Sound Politics: Maria Cantwell: Verbose, Ineffective & Powerless

October 12, 2006

Maria Cantwell: Verbose, Ineffective & Powerless

GovTrack.us is an exemplary non-partisan site using government data sources to track the Congress and Senate; and gaining notice from the NYT and WaPo. GovTrack's profile of Washington's junior Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell isn't pretty. (Lead) sponsored bills classified as "dead" in committee: 84, rated "extremely poor" compared to peers. (Lead) sponsored bills enacted: 1, rated "average." Speeches (on floor) since 2003: 68, rated "extremely high." Verbosity (words per speech): 1,481, "extremely verbose." That's almost the same count as a Seattle Times Sunday lead op-ed (usually about 1,500 words) every time she gives a speech on the Senate floor. Phew. Congress.org ranks Cantwell 93rd in the Senate in overall power rankings (which as you will see here are carefully calibrated, taking seniority and other factors into account). Maria Cantwell: a show pony, not a work horse. Put her out to pasture.

Hat tip: MariaCantVoteWell.com.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at October 12, 2006 08:22 PM | Email This

Comments

1. For a Senator that can't seem to be found to speak to her constituents, this is hilarious but sad.

Maybe she loves to hear herself speak, but only in the BIG washington.

Rating

Extemely poor in getting things done, and only average in WHEN they happen.

Loves an audience, and can't quit talking, as long as she is in front of her peers, not who she is working for.

Posted by: Chris on October 12, 2006 08:38 PM

2. But come on. She fights for washington's middle class by voting against extending the sales tax deduction that she had actually argued that we needed. I know there was this min wage thing, but why not do what Senators are suppose to do and get the compromise that it wouldn't affect those wages....naw screw the R's and the people.

Posted by: Dengle on October 12, 2006 09:06 PM

3. She is in the lead though - as mediocre as she has been . So what is Mike McGavick going to try and do about it ? Cantwell will support higher taxes - how about that for starters ? She also believes in a guest worker program and amnesty for illegal aliens. If those two issues are brought up repeatedly in the 2 debates, it could affect some the dumbed down Seattle public to change their minds. The rest of the state has a higher political IQ.

How stupid many people are, especially the urban liberals - they only look at short term satisfaction and don't consider long term consequences. They will get smacked up side the head with detrimental consequences in spades if the Dems end up controlling the Senate ! You think its bad now - you ain't seen nothin' yet !

Posted by: KS on October 12, 2006 09:55 PM

4. Matt - great site.

To go OT a little, Burner likes to talk about all the missed votes of Reichert. Using the site you pointed out, Reichert has a lower missed vote percentage than 5 other representatives (only one a Republican).

Jim McDermott has missed 8.47% of his votes since 1999 compared to Reicherts 2.53%.

Perhaps Darcy feels that McDermott shouldn't be reelected based on his voting record....

Since 1999:

1 - Inslee D
Missed Votes 41 of 4614 Votes Missed - 0.89%

2 - Larson D
Missed Votes 75 of 3401 Votes Missed - 2.21%

3 - Baird D
Missed Votes 139 of 4614 Votes Missed - 3.01%

4 - Hastings R
Missed Votes 136 of 4614 Votes Missed - 2.95%

5 - Mcmorris R
Missed Votes 28 of 1186 Votes Missed - 2.36%

6 - Dicks D
Missed Votes 155 of 4614 Votes Missed - 3.36%

7 - McDermott D
Missed Votes 316 of 4614 Votes Missed - 6.85%

8 - Reichert R
Missed Votes 30 of 1186 Votes Missed - 2.53%

9 - Adam Smith D
Missed Votes 391 of 4614 Votes Missed - 8.47%

Back on topic -

Be nice to Maria. If GovTrack is correct, tomorrow is Maria's birthday.

Posted by: SouthernRoots on October 12, 2006 10:00 PM

5. This is consistent with something I have noticed about Maria's ads: she lists all the things she is "trying" to do for Washington voters, or the things she "supports" - but she doesn't cite anything she's actually DONE. Even the newspaper headlines in the background of her ads say things like "Cantwell proposes..." or "Cantwell calls for..." - but none of them refer to her actually delivering anything....

Posted by: Patrick on October 12, 2006 11:03 PM

6. Another slight OT... Reichert is ranked at 168th which is ahead of everyone but Dicks. Seems like 8th district really got a keeper.

