del, was 6-6. 

    The story was similar in the Senate: 21 Democrats were 18-0, including both senators from Illinois, Michigan and Oregon, and 24 more were 17-1.  Four were 17-0 or 16-0.  The low Democrat, and the only one below .500: Nebraskan Ben Nelson (8-10).

Top Republicans were Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, each 13-5.  Scott Brown (Mass.), who took Teddy Kennedy’s old seat, was third (7-11).  Last: James DeMint (S.C.) and Robert Bennett (Utah) each 1-13, with four absences.