“Top Ten” House and Senate Conservative List and Predictions for the 2002 Election

rightwing2 (Congressman ratings from The New American) | November 4, 2002 issue

[rightwing2]

“Top Ten” House and Senate Conservative List and Predictions for the 2002 Election

This is the final cumulative “top ten” Conservative Index for the 107th Congress as published in the New American magazine.

Senate

1. Kyl 75
2. Smith/Helms 73
3. Gramm 72
4. Nickles 66
5. Ensign 64
6. Inhofe, Voinovich, Sessions 63
7. Thurmond, Bunning, Enzi, Santorum 62

Unfortunately, three of the top four conservative heroes in the Senate are “retiring” this year—Smith, Helms and Gramm. (#2 ranked Bob Smith was defeated by Rep. John Sununu (R-NH) (Conservative Index rating 50) who is currently running slightly behind his opponent in the New Hampshire Senate race).

House

1. Paul (R-TX) 91
2. Flake (R-AZ) 88
3. Hostettler (R-IN) 86
4. Tancredo (R-CO) 85
5. Rohrbacher (R-CA)/Duncan (R-TN) 81
6. Goode (R-VA), Royce (R-CA) 79 Schaffer (R-CO) 78
8. Sensenbrenner (R- WI) 77
9. Jones (R-NC) 74
10. Hefley (R-CO) 73

Some curious facts. Did you know that three of the top six conservative Republicans in the House voted against the resolution to grant the President constitutional authority to launch an unprovoked invasion of Iraq? They are Paul, Hostettler and Duncan.

Leadership stats for 108th Congressional Republican Leadership

Senate

Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott (R-MI) 60

Senate Assistant Republican Leader candidates

Larry Craig (R-ID) 57
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 53

In an unfortunate development for conservatives, our fine principled conservative current Senate Assistant Republican Leader Don Nickles (66) in term limited and has dropped his bid to challenge Lott for Republican leader and has hinted at possible plans to retire from the Senate. I had hoped he would run against and defeat Lott, but apparently he has polled his Senate GOP comrades and the votes aren’t there to do it. Lott is likely to remain unchallenged for the top GOP Senate post. The other top conservative I have long advocated for Senate Republican Leader is the #1 ranked conservative in the US Senate for the 107th Congress, John Kyl. At minimum, Kyl should run for the open post of Assistant Republican Leader to clear the way for him to become Republican and hopefully Majority Leader sometime soon. We need an Assistant Majority Leader who is more not less conservative than Trent Lott although of the declared candidates, Larry Craig would obviously be the better choice.

House GOP Leadership

Speaker Denny Hastert 60
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay 59
House Majority Whip Roy Blunt 52

These stats don’t show the true picture because Hastert’s Conservative Index rating is not a true measure of his conservativeness as he only votes on the most important issues to the GOP. He generally scores in the 53-54 range. Hastert is a bipartisan Speaker except on the Bush signed Democrap campaign finance reform bill which he rightly condemned as amounting to Armageddon for GOP control in the House once it is implemented in the 2004 Elections. Hastert knows that the days of a Republican Congress are numbered due to the Bush signed Democrap campaign finance reform bill. A lot of good Republicans will probably retire once they realize they have been relegated to permanent minority status by this bill further padding Democrap one-party rule following the 2004 elections.

DeLay is a more reliable conservative than Hastert and will make a fine replacement for outgoing moderate conservative House Majority Leader Dick Armey. I would be happier if he or Chris Cox (R-CA) 61 would challenge Hastert for the Speakership.

Predictions for 2002 Election.

This year will see a brief return to one party Republican rule beginning in November with the election of Jim Talent to the Senate switching control of the Senate GOP immediately upon his swearing in next month. The GOP is set to score a one-seat net pickup this election in the Senate, which may tempt liberal Republican John Chafee (R-RI) 35 to pull another Jeffords and switch parties to the Dems. The Republicans will likely gain two to three seats in the House increasing their current 223-212-1 house majority.

