According to Progressive Punch, the top five most progressive Senators are:
1. Chris Van Hollen (MD)
2. Kamala Harris (CA)
3. Ed Markey (MA)
4. Elizabeth Warren (MA)
5. Cory Booker (NJ)
According to Freedom Works, the most liberal (or as they put it, “Most Anti-Freedom Voting”) Senators are:
1. Brian Schatz (HI)
2. Catherine Cortez Mastro (NV)
3. Kamala Harris (CA)
4. Tim Kaine (VA)
5. Bob Casey (PA)
Caveat: The voting record for recently elected Senators like Harris and Cortez-Mastro is much shorter, and personally I’d question a bit the inclusion of Booker, Kaine and Casey. But it’s our only basis for comparison so far.)
And yet, one or more of these top five progressive Senators is now subject to an assault by self-appointed guardians of “liberal” or “left” doctrine:
In real time last year, we saw the demonization of someone running on the most liberal Democratic platform ever, someone who has been fighting for liberal causes for years. Absent a massive assault by opponents* she may have led a successful push for expanded healthcare 24 years ago.
There’s no doubt demonization of our own candidate (by among others, the FBI, Russia, the compliant media and the “left”) gave us Donald Trump through “JohnStein” votes and voters staying home.
It’s past time to marginalize those who are trying to replicate that, and time to speak out for those in the best position to stop it.
I don’t want to re-fight the primaries or play a blame game. I do want to learn from very recent history.
I just want to point out and do what I can to limit demonization of our own.
* (and admittedly, less than adequate tactics to fight back)