CQ partisan ratings (Bayh,Kerry, Clinton,Feingold,Biden): Dems are united. [View All]

[MH1]

Okay I don't have a sub to Congressional Quarterly but I saw this really interesting article about Bayh, and it gives the "partisan ratings" - how often they voted with the party - for several Democrats they consider likely to run for Pres in 2008:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060115/NEWS02/601150503/1008/NEWS02

Bayh's votes followed party line in 2005

Is Sen. Evan Bayh voting with his fellow Democrats more now that he's considering running for president? That's one conclusion that could be drawn from Congressional Quarterly's analysis of 2005 votes.

The publication reported that Bayh voted with Democrats 90 percent of the time in 2005, which is a lot higher than his 78 percent party support in 2004, when he was up for re-election in Indiana.

On the other hand, the magazine also reported that Senate Democrats as a whole were far more united this year than in almost any year for the past quarter-century.

So let's see how Bayh's partisan vote score compares with those of other Democratic senators considered possible presidential contenders:

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.: The 2004 Democratic nominee had the highest score, voting with his party 97 percent of the time.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.: Viewed as the early front-runner for the nomination, although she hasn't said whether she'll run, Clinton voted with Democrats 96 percent of the time.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.: Considered by some as the Democratic candidate most able to challenge Clinton from the left, Feingold voted with Democrats 95 percent of the time.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.: Biden, who like Bayh is seen as more of a moderate, voted with Democrats 89 percent of the time.

(snip)

For those who don't like to read here's the numbers without all the text, in descending order:

Kerry - 97
Clinton - 96
Feingold - 95
Bayh - 90
Biden - 89