The top 8 Senators that have lead and have shown the most guts

[IChing]

The untouchables: in alphabetical order

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
John Kerry (D-MA)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
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You may put in the next tier here my first one is this one
and I know there is others.

Whitehouse (D)----he is amazing
Schumer (D, NY)---

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What is your 8 list?
Anyone that I am missing?

I don't hear Obama and Hillary in congress










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[rwheeler31]

1. Durbin

nt

[Tinksrival]

15. I agree,

under appreciated workhorse for liberal progressive values.

[bdamomma]

2. Hagel has been very outspoken also

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Hagel is a right wing asshole who knows the war is lost and knows we know.

[TwilightGardener]

24. Yikes! Asshole? How did he earn that?

[John Q. Citizen]

32. Well, he stole his Senate election with his voting machines. And his voting

record is pure Repo/Neo con.

That makes him an asshole in my book. I don't have much use for opportunistic right-wing Senators.

I'm glad he finally figured out the war he supported is lost.

Have you looked at his voting record? He's an asshole.

[TwilightGardener]

33. Well, he's definitely not a neocon--he's a "paleocon", like Pat Buchanan--

and I doubt he "stole" the election--that's an easy charge to make, but not to prove, and in the absence of proof, I give the benefit of the doubt--that's a pretty serious charge. And yeah, I'm pretty familiar with his voting record, which is ultra-conservative. I don't automatically equate conservatism with assholedom--somebody's got to be on the other side of the political spectrum, and I'd rather it's someone who's essentially decent, but sees the world differently than I do--good honest opposition. There are PLENTY of GOP assholes--most of them, in fact. He's not one of them. I'll always defend his record, because he's been a good Senator for us and he does take principled stands at times which puts him at odds with his party base here. He's no Johnny-Come-Lately on the war either--he's been criticizing it for years, even when it was still popular and before many Democrats spoke up. He's not an angel (he'd be a Democrat, then!), but he's certainly far better than most of the GOP in Congress today.

[John Q. Citizen]

34. He just voted to allow bush to unilaterailly appoint USAs. This in the face of

lots of evidence that the USA scandle is about manipulating elections.

You can think highly of him all you want. Someone who votes to abrogate the Constitution's seperation of powers and in favor of the unilateral president is an asshole in my book.

[TwilightGardener]

35. Yep, that was the vote to go back to the original Senate confirmation

process of USA's, instead of the Senate-bypass in the Patriot Act. He and Kit Bond were the only ones to vote Nay. I have never heard an explanation for that vote, not sure what motivated it--was it a matter of some principle, or was he just trying to uphold his near-perfect conservative voting record, of which he is very proud? I think it's the latter--his vote certainly didn't make a difference, and he probably knew that. I was frankly surprised by it. He's a curious critter, that's for sure.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Hagel--his war position may very well cost him his job in this extremely red state.

[IChing]

4. Yes Hagal did that and that was gutsy

Everything else ......nevermind.

[bdamomma]

6. yea, his voting record isn't that great.

[IChing]

8. Would you change any of the 8 I have?

or would you put Hagel on that list?

[TwilightGardener]

11. What does voting record have to do with guts and leadership? And besides,

he's been putting his vote where his mouth is, of late. Of course, I am a little biased, being a constituent and all.

[IChing]

14. He is doing that.....I think we will see a move soon in the Senate with Republicans

Knowing that their pResident is nuts

[TwilightGardener]

16. Then you know what to do...you must amend your list, LOL!

[TwilightGardener]

7. Of course, he was also the first Senator (and only) to mention

impeachment. The GOper base here ain't none too happy with that either.

[phiddle]

9. Jim Webb. He's new, but making waves and as blunt as a hammer

[IChing]

13. Don't see Webb on C-span in front of Congress much, I have seen

others not even mentioned. Not putting him down just stating what I have seen.

I don't know Webb's committee assignments either.

[TwilightGardener]

17. I like Webb a lot, I think he earns second tier for leadership, especially

on trying to prevent war with Iran.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

10. I don't see Lieberman's entry...

:hide: :yoiks:

[TwilightGardener]

12. The criteria is Leadership and Guts, not Quisling Traitor Warmonger--geez!

[Grandrose]

18. Senator Durbin......

Has been doing a great job and he's my Senator! :)

[TwilightGardener]

19. I'm an Obama supporter, so I'm kind of bummed to admit

he's been mostly playing it safe since running for Prez--but I can't blame him, or Hillary. I wouldn't blow it for heroics either.

[IChing]

20. I want to start cleaning this government now not in 2009

My 8 are the ones that are doing it.

[rwheeler31]

21. Dorgan

nt

[Va Lefty]

22. I'd put Robert Byrd in the 1st tier

No one, with possible exception of Feingold, has spoken out more often about the trashing of the Constitution and The Bill of Rights by this criminal administration

[IChing]

25. Who would you take off then? n/t

He is on my second tier, he can't lead anymore in his speeches
or bills.

[Va Lefty]

27. I would just add him to your 8

If I HAD to take one off the list it would be Reid. I think he has done a good job as majority leader, but think he "rolled over" too many time as minority leader. Just my opinion

[TwilightGardener]

28. What?? Hagel risks his career and his Presidential aspirations

to speak out repeatedly against his own party and Chimpy, and that doesn't rate top tier? I smell Republican discrimination! ;-)

[Va Lefty]

30. Hagel's break with the Republican War Party was gutsy

but the Iraq war is just one of the crimes of which b*sh and his cronies perpetrated on this country. Did Hagel speak out against the Patriot Act, or the illegal wire tapping programs? How about b*sh's assault on the working class with his regressive tax cuts and anti-worker biased polices enacted by OSHA?

[TwilightGardener]

31. I don't know--the question is about guts and leadership, not

whether or not he regularly toes the Democratic party line, LOL! My way of looking at it is, who has the most to lose, and will catch the most shit, for doing the right thing? A guy who calls his fellow Republican Senators "lemmings" on the Senate floor has my vote. He's also the first Senator to mention the "I" word, he has stood up for Max Cleland before Max lost his Senate seat, and he was the only GOP Senator that I'm aware of to call for the 2000 Bush/Gore recount to continue in Florida. He does have a history of guts.

[Rydz777]

23. I would add

Sherrod Brown, Jim Webb, and the long-time great Byron Dorgan.

[illinoisprogressive]

26. what is Don't hear?? Obama has been to the floor alot.

what is the criteria for unbeatable.

[IChing]

29. where was he today?

besides campaigning?

No slam on Clinton or Obama .

What Senator will be the first to join in on impeachment?

[RiverStone]

36. Not a Sen. but honorable mention to Mayor Rocky Anderson from Utah!

Who has done as much as any Senator on the national stage voicing opposition to Shrub's insanity!

Add Webb and Murtha too.... :applause: