I’m not sure how Sens. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Dick Blumenthal (D-CT) beat out Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the National Journal’s ratings of the most liberal members of the Senate. For the most part, the ratings make intuitive sense. But both Sanders and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) are ranked as moderates, which doesn’t add up for me, and Harry Reid is ranked as the 7th most liberal member, which suggests that the ratings overvalue voting the party line. This is supported by the fact that Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Democratic Caucus Secretary Patty Murray (D-WA) rank 4th and 5th, respectively. Durbin and Murray are solid liberals, but neither is more liberal than Sanders and Merkley.
Yesterday, I talked about the lack of staying power among the 15 most conservative members. However, in the Republican caucus, among the 10 least conservative members of 2011-12, three are already gone (Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and Dick Lugar of Indiana), one has already announced his retirement (Mike Johanns of Nebraska), and one is expected to retire (Thad Cochran of Mississippi).
Another, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, was defeated by a Tea Party challenger in the Republican primary but survived by winning as a write-in candidate.
The others in the Top Ten include Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who recently quit his role in the GOP leadership, and freshmen Dean Heller (R-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Sen. Heller’s relatively moderate record may reflect that he was seeking reelection last year in a state that leaned in Obama’s direction.
I personally liked Dick Lugar and was sorry to see him lose to a guy who thinks God enjoys rape babies, but his inclusion in the Top Ten least conservative Republican senators is flat-out frightening. Dick Lugar was sane on foreign policy. On everything else, he voted like a Koch brother.
They linked to me, so I will link back.
Richard Durbin is a ConservaDem. What makes him Liberal? Wanting to ban guns and not to ban abortion? There is a very long line of Democrats in the Senate that meet those criteria. You have to do more to be Liberal.
Personally, I think he is more liberal than his record because he’s part of a more moderate leadership team.
which suggests that the ratings overvalue voting the party line.
From Nat’l Journal:
I think what they’re saying, is that they ranked on the more controversial/closer votes, the ones where it was more likely that the leaders had to count votes, and the whips had to lean on members. So you’d think (at least for the Senate) the leaderships would be much more likely to vote with the party when it was ‘crunch time’ on an issue, and they would be the last people who may be ‘released’ to dodge a politically tough vote.
This would also explain why a Democratic presidential candidate from the Senate is invariably “the most liberal member of the Senate”, as they are likely voting with an eye on Democratic primary voters.
(Speaking from Illinois, I see Durbin as a Schumer-esque Democrat who is liberal on social issues with a blind spot for bankers/business interests that fund their campaigns.)
Rhetoric notwithstanding, that’s my own sense of my Senator. Could be a function of Durbin voting as part of the leadership. Also could be because Durbin’s name always comes up in these negotiations where the rumors have a “Gang of X” talking about cutting entitlements. (This also could be Durbin as part of the leadership, supporting the President’s position. Or bad, Politico-y rumors.)