Predications for 2004 Election

In 2004, the Iraq war/occupation quagmire which will likely result in thousands of US casualties from Saddam’s CBR attacks, a double-dip economic recession, rampant illegal immigration and amnesties in critical border states like Texas and most of all the one-sided Democrat campaign finance reform legislation signed by the President will combine to result in a great Democrat electoral wave which will result in the election of a more or less permanent Democrat majority in both houses of Congress and will return the White House to Democrap control with Al Gore being George Bush’s most likely successor.

[rightwing2]

This is the much vaunted Conservative Index list which I have been promoting. It is published every 4-6 months by the New American magazine, which champions conservative principles and America First policies. You will find this list to be the most accurate measure of conservativeness available for our House and Senate members. It is far and away more accurate than the much discredited American Conservative Union "Conservative Rating" listing which ends up measuring party loyalty (voting with the GOP House or Senate leadership) rather than votes that tend to show adherence to conservative principles.

To provide context to this list, as a general rule conservatives are anyone that has a Conservative Index score around 65% or better. Anybody who scores at 72% or above qualifies for conservative hero status meaning that they almost always be relied upon to support conservative principles. Moderate conservatives fall into the 53-65% range, moderates in the 40s and liberals in the 30s and below so the listing of conservative Senators above is fairly comprehensive while the more numerous House of Reps scores above omits many good conservatives of which there tend to be around 35-40, in this case all of whom are probably Republicans. Ron Paul almost always scores as the top conservative followed by Tom Flake. Tom Tancredo and John Hostettler in the House. In the Senate, Bob Smith (a personal hero of mine) usually scores as the top conservative and Don Nickles who I have long been trying to recruit to run against Trent Lott for Senate Minority Leader usually scores in the top ten. The Senate conservative numbers continue to be unusually low presumably due to the fact that the GOP supported more liberal "bipartisan" legislation than normal. If your Congressman or Senator is not on this list or if they score in the 65% conservative or below range, you need to call them and urge them to do better.

[rightwing2]

CONSERVATIVE BUMP!

[Kaisersrsic]

While we are contacting our Senators, why don't you contact your Hero Bob Smith and ask him not to hand the Senate to the Dems.

[RonF]

Some curious facts. Did you know that three of the top six conservative Republicans in the House voted against the resolution to grant the President constitutional authority to launch an unprovoked invasion of Iraq?

I don't see how this is curious. While giving Bush such authority is a Republican position, I fail to see how granting the Executive such authority is necessarily a conservative position.

[rightwing2]

While we are contacting our Senators, why don't you contact your Hero Bob Smith and ask him not to hand the Senate to the Dems.

In case I am mistaken, the GOP candidate in New Hampshire is Sununu and it is his pathetic campaign which has failed to unite the party let alone win over independents that is on the verge of handing the Senate to the Democrats. You may have missed it but the fact is that the NH GOP Senate primary is over and Smith lost! He is no longer involved in the 2002 campaign and is retiring from the Senate. So it is impossible to blame him for Sununu's sorry campaign which will likely cost the GOP control of the Senate.

[rightwing2]

I don't see how this is curious. While giving Bush such authority is a Republican position, I fail to see how granting the Executive such authority is necessarily a conservative position.

I thought that was implied in my statement. I was trying to wake-up supporters of an unprovoked invasion of Iraq into realizing that they are not supporting the conservative position.

[justshe]

The John Birch Society strikes again. Why not list the ACU ratings? Not conservative enough for you? Why don't you peddle your papers elsewhere? Does your Pentagon employer know you are spending your work time on MY taxpayer dollar to undermine them?

[That Subliminal Kid]

If sitting on our collective hands waiting to be "provoked" is the conservative position, then I'm no conservative. But of course that's complete and total BS. Is there some official committee that defines what it means to be Conservative?

[Cacophonous]

I don't see how this is curious. While giving Bush such authority is a Republican position, I fail to see how granting the Executive such authority is necessarily a conservative position.

Nicely said. It's proof that Congress has rendered itself a collection of eunuchs, incapabale of taking responsibility for its actions.

In point of fact, I do not believe Congress has the authority to "grant the President Consitutional authority". All they did was refuse to declare war, while letting the President do whatever he wants.

