LA Times highlighted National Journal's ranking of Obama, uncritically quoted NRCC spokesman
SUMMARY: The Los Angeles Times reported of Sen. Barack Obama: "National Journal magazine has ranked him as the most liberal member of the Senate." In relying on National Journal's rankings, the article ignored a more comprehensive vote study by two political science professors that placed Obama in a tie for the ranking of 10th most liberal senator in 2007.
In an April 6 article about Democratic members of Congress who serve as superdelegates, Los Angeles Times staff writer Janet Hook reported, "National Journal magazine has ranked him [Sen. Barack Obama] as the most liberal member of the Senate," adding: " 'Democrats are in the unenviable position of having to choose between the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate and Hillary Clinton,' said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee." However, Hook ignored the results of a respected vote study by political science professors Keith Poole and Jeff Lewis that uses every non-unanimous vote cast by every legislator to determine his or her relative ideology. Poole and Lewis' study placed Obama in a tie for the ranking of 10th most liberal senator in 2007. By contrast, the National Journal's analysis used "99 key Senate votes, selected by NJ reporters and editors, to place every senator on a liberal-to-conservative scale."
As Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, among the votes Obama cast that purportedly earned him the National Journal's "most liberal senator" label were those to implement the 9-11 Commission's homeland security recommendations, provide more children with health insurance, expand federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, and maintain a federal minimum wage. Obama himself criticized the Journal's methodology by noting that it considered "liberal" his vote for "an office of public integrity that stood outside of the Senate, and outside of Congress, to make sure that you've got an impartial eye on ethics problems inside of Congress." Media Matters has also noted that the National Journal admitted to having used flawed methodology in the publication's previous rating of then-Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. John Kerry (MA) as the "most liberal senator" in 2003.
From the April 6 Los Angeles Times:
But others think Obama may be an equal drag on the ticket once Democrats in conservative regions learn more about his voting record on issues such as gun control and immigration. National Journal magazine has ranked him as the most liberal member of the Senate.
"Democrats are in the unenviable position of having to choose between the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate and Hillary Clinton," said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "For a large number of newly elected Democrats, latching on to either of the potential Democratic nominees is a political death knell."
Not even a good try by mmfa as they keep floating this same defense of Obama's liberal positions.
It's like saying that Richard Speck only killed eight people while Charles Starweather killed eleven...they were both mass murderers.
Obama...whether 1st place or 10th place...is still very liberal.
And as long as Democrats run away from the liberal label as they continue to do, instead of standing there and embracing it, the rightwing will continue to chase after them and use it as a club to beat them over the head with.
The only way it will ever stop being perceived as a negative is when people start seeing Democrats wear the label with pride.
You don't see Republicans scurrying away from the conservative label, and you rarely see Democrats club them with it either.
But it's OK to say that McCain is a conservative but not conservative enough. (Not that either you or Wesley have said this)
Romney was a conservatives conservative. At least this year. And Huckabee was considered more conservative as far as values go, but not so much on the social issues.
Degrees are fine when describing the right. But we on the left are all godless commies.
Hi Tommy,
Personally, I embrace the liberal label, but I don't like this because its not true. If Obama was truly the most liberal, I would like him more, but he's not, and therefore, does not reflect all my views as a liberal. I am sure that the same reason I bristle at Obama's characterization is the reason that many on the Right would bristle if McCain was called an "ultra-conservative." Just look at the right-wing backlash against McCain in the nominating process. If some mag came out and said McCain was the most conservative member of the Senate, all of the right-wing blogs would quickly distance themselves from any finding even close to that.
It is an amazing coincidence that this same mag found Kerry to be the most liberal in 2004, isn't it?
Wait a minute, first you legitimize the label by saying that it's the subject of public perception, and that Democrats should wear it with pride.
But now the label is ridiculous and too broad to be substantive.
Make up your mind.
Crazy, tommy. Absolutely crazy.
Have you ever noticed these days the only people saying liberals are running from liberalism are freakin' conservatives?
That stuff is worn out, brother. Haven't you heard? We're welcoming newcomers, tommy. You'll be seeing more and more and more proud liberals coming out of the woodwork as the years move on.
"The only way it will ever stop being perceived as a negative is when people start seeing Democrats wear the label with pride."
That would be great, if all Democrats were truly liberal, but not all of them are. Much in the same way the McCain is not considered truly conservative. Does he wear the badge with pride? And does it fit?
liberal equates to murder.....
JEEZ WHAT A MORON!!!!
"Not even a good try by mmfa as they keep floating this same defense of Obama's liberal positions."
Not even a good try by the media as they keep floating this same admittedly flawed ranking of Obama's senatorial record.
This news breaking! Senator John McCain has just been ranked by the National Journal as the 87th most liberal senator, leaving all but thirteen senators in the 'Pinko Commie' category.
Next, we'll explore just how homosexuals and heterosexuals impede each other's non-sexual relationships, in "It's not what you do, but what I fantasize about you doing!"
Obama...whether 1st place or 10th place...is still very liberal.
The point is that it's an inaccurate description based on a flawed methodology.
implement the 9-11 Commission's homeland security recommendations, provide more children with health insurance, expand federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, and maintain a federal minimum wage.
If these are the votes that got Obama the rank of the most liberal in the senate, why are we running away from it? I am proud to be a liberal and I haven't let the Rush Limbaugh's define the meaning of the word liberal for me. Let's stop apologizing and running away from our democratic traditions.
Be careful there. Ask yourself is it we lefties who are really running away or is it somebody else telling us we're running away from liberalism?