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.
