2010 Best & Worst of Congress

Comments () | Published September 13, 2010

Party Animal

1. David Vitter (R-La.)

2. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.)

3. John Ensign (R-Nev.)

And we’re not talking elephants and donkeys.

Brainiest

1. Tie: John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)

2. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.)

3. Tie: Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.)

In party-line votes, the junior Wyoming senator—a Georgetown grad and an orthopedic surgeon—and the Rhode Island Yalie edged out the competition.

Clueless

1. Roland Burris (D-Ill.)

2. Tie: Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), Al Franken (D-Minn.)

Half the votes for Rod Blagojevich’s pick to replace Barack Obama came from staffers in his own party.

Most Partisan

1. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

2. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)

3. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

According to staffers from the opposite parties, that is.

Least Partisan

1. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

2. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

3. Susan Collins (R-Maine)

A one-party sweep—on a bipartisan vote.

Best Dressed

1. Tie: Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), John Kerry (D-Mass.)

2. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)

3. John Thune (R-S.D.)

The fashion plates of ’08 (Gordon Smith, Barack Obama, and John Warner) have all moved on.

Fashion Victim

1. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

2. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)

3. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)

This trio repeats its 2008 appearance.

Most Likely to Star in a Scandal

1. David Vitter (R-La.)

2. John Ensign (R-Nev.)

3. Roland Burris (D-Ill.)

The bipartisan consensus seems to be that lightning strikes twice.

Least Likely to Star in a Scandal

1. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.)

2. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

3. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)

Only two votes separated first place from third.