The Worst of the Worse Republicans in Congress

Conservative Review has released it’s most recent list of the Top 25 Rinos or the most liberal voting Republicans in Congress:

1. Paul Ryan; Representative from WI; 18 years in DC
2. John McCain; Senator from AZ; 30 years in DC
3. Lisa Murkowski; Senator from AK; 14 years in DC
4. Lindsey Graham; Senator from SC; 14 years in DC
5. Thad Cochran; Senator from MS; 38 years in DC
6. Mitch McConnell; Senator from KY; 32 years in DC
7. Orrin Hatch; Senator from UT; 40 years in DC
8. Kevin McCarthy; Representative from CA; 10 years in DC
9. Lamar Alexander: Senator from TN; 14 years in DC
10. Bob Corker; Senator from TN; 10 years in DC
11. Susan Collins; Senator from ME; 20 years in DC
12. Tom Cole; Representative from OK; 14 years in DC
13. Jeff Flake; Senator from AZ; 4 years in DC
14. John Cornyn; Senator from TX; 14 years in DC
15. Peter King; Representative from NY; 24 years in DC
16. Mike Simpson; Representative from ID; 18 years in DC
17. Harold Rogers; Representative from KY; 36 years in DC
18. Don Young; Representative from AK; 43 years in DC
19. Rob Portman; Senator from OH; 6 years in DC
20. Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Representative from WA; 12 years in DC
21. Johnny Isakson; Senator from GA; 12 years in DC
22. Richard Burr; Senator from NC; 12 years in DC
23. Charlie Dent; Representative from PA; 12 years in DC
24. Susan Brooks; Representative from IN; 4 years in DC
25. Shelley Capito; Senator from WV; 16 years in DC

Some items of note from the list, while 8 of the top 10 are Senators, the two Representatives,  House Speaker, Paul Ryan (1) and House Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy (8) are also the top two ranking Republicans in the House. You can add Chairman of the House Republican Conference, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (20) to the mix as she is listed as the fourth ranking House member on their Organization Chart. There is also the Chair of House Committee on Appropriations, Harold Rogers (17) on the list, one of the most influential committees based on their role of overseeing the government’s purse strings.

The top ranking members of the US Senate also sport high rankings on the list including the Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell (6), the Assistant Republican leader, John Cornyn (14) as well President Pro Tempore, Orrin Hatch (7) who was awarded that position largely based on being the longest-serving Republican Senator at 40 years. It is notable that the President Pro Tempore is third in presidential line of succession following only the Vice President and the Speaker of the House.

Two states need to receive a dishonorable mention based on placing both of their Senators in the top 25. Likely to the surprise of few, Arizona is on the list with both of it’s Senator’s, the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain (2) and Jeff Flake (McFlake?) (13) being highly represented. Tennessee also has both of its Senators on the list, both in the top 10, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Lamar Alexander (9) and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Corker (10). What is somewhat surprising is both of these states are considered to be conservative hotbeds.

“Whatever disagreements Republicans might have—and there are always disagreements over details—we are unified by a simple truth. Washington is too powerful, it has worked against the interests of the people, and the people demand a change. President Trump wants to drain the swamp. Republicans have already gotten to work.”

–House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy

I hope you’ll excuse me for not taking Representative McCarthy too seriously for that statement from his recent op/ed appearing in Townhall.com when the main activity in Congress lately has been to hold endless hearings with most of the time filled with with self-serving prepared statements by the committee members followed by minimal action in the aftermath, (*Side Note, I had hoped one of the Senators would have asked James Comey about the standing of the FBI investigation into the IRS targeting of conservative groups). The result is that little to no meaningful Legislation being passed in the remaining time. I hesitate to complain about Congresses four-day work weeks and multiple recesses but I can’t help but think “what difference at this point does it make” whether or not Congress is in session.

With this record it’s no wonder that when talk show host and Conservative Review contributor Steve Deace ran a Twitter poll the overwhelming top vote receiver was “I don’t know the answer.” Currently I include myself in the “I don’t know the answer” column, how about you?