Democrats pick most bipartisan Republicans

DEMOCRATS

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Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
“I’ve worked real closely with George Voinovich as my ranking member, and also with Richard Burr and Jim Inhofe. Those three and many others. We’ve developed friendships. We differ and don’t vote the same way, but we’re good friends, and for me that’s the ‘Aloha’ spirit.”

Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
“Certainly those on the Finance Committee, those with open minds who try to work out solutions. That includes most of them.”

Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
“I’d start with Dick Lugar, my friend and colleague from Indiana, and then some people I’ve known over the years like George Voinovich from Ohio. We were governors together. Dick and I have just known each other for a long time, and George and I were just next-door. Governors tend to think alike. Lamar Alexander, also a former governor, is someone I have a lot of respect for, and John McCain is someone I’ve worked with on Armed Services issues.”

Mark Begich (D-Alaska)
“My colleague Lisa Murkowski and I do a lot together on oil and gas, natural resources and Alaska issues. Otherwise it depends on the issue. I like to find out what issues people are working on and gravitate to them. I’m interested in some of the work Kit Bond is doing with Sen. Dodd with regards to banking. I’m interested in approaching that issue.”

{mosads}Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
“I’m finding everybody easy to work with, but I had a nice lunch with John McCain.”

Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.)
“I’ve worked very well with Lamar. We have some of the same interests. We worked on the America Competes Act in the last Congress.”

Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
“Olympia Snowe. I work beautifully with her. I work well with Ensign when we agree. We don’t usually, but in lots of cases we have. We’ve done after-school legislation together; we’ve done tax law together. And Olympia I work well with on the environment, on consumers. I’d say if I have to pick two, those are mine. We get along, we like each other, and there’s a mutual respect there.”

Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
“I worked with Sam Brownback on a healthcare issue involving drug companies, and I worked with Kay Bailey Hutchison on a bus-safety issue. It’s just about finding common ground. I keep a notebook that I don’t share with anybody, and I mark in there who I’ve worked with. I have a goal of working with almost every Republican on a major issue. Olympia Snowe is also obviously easy to work with, and of course Voinovich is the one I’ve worked with the most.”

Roland Burris (D-Ill.)
“I had a good conversation with Orrin Hatch and a good sit-down with Sen. Burr and a good meeting with Kay Bailey Hutchison. With Hatch, I admire how he dresses. He is one of the sharpest dressers in the Senate and he was very friendly with me in terms of my accomplishments very supportive of my being in the Senate. With Burr, we had a good chat about the Armed Services Committee and he gave me some pointers about being in the Senate.”

Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.)
“He works with all of them.” (from spokesman Jesse Jacobs)

Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
“Sen. Ensign and I worked together on energy tax credits and were successful in getting that implemented. That’s a recent example. He’s got good staff. Also Sen. Hatch.”

Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
“I worked with Sen. Specter on Judiciary Committee matters, and he’s been very helpful. I have also teamed up with Sen. Wicker and Sen. Alexander and Sen. Snowe. I try to find a friend on every committee I serve on, and those people are concerned about issues and really want to see something happen.”

Tom Carper (D-Del.)
“George Voinovich and I served together as governors, and at NGA, so we’ve been working together for 16 years in a whole bunch of roles. I love working with George.”
 
Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.)
“A good example, and probably a lot would agree with me, is Dick Lugar. He has a lot of respect for colleagues and where we’re coming from, but he’s also very thoughtful and thorough. Chuck Grassley and I have also worked together on food safety, and I worked with Mel Martinez on housing issues.”

Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)
“Sen. Gregg, Sen. Snowe and Sen. Collins I’ve worked with very well, and Sen. Chambliss I’ve worked with very closely on energy and agriculture. They’re all very good to work with, very honorable, and their word is very good.”

Chris Dodd (D-Conn.)
“Sen. Shelby and I work very closely now in the Banking Committee. Sen. Corker and I work together. Sen. Bennett of Utah. Everybody is easy to work with if you find what your common interests are. I haven’t met anybody yet that I don’t have a common interest with. John Ashcroft and I did Cuba legislation. Orrin Hatch and I did child care. Kit Bond and Arlen Specter and I did the Family and Medical Leave Act.”

Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)
“I’ve worked a lot with John McCain. We jointly did the Abramoff investigations and we spent a lot of time together. We also just introduced a new bill here in the Senate calling for a select committee to investigate the cause of the financial crisis. I like him and we have a good relationship. I’ve introduced a bill with Mike Enzi, someone else with whom I’ve worked a lot, to lift the travel ban to Cuba, and Lisa Murkowski on Indian Affairs is very easy to work with.”

Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
“It depends on the issue. It’s a little bit different now that I’m whip. I’ve worked closely with Sen. Specter and Sen. Collins probably the most. With Sen. Collins, it’s homeland security. With Sen. Specter, we’re working on public financing of campaigns. As time passes in this new capacity as whip, I find myself working with more Republicans. I think that’s healthy. I certainly have a partisan responsibility in leadership, but to pass things with 60 votes I have to be bipartisan. At the end of the day, if I give a great Democratic speech and end up with 58 votes, I don’t win. So I try to find some way to leave the door open for Republicans to join me.”

Russ Feingold (D-Wis.)
“If you take a look at my record, you’ll see names like McCain, Collins and Graham. They’re just open to working together. They all want to work with members of the other party. They enjoy it.”

Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
“I’ve worked with Snowe. I worked for a long time with Sen. Kyl on the Terrorism and Technology Subcommittee. I’ve now got a bill with Ensign and Cornyn. I’ve done some things with Sessions. I think it’s about areas of interest and where they coincide. It’s very important. We are much more partisan here than the American people in the way they look at life and solutions to problems.”

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
“In the House I used to work with a lot of the congresswomen — Mary Bono on tax credits for children, Michele Bachmann on middle-class tax cuts for college education. What I look forward to on the Senate side is working with women senators as well. I’m just getting to know them and I’m just creating my legislative agenda.”

Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)
“Obviously Sen. Burr and I have worked together on some issues, and Sen. Collins and I have spoken several times too. I think it’s issue-specific.”

Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
“I’ve worked for years with Sen. Specter. We’re on the same committee, on Appropriations, and we’ve changed as chairmanship and ranking member several times going back some 20 years now. And because of our intense interest in health and medical research and education — these are things that have just brought us together. I’ve worked very closely also with Orrin Hatch. Orrin’s always been a big believer in healthful living and prevention and wellness, as I am, so he and I have worked a lot on those issues in the past. And Sen. Grassley — if it has anything to do with Iowa, we’re together. Sometimes we don’t agree on some policy stuff. That’s to be expected. But we tend to keep pretty close tabs together.”

Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
“I’ve worked well with Thad Cochran, and my brother was Ted Stevens — I’m sorry he’s not here with us — and I’ve worked well with Orrin Hatch. Philosophically we don’t agree, but like with Ted Stevens, my closest friend, we had disagreements about 90 percent of our votes but the secret was that we were never disagreeable when we disagreed.”

Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
“It depends on if it has to do with South Dakota or not. John Thune would be the logical person to turn to in that instance. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe would be my answer otherwise. It’s easier to work with them because they are more moderate.”

Ted Kaufman (D-Del.)
“Dick Lugar, Johnny Isakson, John Barrasso. I’ve found all Republicans great to work with. People ask me, ‘What’s the greatest surprise about working here?’ And I’ve said, ‘How personable everyone is.’ ”

{mosads}Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
“Sen. Kennedy has been blessed to have dear friends on both sides of the aisle for many years. To him, each relationship with his colleagues is something to be treasured.” (from spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner)

John Kerry (D-Mass.)
“It really depends on the issue. Lindsey Graham. Olympia Snowe. I worked with Olympia as a ranking member, so it was very easy. Also Bob Corker and Dick Lugar.”

Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
“I’m not going to name names. I work well with all of them.”

Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
“No comment.”

