Why isn't Elizabeth Warren a progressive?

[Proud Public Servant]

The Congressional Progressive Caucus only has one senator as a member, and it's Bernie Sanders. Not Warren, not Tammy Baldwin (who was a member when she was in the House), not Sherrod Brown (ditto), not Mazie Hirono (ditto), not Ed Markey (ditto), not Al Franken.

It would certainly help counter myths of "center-right America" if our progressive senators would proudly identify as such. It's not like Dem senators can't be members -- Wellstone was. What's up with this?

[northoftheborder]

1. good question

[djean111]

2. Because being a Progressive is not exactly considered good by the Democratic Party?

It is a shame, but I think that is it.

[leveymg]

3. Ask Harry Reid and the rest of the good ol' boyz who run the committee system.

Progressive Caucus is the next thing to wearing a Bolshevik Hat on the Floor of the Senate. Thatz why.

[brooklynite]

4. Do you want a real answer or do you just want to vent?

The real answer is: there's no such thing as a Senate Caucus, and there's no such official thing as a House Caucus. Caucuses are informal groups of House members focused on an issue or ideological group. If Bernie Sanders chooses to show up at their meetings and call himself a member, that's his choice, but basically, NO Senator is a member of ANY caucus.

[Proud Public Servant]

5. No, I want a real answer

And I'm afraid yours isn't it. House rules governing Congression Member Organizations (the technical term for caususes) state explicitly:

Members of both the House and Senate may participate in CMO, but at least one of the Officers of the CMO must be a Member of the House.

So while there's no Senate caucuses, senatorial participation in caucuses is possible, provided for, and has historical precedent. Why aren't other progressive senators following Sanders (or Paul Wellstone's) example?

EDIT: Actually, your answer isn't just unhelpful, it's factually incorrect. There are seven Democratic senators who are members of the New Democratic Coalition (a DLC-ish caucus), one of the 3 Dem caucuses in Congress. There are also five GOP senators who are members of the tea party caucus. So when you say, "NO Senator is a member of ANY caucus," that's just plain wrong.