CQ via Political Wire: Is Obama the Most Liberal Senator?

Is Obama the Most Liberal Senator?

Sen. John McCain has claimed that Sen. Barack Obama is the most liberal U.S. Senator but has also said that he "votes with President Bush half the time." Which is true?

CQ Politics examines the seemingly contradictory claims.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/06/19/is_obama_the_most_liberal_senator.html

CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
June 19, 2008 – 12:35 a.m.
Rating Confusion: Is Obama a Liberal?
By Bill Adair, Politifact Editor

From Politifact

It’s a line you’ll hear many times from Sen. John McCain over the next five months: “In just a few years in office, Sen. Obama has accumulated the most liberal voting record in the Senate.”

But McCain’s campaign also pointed out recently that Barack Obama votes with President Bush about half the time.

So the biggest liberal in the Senate is a solid supporter of President Bush? What gives?

Actually, there’s some truth to both claims. The political magazine National Journal rated Obama the most liberal senator for 2007, while Congressional Quarterly calculated that Obama voted with Bush 40 to 50 percent over the past two years.

McCain’s seemingly contradictory claims illustrate the limitations of congressional ratings. Although they can provide a quick snapshot of someone’s voting record, the ratings have many shortcomings, political scientists say.

“They can give a good inkling of whether someone is liberal or conservative, but they’re not good enough for a precise determination of what someone’s ideology is,” said Josh Clinton, a political science professor at Princeton University.

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002900172