THE RETROGRADE PARTY:

The liberals' liberal (Nina J. Easton, March 5, 2006, Boston Globe)

National Journal's annual ratings are out, and the most liberal member of the Senate is Edward M. Kennedy. That may come as no surprise, since the venerable Massachusetts Democrat is often called the chamber's ''liberal lion."

In fact, Kennedy is still outpaced by his junior colleague, Senator John F. Kerry, who ranked as the eighth most liberal senator in the magazine's survey of key congressional votes in 2005. Kerry has been ranked the Senate's top liberal four times, says Richard E. Cohen, National Journal writer and coauthor of the Almanac of American Politics.

Kennedy has held the top spot three times -- the last time in 1988. But both he and Kerry are far behind the late senator Paul D. Wellstone, whom National Journal named the top liberal a record seven times.

Lambasting Democratic candidates as ''liberal" is a tried-and-true Republican advertising tactic.

Emphasis on true, eh?

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 6, 2006 8:15 AM