Is Kerry the flamingest liberal of all?
You may have heard this past week that the National Journal, an "independent" policy journal, rated John Kerry the most liberal member of the Senate -- even ahead of such notorious left-wing radicals as Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, and Barbara Boxer.
The usual suspects in the right-wing media played up the story (and the "liberal" media also reported on it).
Take, for example, Tim Russert today on Meet the Press:
John Kerry was number one in terms of liberal voting record, number one in vote -- number-one liberal voting record, Senate, according to the National Journal. Will that stick? Will that resonate?
But the devil, as always, is in the details...
- The survey was based on the Senate's voting records for 2003. Thus, we're talking about a rating for one year, not a rating for senators' careers.
- The rating was based on 62 votes. Of those votes, Kerry, a Presidental candidate, was absent for 37 of them. That means his rating was based on merely 25 votes out of a possible 62. [Imagine giving the batting title to a player who played 40% of the season.]
- Since the Republicans control the White House, Senate and House, they are the ones pushing bills to a vote. Thus, Kerry's votes have more the character of anti-Republican positions than pro-liberal positions.
- Since he was campaigning and couldn't attend every vote, he was naturally selective, and chose to vote on the issues that were seen as most important to the Democratic Party.
- Kerry voted against the prescription-drug benefit bill -- a bill that angered many conservatives as yet another government entitlement. Yet, that vote counted as a "liberal" vote, because it was a Republican-backed bill.
- Kerry voted against the $87 billion aid package for Iraq, opting instead to make half of the package in the form of loans. That also counted as a "liberal" vote.
- Kerry voted (1) against the plan allowing $550 billion in new tax cuts over 10 years and (2) against a bill to reduce taxes on corporate overseas profits if the companies use the money to provide domestic jobs. I suppose it's "liberal" to vote against tax cuts, but is it so liberal to vote against them after the tax cuts already passed in previous years and given the enormous current deficits? Moreover, unlike others, I do not consider a vote against a tax cut to be a vote for a tax increase (any more than I think my preference against lowering the thermostat should be understood as a preference for raising the thermostat). And regarding (2), is it so terrible to be skeptical about such a bill and the tangible benefits it will provide America's workers?
Clearly the idea behind this right wing meme is to paint John Kerry as a traditional "tax and spend" liberal. But his voting record actually suggests that he is a deficit hawk.
Where Kerry is truly liberal is on social issues. But there is a genuine question whether being socially liberal is as unpopular as the right wing thinks it is. We're talking about a range of issues here, and on many of them, the majority of Americans support the "liberal" position.
UPDATE
Elizabeth Bumiller of the NY Times raised the issue in the Democratic debate today -- one of several bad moments for her. Kerry responded excellently.
First, Bumiller tried to interject the question when Kerry was discussing the budget:
KERRY: ... A stimulus is by definition something that you do outside of the budget for one year or two years. The Washington Post included the stimulus when they figured the numbers. The stimulus is what you do to kick the economy into gear so that you can reduce the deficit.
Secondly, they did not include the reduction of the $139 billion of the Medicare bill which I have said I am sending back to Congress because it's a bad bill. I voted against it, it's bad.
Now, when you add up my stimulus that's outside of the budget and the Medicare numbers that they didn't even include, you do not go over, I do not spend more...
BUMILLER: Senator Kerry, let me...
KERRY: No, no, I insist on being able to finish.
BUMILLER: I want to ask a really important question.
KERRY: This is important.
Later she finally got to ask her really important question:
BUMILLER: Can I just change the topic for a minute, just ask a plain political question?
The National Journal, a respected, nonideologic publication covering Congress, as you both know, has just rated you, Senator Kerry, number one, the most liberal senator in the Senate.
[to Edwards] You're number four.
How can you hope to win with this kind of characterization, in this climate?
KERRY: Because it's a laughable characterization. It's absolutely the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in my life.
BUMILLER: Are you a liberal?
KERRY: Let me just...
BUMILLER: Are you a liberal?
KERRY: ... to the characterization. I mean, look, labels are so silly in American politics.
I was one of the first Democrats in the United States Senate in 1985 to join with Fritz Hollings in deficit reduction. Now, does that make me a conservative?
I fought to put 100,000 police officers on the streets of America. Am I a conservative?
BUMILLER: But, Senator Kerry, the question is...
KERRY: I know. You don't let us finish answering questions.
BUMILLER: You're in New York.
(LAUGHTER)
KERRY: Well, I'm going to fight for it. And that's exactly what I'm going to do, I'm going to fight for it.
BUMILLER: All right.
KERRY: Do you know what they measured in that? First of all, they measured 62 votes. I voted 37 times; 25 votes they didn't even count because I wasn't there to vote for them.
Secondly, secondly, they counted my voting against the Medicare bill, which is a terrible bill for seniors in America, they called that being liberal. Lots of conservatives voted against that.
In addition, they counted my voting against George Bush's tax cut that we can't afford. I thought it was fiscally conservative to vote against George Bush's tax cut. They call it liberal.
BUMILLER: Is this a helpful characterization in this campaign?
KERRY: I think it's the silliest thing I've ever heard.
I wonder what "climate" Bumiller had in mind. The absurd media environment in which "journalists" ask pseudo-questions ("Are you a ... a ... a LIBERAL???") that appear penetrating but really only trade on tiresome cliches and stupify public dialogue on the issues?
At any rate, Kerry actually made a mistake in his response (asusming the articles I've read are correct); he missed 37 votes and made 25 votes. The truth actually lends stronger support to his case.
He later got to wrap up the issue:
KERRY: Can I say one other thing?
RATHER: If it's brief.
KERRY: Well, I will be brief. But is this president a legitimate Republican or conservative? Because there's nothing conservative about driving deficits up as far as the eye can see.
There's nothing conservative about trampling on the line of division between church and state in America.
There is nothing conservative about letting your attorney general trample on civil liberties and civil rights, and be twice cited by his own inspector general for doing so.
This administration is extreme. And I believe we're offering America mainstream American values.
6:09:28 PM 
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