The most liberal Michigan lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as ranked by the National Journal, are two Detroit Democrats–Representatives John Conyers and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.

Detroiters also often lead the liberal pack in the state House in Lansing, according to annual ratings by the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter. Not so of late in the state Senate.

"Many times in years past, the most liberal senators were AfricanAmericans, usually from Detroit," IMP said in reporting results of its litmus test of voting in a one-year period that ended in November. "But that hasn't been the case in 2004-05. The two most liberal members are white–Liz Brater (DAnn Arbor) and Minority Leader Bob Emerson (D-Flint). In fact, so are the top five, and eight of the top 10."

In its system, the independent newsletter used 100 percent as the top rating for a senator who voted "liberal"--as judged by IMP--on up to 26 roll calls on a wide range of social, economic, taxation, environmental, civil rights, and public health/safety issues.

(In the National Journal's rating, Conyers voted liberal 95 percent on economic issues, 88 percent, social, and 97 percent, foreign. For Kilpatrick it was 96-8488. In contrast, it was 93-82-75 for Senator Carl Levin; 79-82-82 for Senator Debbie Stabenow.)

In the state Senate, according to IMP, Ann Arbor's Brater voted 96 percent liberal. For Flint's Emerson: 92.3. The highest-scoring Detroiter was Burton Leland at 83.3. The lowest liberal score was 50 percent for Senator James Barcia (D-Bay City), who also was the most conservative Democrat in Michigan's congressional delegation during his five House terms.

Senator Alan Sanborn (RRichmond) is rated as the most conservative member of the state Senate, voting "liberal" 3.9 percent of the time. In contrast among Republicans, Senator Gerald Van Woerkom (R-Muskegon) voted liberal 34.6 percent of the time, making him the most moderate Republican senator.

IMP's rankings provide a more balanced view of a lawmaker's ideological leaning than the more narrow special interest rankings by business, labor, environmental, and other groups.

But what's more important to voters than liberal-conservative political labels is how a lawmaker delivers and votes on issues of importance to the politician's district.

Also influencing how a lawmaker votes, regardless of philosophy, and consolidates political power, is working closely with unlikely allies. The 20th century master of that in the Michigan Senate was the late legendary, pugnacious Joe Mack of Ironwood, who cut deals on behalf of the Upper Peninsula for three decades.

When the retired Mack died in April at age 85, Associate Editor Andy Hill of the Ironwood Daily Globe wrote: "The last true giant of Upper Michigan politics is gone." He cut many a deal with the last true giant of Detroit politics-Coleman Young who, before becoming the city's longest-serving mayor, was in the Senate.

As Chief 98th District Judge Anders Tingstad of Bessemer told the Globe: "The U.P. and Detroit have very little in common, so Senator Mack could vote for Coleman Young's needs in the Detroit area, and Coleman Young could vote for Mack's needs up here."

Because of term-limits, there won't be a legislative giant in either of Michigan's peninsulas.

As Judge Tingstad aptly opined: "The power that the Legislature lost by term limits was absorbed by the bureaucracy. They're more difficult to deal with now than ever."

Up North Rankings

Senator Mike Prusi (DIshpeming), who has the seat long held by Mack, currently ranks seventh on the liberal scale at 76.9 percent, along with two Metro Detroit Democrats.

Among the three senators representing the northern third of the Lower Peninsula, Senator Tony Stamas of Midland is a relatively moderate Republican, with a 23.1 percent liberal voting record.

Well down on IMP's liberal voting scale is Senator Jason Allen (R-Traverse City) grouped with four other Republicans (including Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema of Wyoming) at 15.4 percent.

Only three senators are judged by IMP to have a more conservative 2004-05 voting record than Senator Michelle McManus (RLake Leelanau), whose liberal voting record of 11.5 percent is shared by two others.

Among them is Senator Mike Bishop (R-Rochester), who may compete with Traverse City's Allen to replace Sikkema as Republican leader–and as majority leader if voting goes as expected and Republicans maintain control of the Senate.

George Weeks is the political columnist for The Detroit News and is syndicated by Superior Features.