Allard Named Top 5 Worst Senators By Time

From the august publication:

Wayne Allard (Colorado): "The Invisible Man" -- In a Senate full of ambitious members, Colorado Republican Wayne Allard is so bland that his critics have dubbed him "Dullard." Now in his 10th year, Allard almost never plays a role in major legislation, even though he's on two key Senate committees, Budget and Appropriations. His kind of anonymity makes him one of the least influential senators, Time reports.

Time says that Allard's influence is minimal--apparently he does not bloviate, rant, and flip-flop sufficiently as a Senator. Doing this more often, as well as espousing the magazine's liberal political might leanings might earn him a place on the Top 10 list next year, with such luminaries as:

Dick Durbin (Illinois): "The Debater" -- On issues from immigration reform to judicial nominees, the Illinois Democrat frequently engages in public back-and-forth with his Senate colleagues in hearings and before votes -- and rarely uses notes to do it. And while the debates don't often change the votes of other members, Durbin's tough questioning of his colleagues and his willingness to defend his proposals clarify and distill complicated issues for the C-SPAN-viewing public, Time reports.

Ted Kennedy (Massachusetts): "The Dealmaker" -- Over 43 years in the Senate, Democrat Ted Kennedy has fought serial battles on behalf of the working class -- from defending overtime pay and workplace-safety regulations to expanding health care and penalizing discrimination. But the key to his legacy is not that he is determined to stick up for his principles. It's that he is willing to compromise on them, Time reports.

Not to be included with the likes of Durbin and Kennedy is an honor in itself, but as Allard's record shows, he has done a great deal for the state of Colorado:

In response to Time magazine's article, Sean Conway of Sen. Wayne Allard's office said, "I believe the vast majority of Coloradans would respectfully disagree with what the magazine had to say.

"The U.S. Senate is comprised of two types of individuals: work horses and show horses. Senator Allard is proud to be a work horse who is more interested in getting things done for Colorado than getting attention from the national media.

"Senator Allard’s work in getting things done for Colorado over the last nine years speaks for itself, whether it is the successful clean up and closure of Rocky Flats, passage of his legislation to create the nation’s newest national park, the Great Sand Dunes National Park, passage of the American Dream Downpayment Act or his successful efforts to ensure Colorado received the highest increase of any state in transportation funding in last year's highway bill. These are but a few of his many accomplishments.

"As a member of the GOP whip team since 2003, a selected group of only 10 members, Senator Allard works very closely with the Senate leadership, which allows him to quietly get things accomplished for Colorado.

"His record of accomplishments is why Coloradans re-elected him by a wide margin in 2002 and why Senator Allard's office is the go-to office for Coloradans who care about getting things done for the state."

Related--Allard named most conservative in Senate.