With Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy dead, political aides and Boston brahmins are quietly but furiously angling to shape the succession. Who will replace the liberal lion? That remains to be seen, but the question of who should replace the liberal lion is one that can be addressed outside the halls of power. To continue the progressive tradition of Ted Kennedy, someone with a solid progressive policy record is called for. All ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives are Democrats, but within the set of ten Democrats there’s a fair amount of variation in progressivism.
That’s My Congress maintains a progressive action index for the House of Representatives for all 435 members of the House of Representatives, judging members according to their action or inaction on a slate of 31 bills. The two least progressive members of the Massachusetts caucus in Congress are Richard Neal and Stephen Lynch, who have supported just 36% and 41% of the progressive slate of bills, respectively. If Richard Neal or Stephen Lynch end up in Senator Kennedy’s seat, they won’t be carrying on the Kennedy tradition.
On the other hand, the two most progressive members of the Massachusetts caucus in the 111th Congress have been Barney Frank, supporting 68% of the progressive slate, and James McGovern, supporting 77% of the progressive slate. Neither has a perfectly progressive record — but then again, neither did Ted Kennedy. If a Senate candidate comes from the House, either Rep. Frank or Rep. McGovern would be a reasonable choice.