Posted by: C. Oh on October 13, 2006 12:05 AM

7. Kind of tough to get bills passed when you are in the minority. Maybe she'll have better luck in the next Congress.

Posted by: wayne on October 13, 2006 01:05 AM

8. Need to make sure she has NO luck in the next Congress.

Posted by: pagar on October 13, 2006 05:06 AM

9. Wayne, not as tough as you think. There are effective democratic senators out there.

But, when you guys go into the 'I hate Bush' mantra even before he was first elected, it is hard to be effective when you are the minority party.

Posted by: swatter on October 13, 2006 07:40 AM

10. Verbose, ineffective, and Powerless? Haha, I love it. What a classic case of projection. Thanks for the laugh, Matt.

Posted by: ivan on October 13, 2006 08:02 AM

11. Yeah, the majority of the entire state of Washington is stuck paying higher federal taxes this year because Cant-vote-well couldn't compromise on a much smaller segment of minimum wage employees. Thanks for nothing.

The Democrats will be in the minority for a long time if they keep refusing to compromise with the majority on anything.

Posted by: Palouse on October 13, 2006 08:10 AM

12. Verbose, ineffective and Powerless? Haha, I love it. What a classic case of projection." Quite true Ivan and since it was handy, they are using your enormous hind end for a screen to project and illuminate the kind of folks that support Cantwell. You are a human billboard for McGavick every time you open your pie hole.

Posted by: Huh? on October 13, 2006 08:24 AM

13. Did you catch her latest bit about oil now being like the meat industry. That made me laugh. She also talked about making sure speculation isn't going on (I don't have audio and caught this on the late news so no exact quote).....what she wants to stop oil trading? I don't understand? She had said there was gauging going on even after she knew there wasn't any. But you know that doesn't mean a thing. Just sling that out there and use it in an ad so Ivan's ilk can say right on Maria, you go girl. To bad she doesn't know anything about economics. Also, nice she didn't speak to the matter of using our resources....hmmmm I wonder why not? Isn't she for independence? Creating jobs? He one picture in an ad is of bio-tech....one of the smallest job creation industries. Though I hope we do have a strong industry in WA State as they have lot's of money to spend to help the economy.

Posted by: Dengle on October 13, 2006 08:34 AM

14. Palouse, you get the big picture, but McGavick doesn't.

You see, he has allowed her to make three ad sound bites (the trifecta bill). He has been ineffective in painting her vote the way you state (and which I agree with).

Posted by: swatter on October 13, 2006 08:36 AM

15. Kind of tough to get bills passed when you are in the minority. Maybe she'll have better luck in the next Congress.

When you're in the minority party, a Junior Senator from a state with little political clout in DC, what do you do? Anyone familiar with and good at politics will know. If you want to get things done, you build alliances, reach out across the aisle, forge constructive compromises, use effective persuasion to build your case, find common ground on important issues. Based on what is in the record, Cantwell obviously isn't up to the job. I think that is the point of the article.

Posted by: Interested Observer on October 13, 2006 09:57 AM

16. Interested Observer - The interesting paradox in the waynster's insipid comment is his total denial of reality.

C. Oh provides data that is complimentary to a Dhimmicrat (Dicks), but butt-head goes for the (innacurate) cheap-shot that flies in the face of the fact that Dhimmicrats like Dicks can still be effective representatives, even when they are in the minority party (when they're not busy being a$$holes).

It comes down to BDS and the lust for power. It has driven the Dhimmi's absolutely bonkers!

Posted by: alphabet soup on October 13, 2006 10:06 AM

17. Maria Cantwell: Verbose, Ineffective & Powerless
Maria Cantwell News
by Matt Rosenberg, 08:22 PM

And that was posted BEFORE the 'debate' last night.

Even my non-politically engaged husband (actually he hates all things political) was yelling at the TV for her to shut up so Mike could answer.

Posted by: Cheryl on October 13, 2006 10:20 AM

18. Interested Observer, you mean "Act Senatorial"?

Senators carry an image; Cantwell and Murray should be in the House and not the Senate. Actually, I would prefer them at soccer games.

Posted by: swatter on October 13, 2006 02:16 PM

19. Cantwell is a fantasy Senator from a fantasy Blue state. It's no wonder she's not taken seriously in a senate made up of other leaders coming from states that are real.

Posted by: Jeff B. on October 14, 2006 06:33 AM