Hear All About It: the Top 10 Talkers in Congress
Site charts the top 10 congressional talkers and the words they speak most often
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Washington has always been disparaged for being a town of hot air, but now there's proof. What's more, we now know who the top 10 talkers are during any period. By charting the words spoken or added by members to the Congressional Record, the Sunlight Foundation's site determines who the blabbers are, who the quiet ones are, and what the top words spoken in the House and Senate chambers are. The word "health" is currently the top word, although the top 10 talkers aren't just those focused on the healthcare debate. Here's that list. Check it for daily updates.
- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), with 57,275 words.
- Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), with 49,073 words.
- Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), with 33,080 words.
- Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), with 31,252 words.
- Sen. Thomas Coburn (R-Okla.), with 31,083 words.
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), with 27,914 words.
- Rep. W. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), with 24,291 words.
- Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), with 24,236 words.
- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), with 23,169 words.
- Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), with 23,124 words.
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Also, if you want a more interactive way to see the words spoken by congress, check out Congress Speaks (http://congressspeaks.com). You can also see the most used words by each legislator, their voting record status, and tenure information.
It's a fun way to look at the data as the legislators are animated and you can compare them side by side. You can also compare states.
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