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The Myth Of Congressman Barrow As A Bush Democrat

April 29, 2008 — On April 24, we learned from the Savannah Morning News that State Senator Regina Thomas would run again Democrat Congressman John Barrow in the upcoming primary for Georgia’s 12^th. Congressional District.  A brutal fight is expected between the incumbent, with a huge war chest, and his opponent, who more closely fits the profile of the average Democrat primary voter.  

So it didn’t take long for the blogs to weigh in, and provide their opinion.  In particular, downwithtyranny.blogspot.com jumped in with the headline “Arch-Reactionary Bush Dog John Barrow Gets A Serious Challenger—Meet Senator Regina Thomas.”  The article goes on to claim that “Barrow must go” because he received a score of “31.02” on something called “Progressive Punch” category called “Chips Are Down.”  Supporters of the column went on to claim that “he belongs in an R+15 District, not a D+2 district.”  One called him “Mr. Right Wing Barrow (DINO-12^th).

So is Barrow really a “Democrat in Name Only?”  Rather than rely on a single source (“Progressive Punch” with a link that cannot be reached), I did an exhaustive study of

“Progressive Punch” could not be displayed, so I thought I’d look at some better established congressional ratings to determine whether Barrow is really a Bush Democrat.  Thanks to the folks at Project Vote Smart, I was able to analyze the ratings of more than 20 liberal and conservative interest groups to determine the real Congressman Barrow.

According to the 2006 American Conservative Union rating, Barrow received a score of 76 out of 100, making him one of the most conservative Democrats in America.  So the Barrow critics might be on to something.  But other Democrats (Jim Marshall, Sanford Bishop) had scores in a similar range, reflecting jumps of 20-30 points, making 2006 an unusual year.  The year before, Barrow had a rating of 40, less than Marshall and Bishop.

How has Barrow voted in 2007?  The ACU hasn’t turned in their scores, but its liberal counterpart, “the Americans for Democratic Action” gave Barrow a 70 in 2007 (after a score of 45 the year before).  This adds support for the argument that 2006 was merely an anomaly, and Barrow is more of a traditional Democrat.

Other liberal groups generally found favor with Congressman Barrow in 2007.  According to the NARAL Pro-Choice America survey, Barrow received a perfect grade of 100.  Though the ACLU gave Barrow a moderate 50 score, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights scored Barrow a 73.  And the NAACP gave Barrow a grade of an 88.  The National Education Association gave Barrow a grade of an “A.”  The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund only gave Barrow a 30, but the League of Conservative Voters provided a more glowing score of 65.  The Children’s Defense Fund found Barrow good enough for an 80.  Human rights groups like Citizens for Global Solutions found Barrow to be worthy of a B, while the Genocide Intervention Network gave Barrow a B+.  The Sargent Shriver National Center of Poverty Law graded Barrow an “A” for 2007.

Unions also like Barrow a lot.  The AFL-CIO gave Barrow an 88, while the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) awarded Barrow a 68.  United Auto Workers gave Barrow a 93 while the Utility Workers Union of America gave Barrow a 100.

Did conservatives like Barrow in 2007?  Not so.  The Americans for Prosperity only rated the Georgia Democrat a 36, while the John Birch Society’s Conservative Index gave Barrow only a score of 30.  The Club for Growth liked Barrow even less, grading him a “20” for 2007.  The National Taxpayers Union gave him a D (a score given to typical Democrats).  The socially conservative “Family Research Council” gave Barrow a “31.”  Only English First gave Barrow a good rating (100).

So, does a “Bush Democrat” get a 100% rating from pro-choice groups and unions?  Would a Bush Democrat score as high with the NAACP and League of Conservation Voters?  Can Barrow be classified as a Bush supporter with grades of 20 and 30 from the Club for Growth and Birch Society?

In conclusion, the evidence overwhelming suggests that the liberal bloggers are generally off target.  After a year of voting conservative to win reelection in 2006, Barrow has returned to a voting record more consistent with the Democrat Party.  The DINO label hardly fits Barrow in 2007.