2009 Vote Ratings: Politics As Usual

[Ragnar]

National Journal Magazine - 2009 Vote Ratings: Politics As Usual

Just over a year ago, Democratic and Republican members of Congress gathered on the Capitol's West Front to hear President Obama's Inaugural Address. Like many of his predecessors, Obama called on Congress to change the way it does business. "The time has come to set aside childish things," he said, quoting scripture. "On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics."

But Congress didn't change for previous presidents. And it hasn't changed for this one.

Liberals, moderates, and conservatives stuck to their guns in 2009, whether for ideological, partisan, parochial, or electoral reasons, stymieing much of Obama's agenda. National Journal's annual vote ratings, which have ranked members of Congress on a conservative-to-liberal scale since 1981, found telling consistency in the long-standing ideological divides that define legislative battles on Capitol Hill.

Interactive Graphic
• The 2009 Vote Ratings
National Journal Online - Vote Ratings

Second link goes to interactive graphic. Who's the most liberal Liberal, who's the most conservative Conservative. All lines up pretty much the way you expect.


"The hyperpartisanship has been getting more hyper with every passing year."
-- Joe Lieberman

"It's almost like the Serbs and the Bosnians. They go back to the 11th century about who started what first."
-- Tom Harkin

Democrats' "strategy has been to pick off one or two Republicans and call it bipartisan. That's bogus."
-- John McCain

I forget who said it this week (George Will?) but the saying went something like, "Congress is only 'broken' when liberal policy stalls. No one thought the system didn't work when Bush couldent modernize Social Security in 2005." LOLs. Got that right.
(graphic is fun to play with btw)

 

[Oddball]

I forget who said it this week (George Will?) but the saying went something like, "Congress is only 'broken' when liberal policy stalls. No one thought the system didn't work when Bush couldent modernize Social Security in 2005."

I even remember when CNN had a nightly segment they called "Broken Government" every night leading up to the 2006 election, which mysteriously disappeared immediately after the election.

 

[sboyle24]

Meh

 

[Ragnar]

Meh

I guess I could not put it better and perhaps should have used "meh" as my thread title. Insightful on it's brevity. Like you after a careful reading of the article and a little thumbing through the grapic I glommed on to the whole "politics as usual" theme.

Our kind of thinking really puts a kibosh on the idea that we are living in some kind of "new" political world of "hyper" partisanship. Good work putting your finger right on it and so quickly at that. If there is one thing USMB does not need, it's another supercillious asshole.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

I have never seen a more bitter and partisan Congress in my lifetime. Pelosi & Reid should be ashamed of themselves for what they have done to our naion. I guess their shocking 10% approval rating really does say it all. Worst U.S. Congress in history. You bet.

 

[The Rabbi]

The issue is two fold:
First, the ultra left wing of the Democrats Party has taken control. They took their victories in '06 and '08 to be a mandate to enact their vision of a welfare state. They ignored the fact that they won only by running conservative candidates in more conservative areas.
Second, the Left has tried to push its agenda through Congress ignoring the basically centrist nature of the members. There is no consensus either among the Dems or the GOP for the kind of sweeping changes to Euro style socialism they are pushing. Therefore there is no compromise and no winnign legislation.