Thanks to Chris Bowers I am now aware of a new feature at Progressive Punch that measures how a congressperson or senator is voting relative to the political tilt of their state or district. Stripping out new members whose voting records are not established enough to be meaningful, here are the ten best and worst Democratic members of the House and Senate from a progressive point of view.
10 Most Progressive House Members (excluding Freshmen)
1. Edwards, Donna D MD-4
2. Grijalva, Raul D AZ-7
3. Schakowsky, Jan D IL-9
4. Lee, Barbara D CA-9
5. Ellison, Keith D MN-5
6. Baldwin, Tammy D WI-2
7. Jackson, Jesse D IL-2
8. Sánchez, Linda D CA-39
9. Olver, John D MA-1
10. Solis, Hilda D CA-32
10 Least Progressive Democrats in the House (excluding Freshmen)
1. Ellsworth, Brad D IN-8
2. Altmire, Jason D PA-4
3. Childers, Travis D MS-1
4. Shuler, Heath D NC-11
5. Mitchell, Harry D AZ-5
6. Carney, Christopher D PA-10
7. Cuellar, Henry D TX-28
8. Barrow, John D GA-12
9. Murtha, John D PA-12
10. Giffords, Gabrielle D AZ-8
10 Most Progressive Senate Members (excluding Freshmen)
1. Brown, Sherrod D Ohio
2. Harkin, Tom D Iowa
3. Reed, Jack D Rhode Island
4. Whitehouse, Sheldon D Rhode Island
5. Sanders, Bernie I Vermont
6. Durbin, Dick D Illinois
7. Levin, Carl D Michigan
8. Lautenberg, Frank D New Jersey
9. Boxer, Barbara D California
10. Menendez, Bob D New Jersey
10 Least Progressive Democrats in the Senate (excluding Freshmen)
1. Nelson, Ben D Nebraska
2. Lieberman, Joe I Connecticut
3. Carper, Tom D Delaware
4. Baucus, Max D Montana
5. Inouye, Dan D Hawaii
6. Lincoln, Blanche D Arkansas
7. Pryor, Mark D Arkansas
8. McCaskill, Claire D Missouri
9. Feinstein, Diane D California
10. Kerry, John D Massachusetts
To repeat, these rankings are not measuring who has the most and least progressive voting record in the Democratic caucus, but who votes the most and least progressive relative to the political tilt of their state or district. Even though we know Ben Nelson is the most conservative member of the Democratic caucus in the Senate we would have no particular reason to assume that he isn’t just voting his state. It turns out, he isn’t voting his state. He has the most conservative bias of any Senate Democrat.
I have two observations from looking at these results. On the House side, six out of ten worst performing Democrats are Rahm Emanuel recruits. Only one of the best performing Democrats is a possible Rahm recruit (Keith Ellison). Thanks a lot, Rahm, for recruiting crappy Democrats.
On the Senate side, it’s interesting to see that the Democrats in conservative leaning states seem to overcompensate. McCaskill, Lincoln, and Pryor could probably afford to vote much less conservatively and still get away with it. The results confirm that Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, Tom Carper, and Dan Inouye are just out completely out of touch with their constituents.
John Kerry as well…kind of surprised to see him up there.
Perhaps a result of running for president and being from one of the most liberal states?
I’m very disppointed to see Claire McCaskill there. If her state is more progressive, what is holding her back?
Very interesting. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Fascinating, BooMan. Thanks.
Great list, Booman. One minor quibble: I’m from Keith Ellison’s district, I volunteered on his campaign and talked to people who initially encouraged him to run. And I’ve never heard anything about Rahm recruiting him.
From what I’ve heard and seen, Keith’s support came from Minnesota progressives who rallied around him in an effort to keep the old MN Democratic hacks from nominating one of their good old boys……..like Mike Erlandson, former chief aide to Cong.Martin Sabo and former chair of the MN Democratic party–which is known as the DFL (Democratic Farm-Labor).
