Nelson (D-Ne) rises in 'power ranking'

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1216&u_sid=2350039

Published Monday | March 19, 2007
Nelson rises in 'power ranking'
BY JAKE THOMPSON
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON - He's practically his own Nebraska public power district. Ben Nelson's got the juice.

He didn't have so much last year.

At least that was one of the criticisms leveled by Republican Pete Ricketts in his unsuccessful campaign to unseat Nebraska's Democratic senator. Ricketts pointed to a "power ranking" by Congress.org that ranked Nelson near the bottom of the 100 senators.

snip Nelson's power ranking surged. He's now No. 37, up from last year's 96. Nelson was No. 88 in 2005.

FULL story at link.

"power ranking" by Congress.org: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/index.tt

[Toots]

1. I can't believe ther are twelve Real Democrats ranked less powerful than him a GOP

enabler...

[acmavm]

2. Ben Nelson is a burden to all the state's democrats. He brags

about his support for bush** and his criminal cabal.

Ricketts was even worse. He had as many scruples and as much integrity as he had hair.

[AndyTiedye]

3. The GOP-Enablers are The Ones Who Have ALL the Power in the Senate

Lieberman has the most of all.

[leftchick]

10. you are correct

please someone explain how this is an "opposition party" wiith these DLC/conservatives in power?

[AndyTiedye]

12. Our Party Is Too Weak To Mount Any Real Opposition

The Democratic party has been on life support for 6 years now.
A loss last November would have finished off the party and the whole two-party system with it.
A defeat next year would have the same effect.

We got a reprieve in last year's election, that is all. A majority in name only.
If we try to USE the power that normally comes with a Senate majority, we will LOSE that majority the same day.

We are too weak to expect or demand any party loyalty, and that lack of party loyalty keeps us that way.

Meanwhile the Repiglicans vote in lockstep as always.

[karynnj]

4. This is a pretty dumb ranking

Now, it depends mostly on positions held and has a formula that weights the values of chairmanships and positions on committees. It also seems to give far more weight to the "leadership" positions than to the chair positions of important committtees.

It also has two other factors:

Legisaltion which tallies legislation passed in 2007 only. Kennedy is lower than many other Democrats - when he is an obvious powerhouse on this - because only 2007 is counted. A better measure might be a score that brings in some value from past years. Even then, it ignores that the name on the bill is often not the Senator who authored it.

Influence - Measuring "influence" would be hard - because it is hard to see who can change people's positions. Here it is a measure that considers fundreising, being on Sunday talk shows etc. Again, this considers only 2007 - So, Senator Kyl, who was briefly thought to be at risk, last year beats Senators Leahy and Kerry. Kerry raised more money for other candidates than anyone in either party last year.

Nelson's change in position is solely because the Democrats took over the Senate. This scale is an attempt to "objectively" rank the Senators - but a subjective ranking might have more merit - especially if it were an average of many independent experts ranking Senators.

[Ian David]

5. Spay or neuter your Blue Dogs.

:puke:

[Kagemusha]

6. Oh, so voting with Lieb & the GOP on the Senate Iraq withdrawal bill gives him power?

Good to know that's how they measure it!

[LynneSin]

7. Wowza he's ranked higher than Biden

And Biden has been there forever

Who figures this stuff out?

[karynnj]

8. Their algorithm is seriously bad

I looked at Biden vs Nelson (and some other Senators). Biden is given a lower position ranking than Nelson! You would think that Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would count for more. (Nelson seems to not be chair of anything)

Right now the score is almost entirely based on "position".

[cali]

9. I don't know. It's totally weird

even though my Senator is ranked as 6th. I agree Senator Leahy is powerful, but I don't see how he's more powerful than say Biden.

[Rydz777]

11. Byron Dorgan

Glad to see that Byron Dorgan (D-ND)is number 9 - one of the smartest and best, a man who knows what is happening to our economy.