It’s clear that Bush is now moving to paint Kerry as a Big Frightening Liberal. Will Bush dare to say, one more time, that the National Journal named Kerry the senate’s top liberal? Again, for those who care to know, here is the Journal’s list of the most liberal senators, based on lifetime voting:
National Journal: Most liberal senators, lifetime voting
1. Mark Dayton, D-Minn.
2. Paul Sarbanes, D-Md.
3. Jack Reed, D-R.I.
4. Jon Corzine, D-N.J.
5. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
6. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
7. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
8. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.
9. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.
10. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt
In Debate II, Bush stated, two separate times, that the Journal named Kerry “the most liberal senator of all.” Will he make this tortured claim again? …
Yes, liberal bias is easy to spot—if you’re determined to find it. And ever since Nixon helped establish the concept, Republicans have used the iconic complaint as a way to explain away every bad story.