Erlandson expected to be annointed as the next heir-apparent to the seat after his boss Cong. Sabo announced he wouldn’t run for another term. Erlandson was shocked when he–the former state chair of the party– didn’t get the endorsement. So he ran against Keith in the primary—where he lost big-time.
Over the last five years, Minnesota progressives have re-energized what had been a tired, limp hack-riddled DFL.
I don’t think Rahm had anything to do with it. Besides Keith is way too liberal for Rahm.
that’s why I put ‘possible’. I doubted, but didn’t know for sure, that Rahm had anything to do with that seat.
“Progressive”- It’s just another weasel word
“Progressive” is merely a term that was salvaged from the scrapheap of history,sorry but that’s too great a metaphor not to steal,by the alleged “left” in this country because the Limbaughs,Kristols,et al had so demonized the word “liberal”. That’s basically it,plain and simple.The problem is,that in spite of the fact they were led by one of the biggest imperialists and warmongers,the original Progressives,were a bunch of Bolsheviks,compared to the hegemonic capitalists who wrap themselves in the “progressive” mantle today.
While some of us here know that modern-day liberalism was founded to be a capitalist-friendly “third way” between socialism,and conservatism, most people do not. If they did and truly understood this history they would not waste all of their time and effort into trying to make “liberals”,and The Democratic Party in particular,into the socialists they might want them to be.
A “progressive” is someone who cannot admit to the systemic failure of the society. Through this stubborn blindness, they reveal their own fundamental loyalty to the social system as a whole. The solution to the “anti-democratic” turn in American politics is not to question its foundations but to proscribe “more democracy” or “real democracy”, without evaluating for a minute whether the “”turn” is really an aberration. In economics, a “progressive” is one who blames an excess of greed, a deficiency of regulation, or the corruption of the state rather than the normal operation of capitalism. In this way, “progressives” are identical to Libertarians who, in the face of insurmountable evidence, continue to insist that it is “too little” and not too much “free enterprise” which is the problem. They also both share with Nazis, their predisposition to conspiracies. It is secret societies, international bankers, “Jews”, who pull the strings and undermine the New Jerusalem. We need a capitalism based on good intentions says the, one based on a strengthening of the “individual” claims the next, and one purged of racial corruption declares the last. Fixing capitalism is the highest and in fact the only slogan of all of the above, and this in the most trivial and unhistorical way possible. Those are the last and the only words of this brand of “radical” criticism which is actually a radical support for the society as it exists… if only that society could be “allowed” to achieve its “true” nature.
All too often “progressive” has come to mean someone who will offer unconditional support to The Democratic Party no matter what.
A progressive is someone who believes in the system.
Well, I’ll agree with you that progressive is a weasel word, though it seems to have more to do with simple rebranding after the last thirty years dragged the term “liberal” through the mud of right wing propaganda so thoroughly.
But yes, as a socialist, I don’t have any particular hope that the Democratic party will lead us to any great heights of economic justice. At the present time, it is nonetheless a hell of an improvement over any realistic alternative.
That may change, either gradually, as the country moves to the left, or abruptly if the current economic crisis becomes starkly worse. But right now? It’s all damage control. We’d best put out the fire in the hold before we mutiny and elect a new captain.
I looked at the list with unhealthy interest to see if the guy I went to high school lo these 45 years was on it. Fortunately not (for the worst). He’s been a house member from my district since 1976, elected on the strength of his name being similar to the out-going popular Democrat. Gets pork for our district, and has had a couple of buildings named after him, but votes straight liberal line. Otherwise, he’s be a crook like all the rest.
Looking at the worst list, I have one word for you: primary.
10 Least Progressive Democrats in the Senate (excluding Freshmen)
A) Lieberdouche is an “I” not a “D”
B) Nelson is in a Red District.
C) Carper is in a PVI +6 DEM district – ERGO
Carper is the number one worst Dem in the Senate.
I love Bernie Sanders but he’s not a Dem.
fixed. thx.