New Studies Show Bayh the Least Liberal of Democratic Senators

[camera obscura]

National Journal has assembled an excellent graphic that details which senators have crossed party lines the most frequently on the $410 billion 2009 spending bill. That measure is expected to become law by mid-week but has sparked nagging questions about Democratic party unity from the Beltway media.

It may not surprise many political junkies, but Sen. Evan Bayh (IN) is the Democrat who has crossed party lines most often on the spending bill, voting with the GOP eight times since debate on the legislation began last week. (Sen. Olympia Snowe mirrors him on the Republican side, voting alongside Democrats eight times during the process.)

But that's not the only National Journal study that deems Bayh his party's most conservative senator. When the magazine's annual vote rankings came out a few weeks ago, Bayh was ranked 51st in the Senate on a composite score of liberalism -- placing him ahead of former Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who placed 43rd, as well as Snowe, who was No. 47, and Collins, who was No. 50.

Now, the National Journal rankings are no ordinary congressional vote study. After then-candidate Barack Obama was ranked the most liberal senator for 2007, the GOP had a field day using the statistic for attack lines on the presidential campaign trail.

It appears that Bayh is emerging as his party's most vocal centrist ... and just in time for the budget debate to heat up.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/new-studies-show-bayh-the-least-liberal-of-democratic-senators.php

[Hannah Bell]

1. evan bayh - shill for social security privatization.

"centrist" - hah!

[PBS Poll-435]

2. I didn't like or even use "National Journal" as a source when they proclaimed that Obama

was the most liberal of any in the US Senate. (Which the RW talking heads couldn't fucking repeat enough!)

Most of us know that that was bullshit.


So... as to their new findings? Meh.

[camera obscura]

5. It's true that their finds were totally BS, and were skewed for obvious reasons...

because the candidates in question were too busy campaigning to come back and vote on various smaller issues, it inflated their score by a lot.

However, the NJ's ranking here is based on a much smaller sample. And they're not the only ones saying it.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

3. I'm so glad Obama gave the veep spot to Biden instead of Bayh

I wish Bayh was more like his dad

[camera obscura]

4. Hear hear! Birch Bayh was one of the greats!

[OHdem10]

6. Follow him in the Senate and you will need no studies. First Democrat

the GOP count on to vote with their side.

[prolesunited]

7. He represents Indiana

What do you expect? Mitch Daniels is governor.

[Thrill]

8. Who needed a study to know this? He's a moderate Republican. He's John Breaux

[Myrina]

9. Yessir. Evan the Empty Suit.

He's no more than a spokesmodel, making a living off his famous last name because he couldn't get a job any other way. His speech content/policy positions change depend on the audience he's in front of, and he's the master of noncommittal.

[pink-o]

10. LIberman aside...that POS isn't a Dem, nor even an independent

But is Bayh really worse than Dianne Feinstein? Since she's unfortunately my Senator, I have a special hostility in my heart for her.

I guess I can't see how anyone could be more RW and still have a D on her voter registration.

[ddeclue]

11. Doesn't that mean he'll be banned from running as a Democrat for President?

I mean every Senatorial candidate who ever wins the nomination immediately gets labelled the most liberal Senator in the Senate as soon as he wins the nomination...

:eyes:

[camera obscura]

12. Perish the thought! With so many interesting and promising Dems right now, and coming in the future

if we have to resort to Bayh in 2016 we're in DEEP TROUBLE!

[ddeclue]

14. Don't worry I'm just making fun of how the GOP loves to hang the liberal label on our front runners.

:rofl:

[960]

13. What a list. The real surprise is how that "populist firebrand"

Claire McCaskill really votes.

She's more a Republican than Democrat. Interesting that so many are fooled by her rhetoric.

[jenmito]

15. Yet if he ran for president, the Journal would find a way to make him the most liberal senator. n/t