It’s early in the presidential season, and it’s early in the new Democratic Congress. Nonetheless, we’re doing our best to sort out the reality from the hype in both political spheres. That’s why we’re creating a progressive system to rank United States Senators – based on their actions in the US Senate, not on their words. We look at votes and cosponsorships and see which senators do the right thing, and which senators do the right wing thing.
Which senators support progressive legislation, and which senators don’t? Significantly for 2008, how do the senators who are running for President measure up? Let’s look at the rankings and see.
As expected, the Republicans running for President from the Senate have performed miserably. Two of the three Senate Republicans running for President, Sam Brownback from Kansas and Arizona’s John McCain have so far earned a zero percent progressive rating. These partisan extremists haven’t supported a single progressive measure in the Senate yet this year. Prospective Republican candidate Chuck Hagel from Nebraska does a little bit better, but just a little bit. He has a nine percent progressive rating.
What about the Senate Democrats?
Barack Obama: 55 percent progressive
Christopher Dodd: 45 percent progressive
Hillary Clinton: 45 percent progressive
Joseph Biden: 27 percent progressive
Barack Obama comes out on top as the most progressive senator running for President in 2008, but at just a 55 percent progressive rating, that’s not a very inspiring win. Christopher Dodd and Hillary Clinton are even less inspiring, and Joe Biden’s performance in the Senate this year has been downright revolting.
Progressives, we deserve better from a Democratically-controlled Senate. We deserve better from Democratic presidential candidates. Let this serve as a wakeup call for 2008: On progressive issues, the Democratic candidates from the United States Senate are middling at best.