Mary Landrieu (D-La.)
“Olympia Snowe and I do a great deal together, and we’re chairing the Small Business Committee as chairman and ranking member. Some people here are just interested in a quick press conference, but she’ll take on a tough issue and stick with it. She’s strong in her opinions and she’s not easily swayed, but she is sway-able, which makes her open-minded. Johnny Isakson is also great. Susan Collins, Saxby Chambliss and Lisa Murkowski and I work well together. She is conservative and has a different view but at least she comes to the table.”

Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
“Sen. Lugar is someone that I work well with. There are others — I don’t want to start anything because I’m sure I’d cut off whatever contact I have.”

Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
“I’ve worked very well with Dick Lugar and Arlen Specter and Howard Baker. They’re grown-ups. They aren’t here just to play short-term games.”

Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
“There’s just too many that I work with to pull anybody out.”

Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)
“To me, it’s McCain and Collins. They’re actually quite different, but they’re very pragmatic and want to accomplish things.”

Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
“Orrin Hatch, Pat Roberts, Saxby Chambliss, Chuck Grassley. Maybe some of it has to do with our region and the fact that we come from similar areas — rural states, ag states, things like that. But sometimes it’s just their nature. Every one of them is a good-natured person.”

Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
“Susan Collins has carved out a niche on transparency and governmental accountability, which is the stuff I’m doing with contracting and procurement, so she and I have worked together on a lot of things and I’ve got a great respect for her. She’s reasonable, principled and doesn’t get scared off by peer pressure. And Bob Corker. He’s just such a darn nice guy. They’re different, but for different reasons I find them both very easy to work with.”

Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
“I’ve worked with a couple. I’ve worked with Sen. Martinez on the other side of the aisle, I’ve worked with Sen. Graham, and on occasion on some issues with Sen. Hatch. I think they’re all reasonable, they all want to get something done, and they’re not necessarily driven by ideology.”

Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
“I’ve been going around and scheduling meetings with people like Grassley and Alexander and a couple of others, because this building is so segregated. I really enjoyed talking with Lugar over nuclear arms reduction, which is an interest that we share in common and I’m working with Inhofe on a provision that affects farmers. I’ve been very struck on a personal level about how everyone is interested in getting to know each other and recognizing the challenge this place creates. The weekend trips have done a lot of damage to this institution and we haven’t quite figured out how to bridge that gap.”

Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
“I think those of us on Appropriations work very closely together, and I’ve worked well with my ranking member, Sen. Shelby. We really meet and work on national priorities, particularly in the areas of science and law enforcement, so we have, I think, a very collegial relationship. I don’t want to pick just one, because that shows how narrow things can be. If you can only have one friend and one colleague, it would be a dysfunctional institution. And then Sen. Bond and I have worked on Appropriations. On domestic policy, certainly I’ve worked with the Republican women.”

Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
“That’s a hard question to answer because I work with a lot of different people. Sen. Isakson has been great. Sen. Collins has been great. They’re people who want to accomplish something at the end of the day.”

Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)
“The two senators from Maine, Sen. Snowe and Collins, and more recently Specter. On other issues, Sens. Bennett and Larry Craig. I worked with Sen. Enzi, we joined together on the small business health insurance plan. I worked with Sessions on e-verify and border security. I work with Grassley on ag issues. I also find Voinovich, Murkowski and Martinez cooperative.”

Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
“Sen. Martinez would be the obvious answer, because he’s been my friend for 30 years. The two of us get along. We have a personal relationship.”

Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
“I could pick others, but I’ll pick Lamar Alexander. I find him thoughtful and easy to discuss issues with, even if in the end he and don’t agree on something we can have a good discussion about it and try to get something done. But I work with a lot of other folks too.”

Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
“Susan Collins is extraordinarily competent and knowledgeable. Mel Martinez, Bob Corker, Mike Crapo, and Jeff Sessions on issues related to the Armed Services Committee. In prior Congresses I worked well with Chuck Hagel. I’m working with Kit Bond on housing issues. He’s terrific on housing issues. It goes issue-by-issue. Olympia Snowe and I are from the same region and work on a lot of regional issues together.”

Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
“McConnell, because I have to. He has experience, and he understands the procedures around here. Bill Frist, I got along really well with him. Trent Lott was great.”

Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)
“Susan Collins. But there’s a group of them, really, depending on the issue. Kay Bailey Hutchison is another one. In some cases they’re more moderate, although Kay Bailey isn’t necessarily. But they are Republicans who want to get things done. Sometimes their leadership makes that difficult, but I’ve never had too many problems with them… Bennet can be very helpful. Hatch can be very helpful. Isakson and Mike Enzi. Enzi came down to West Virginia when there was that coal-mining accident and wrote a good, tough bill.

Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
“I’ve worked well with Sen. Grassley on some amendments, and right now I’m working with Sen. Bunning.”

Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
“I work with a lot of them. Lindsey Graham and I have done a lot in a number of areas, and we’ve traveled to China together. He’s open-minded, he’s fun to be with, and he’s very smart. But there are a lot.”

Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
“I would have to say my colleague Judd Gregg and I have been able to work together very well. Sam Brownback and I worked together on rural broadband, and I’m very pleased to be with Sen. Hatch on stem-cell research and a new reauthorization of national service. I would also add Bob Bennett to that list. I just went with him and Sens. McCain and Risch and Voinovich to Brussels for a forum to meet European leaders and talk about joint issues. So far I’ve found most senators who I’ve approached very responsive. Sen. Snowe and Sen. Collins and I have worked on several issues of joint interest. I think the common trait is that there are particular concerns we share around given issues.”

Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
“It always depends on the issue. Certainly Olympia Snowe is a good friend of mine. I find her very open and willing to work together. George Voinovich and I work on manufacturing issues and Great Lakes issues. I work with McCain on drug reimportation. Sen. Specter. Lisa Murkowski work together on our Heart for Women Act, it’s about heart disease. Lindsey Graham has been my main co-sponsor on my trade enforcement bill.”

Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
“I like the Westerners — Crapo, Barrasso, and I’ve done some work with Barrasso and Enzi too. They’re all nice people, that’s the common trait.”

Mark Udall (D-Colo.)
“From my days in the House, I have a good working relationship with Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham. I’ve worked with both of them on entitlement issues and national security issues and on environmental issues — particularly with Sen. McCain on cap-and-trade. Also on government reform; I support Sen. McCain’s work on earmarks and the line-item veto. The line-item veto was actually my bill in the House. More recently, Sen. Corker and I have had some long conversations about how to work together on climate change legislation… They’re fact-based and they want to get something done, and that’s what I heard over and over in my campaign. That’s how I served in the House, and I actually find the Senate culture is amenable to that approach, at least as you come out of the starting blocks. Sen. Brownback and I have also sat down and talked about small-scale wind projects. So what I find in the Senate is there’s always some common interest you have with another senator, regardless of their state and regardless of their region, and if you’re willing to do the outreach and make that first connection, there’s always a conversation that can ensue and then there’s often a legislative proposal that can be crafted.”

Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
“The members I feel comfortable working with are John Thune — I’ve traveled with him to Iraq, so I’ve got a good relationship with him. Sen. McCain, who I’m working with on a couple of things. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. I think they all desire to reach out to the other side.”

Mark Warner (D-Va.)
“One of the people I’m trying to build relationships with is Sen. Corker. We’ve got a lot of interest in finance, we’ve both got a business background and I would also say Sen. Collins, who I’ve had some good conversations with. I’m interested in sitting down with a number of Republican members. We’ve got to get past the team sports mentality around here.”

Jim Webb (D-Va.)
“I have a lot of friends.”

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
“I like best working with Lindsey Graham because I think he shares a belief in the importance to America’s security of honoring America’s deepest principles.”

Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
“I wouldn’t want to characterize it as just about one senator because I work with so many on so many issues. The way I’d characterize it is, I don’t think you can get anything important done in the United States Senate — important, enduring changes — unless they’re bipartisan. You can find a way to work with the rules and maybe squeak something through by a few votes, but if you want to get something enduring done, it’s got to be bipartisan. I’m working with Chairman Baucus and Sen. Grassley to fix healthcare.”