[RonPaulLives]

Thank you. I think that it is very informative for you to post the New American's scores here. Do you subscribe? I know that I just received this particular issue in the snail mail yesterday.

These scores are important because the ACU doesn't always tell the whole story with their numbers; that is, they leave a lot to be desired in the votes that they are monitoring.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

LOL! You're a riot!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Woops, thought this was posted under "Political humor/Cartoons"

[harpu]

Just with these two paragraphs alone -

Predictions for 2002 Election.

This year will see a brief return to one party Republican rule beginning in November with the election of Jim Talent to the Senate switching control of the Senate GOP immediately upon his swearing in next month. The GOP is set to score a one-seat net pickup this election in the Senate, which may tempt liberal Republican John Chafee (R-RI) 35 to pull another Jeffords and switch parties to the Dems. The Republicans will likely gain two to three seats in the House increasing their current 223-212-1 house majority.

Predications for 2004 Election

In 2004, the Iraq war/occupation quagmire which will likely result in thousands of US casualties from Saddam’s CBR attacks, a double-dip economic recession, rampant illegal immigration and amnesties in critical border states like Texas and most of all the one-sided Democrat campaign finance reform legislation signed by the President will combine to result in a great Democrat electoral wave which will result in the election of a more or less permanent Democrat majority in both houses of Congress and will return the White House to Democrap control with Al Gore being George Bush’s most likely successor.

Your article's headline should have included a...

"MAJOR BARF ALERT!"

[ffrancone]

IT'S 7 DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION.

WILL IT STILL BE HER SENATE?

GOOD INTENTIONS DON'T WIN ELECTIONS.
ACTION DOES. ACT TODAY.

TakeBackCongress.org

A resource for conservatives who want a Republican majority in the Senate

[rightwing2]

Thank you. I think that it is very informative for you to post the New American's scores here. Do you subscribe? I know that I just received this particular issue in the snail mail yesterday. These scores are important because the ACU doesn't always tell the whole story with their numbers; that is, they leave a lot to be desired in the votes that they are monitoring.

Exactly. One need only look at how resident FR RINOs get their panties in a bunch when the truth about their favorite RINOs is published. They can only demean real conservatives as conspiracy thinkers. They only make fools of themselves in so doing! If only they would all leave the GOP, America would have a fighting conservative party capable of and willing to fight the liberal Democrap agenda once again!

ACU ratings are completely discredited. I mean they give mushy moderates 90% plus ratings! I do like ACU Chairman David Keene though. He is a real conservative who started the CPAC phenomenon and endorsed Bob Smith for Senate.

[templar]

Do the Democrats have a similar list for the liberals? I wonder if the top liberals are more, less, or about the same in their liberalism as the conservatives are in their conservatism.

[w_over_w]

will return the White House to Democrap control with Al Gore being George Bush’s most likely successor.

Everyone's (well, almost everyone) entitled to their opinion but this is blasphemy. BTW, they misspelled DemoRAT.

[rightwing2]

The John Birch Society strikes again. Why not list the ACU ratings? Not conservative enough for you? Why don't you peddle your papers elsewhere? Does your Pentagon employer know you are spending your work time on MY taxpayer dollar to undermine them?

LOL!! RINO TIN FOIL HAT CONSPIRACY THEORIST ALERT!!

[rightwing2]

Everyone's (well, almost everyone) entitled to their opinion but this is blasphemy. BTW, they misspelled DemoRAT.

I should have publicized the fact that most of this analysis is mine. The mispelling was intentional because I hate Democrats. The stats are straight from the pages of the New American. You should know that I am a staunch Bush supporter overall and have been for some time. I was very bullish about the prospects of President Bush in winning a second term until he decided to invade Iraq. Now, I think high casualties in Iraq resulting from their CBR attacks against our troops and a double-dip recession from Iraq and the Brazilian default will all combine to tip the scales and inaugerate a new nightmare for America with Algore as President. The only way I think we can avoid this likely prospect is not to invade Iraq thus my comments in opposition to that politically dangerous undertaking.