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Majority Leader Harry Reid Among 'Most Liberal' Senators

2 years ago
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New rankings of the Senate's most liberal members -- a list including Harry Reid and powerful committee chairmen Carl Levin and Patrick Leahy -- suggest moderates are fading from the scene on Capitol Hill.

Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.), who was elected to a fifth term in November, has become more liberal in his voting record in the past three years, the National Journal said in its annual rankings. The magazine had the Senate leader as the 22nd most liberal lawmaker in 2009 and 25th on its list the year before that.

Writer Ronald Brownstein said the vote ratings marked a peak in polarization in the Senate. For only the second time since 1982, every Senate Democrat last year earned a more liberal rating than every Republican -- and every Republican had a more conservative voting record than every Democrat.

The magazine monitors votes on a range of economic, social and foreign policy issues to measure ideology. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tied with seven other Republican senators on the most conservative list.

Reid's fellow liberals include Levin of Michigan, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Vermont's Leahy, who heads the Judiciary Committee which screens Supreme Court nominations as well as other federal judicial appointments. Also tied for first on the liberal list: Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio; Ben Cardin of Maryland; Barbara Mikulski, also of Maryland; Debbie Stabenow of Michigan; Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. All are Democrats except Sanders, an independent, who caucuses with the Democats.

Seven House members shared first place on the National Journal's most liberal list -- all are Democrats, four of them are women. They are: Reps. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin; Judy Chu of California; John Lewis of Georgia; Jerrold Nadler of New York; John Olver of Massachusetts; Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Linda Sanchez of California.

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sysaphus71

Whatever manner one wishes to paint it,the immutable truth is liberalism is a luxury this country can not afford. The realities of a balanced budget vs.Obamanomics and bankruptcy forces a reality check. Apparently, reality is too difficult for the sitting liberal Senators to deal with......no problem ,let's see how they fair in approx.20 months when it will be dealt with for some of them.

February 26 2011 at 5:33 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
Eric

This is evidence that of the effect of the Tea Partiers on the radicalization of American politics. Their irrational right wing rants over the last few years have completely polarized our nation...and have driven moderates from office. While I freely admit I, personally, am a radical liberal...I regret the loss of the moderate voices in our government.

February 26 2011 at 12:38 PM Report abuse -5 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Eric's comment
conservgirl8

You've got to be kidding. The Tea Party became organized as we all began to see how polarizing this President is. They opened the eyes of many people who'd been asleep for years allowing these liberal/progressives to run roughshod over our very beings. That includes George Bush. I don't know why you regret the loss of the moderate voices. I guess it sounds good to say, but, there's nothing to moderates. They don't embrace either political party's core principles and they end up voting with their feelings. That does not do anything for the greater good, it just makes them feel good. I am a rabid conservative and I am thankful for the Tea Party of which I am one.

February 26 2011 at 4:26 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
Alex

All who re-elected Harry Reid in the 2010 Mid-term election should hold their heads in embarrassment and shame. He narrowly suckered the unionized casino workforce into thinking he was their man; otherwise, he would have been ousted.

February 26 2011 at 2:58 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Jembenz

The government is broke today not because of Obama. he loaned money to the banks and most of the banks have paid it back. The deficit started with Bush and the wars. At billions a month fighting unwinnable wars . It is like throwing money down the sewer. The wars is where the money is going supporting tin horn dictators around the world.The other is foreign aid. That is another sewer. 3rd is Federal pensions with people retiring at 45 and 50 years old drianing the pension system.and congressmen collecting pensions after 2 years. It's criminal. They also should be paying 50% of their medical insurance. 66% of corporations pay no taxes at all.Billion dollar corporations not paying 5 cents in taxes. Close the loopholes on corporations.Stop all foreign aid. End the wars. Clean up the unfunded pension mess.Let people collect a pension at 65 not at 45 and 50.

February 26 2011 at 12:14 AM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Jembenz's comment
pinhigh4

Congress persons do not collect after two years. It takes 6 years to earn a federal pension

February 27 2011 at 8:01 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
John

I suppose Pelosi was off the charts.

February 26 2011 at 12:08 AM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
Charlie

They make the choice based on political convenience, not because of the actual voting record. That's why, whenever a Democratic Senator is also the candidate for President, suddenly, no matter what their voting record is, they become "most liberal." Happened to John Kerry, happened to Barack Obama. Reid because the choice because he's the majority leader and had a close election in 2010. His voting record isn't more liberal than Al Franken's though... but if Al Franken had a shot at becoming President, you KNOW he'd suddenly, by magic become more liberal than Reid, no matter what either man voted for or against.

February 25 2011 at 11:02 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
harveydeming

With respect to Harry Reid being uneffective in the Nevada State budget. State budgets are primarily the responsibility of the govenor. Nevada has been governed by Republicans since 1999. The only real way Harry Reid could effect the Nevada budget would be with pork, I guess he's been a failier at that.

February 25 2011 at 10:31 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to harveydeming's comment
John

That would failure, not failier.

February 26 2011 at 12:09 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
harveydeming

The Tea Party and some other Republicans seem to be anchored in Beckville, just over the brige past Limbaugh Land. In Beckville Bush did create deficit but it was good deficit (like Iraq) so it does not count. Besides Cheney did several speaches about the benefits of deficit spending (and Biden has not). In Limbaugh Land Reagan reduced the deficit and made all hard working americans wealthy exceeding their wildest dreams, except Clinton took all their wealth away and gave it to a handfull of deadbeats. They single handedly funded an election to install a facist,communist,socialist,nazti,muslim from Kenya,who cant think without his tele-prompter and happens to be black,(but that doesent matter). What matters is he was planted there to complete the agendas of evil progressives like Harry Reid, Teddy and Franklin, Woodrow and Jimmy. Because democrats have always wanted to make truck drivers and coalminers into government dependant cripples, while republicans have always wanted to turn coalminers and truck drivers into God loving cowboy oil tycoons.

February 25 2011 at 10:07 PM Report abuse -5 rate up rate down Reply
ayasha15

Trouble is, many of the far left/progressives just don't want to get it. America has no money for their agendas.

America, at the moment is broke.

What don't they understand about that?

February 25 2011 at 9:51 PM Report abuse +17 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to ayasha15's comment
howwil

The GOP has helped mightily to make it broke. Draining the government coffers dry through tax cuts was part of the expressed goal of the supply-siders from Reagan onward. At that point, they could institute program cuts in the name of being broke. It's right there in the public record. They called it "starving the beast". That was their pet name for the strategy.

February 25 2011 at 11:47 PM Report abuse -8 rate up rate down Reply
kportguy1

The fact that the politicians are over spending does not mean the tax payers are under taxed. Tax cuts (allowing people to keep more of their own money) have always been a problem to big spending liberals.

February 26 2011 at 4:18 AM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
llozano

Typical Politics Daily spin and slander. As if being a Liberal is a dirty thing. Many of the freedoms and benefits we enjoy today came from the left. If we leave the country to those who call themselves conservative today we'd return to the days of slavery, child labor and no voting rights for women.

February 25 2011 at 9:46 PM Report abuse -23 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to llozano's comment
Alex

I beg to differ. The Republican Party ENDED slavery and there are as many (if not more) women in positions of power on the "right" as there are on the "left". I'm not sure what you're smoking to even be bringing up child labor, or to suggest that conservatives somehow are more prone than liberals to tolerating child labor. ??? Oh, lastly, to many people 'liberal' IS a dirty thing. Too much of it from too many people contributes to the weakening of our country. As Margaret Thatcher famously said, "The problem with socialism is that, sooner or later, you run out of other people's money."

February 26 2011 at 2:54 AM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
kportguy1

Your bizarre view of history and political platforms is the real spin.

February 26 2011 at 4:31 AM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply

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