Boren Backing Bush (Sometimes)

President Bush is suffering from the lowest legislative support for a president in 50 years, but Rep. Dan Boren has been his top Democratic backer in the House, according to a report by Congressional Quarterly.

CQ Today published an analysis today showing that Bush has prevailed in the House on only 14 percent of the 76 votes on which he took a clear position in 2007.

That is the lowest percentage of victories since CQ began analyzing presidential success ratings in 1953. The 2007 session isn’t over, though, so Bush has a chance to avoid setting a new record.

Democrats took over both houses of Congress this year, and have opposed the Republican president on most major issues.

However, the study shows that Boren, D-Muskogee, Oklahoma’s only Democrat in Congress, has backed the president’s position 38 percent of the time _ the most of any Democratic House member.

Congressional Quarterly studies of party unity have previously shown that Boren votes against his party’s majority the most of any Democratic member.

There are five Democratic House members who opposed Bush on 100 percent of the votes on which he had taken a position, and another 31 voted against the president 99 percent of the time.

The new study shows Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, was among the senators voting with the president the most so far this year _ 92.2 percent of the time.

Chris Casteel, Washington Bureau