comm ittee ▁on ▁Dom estic ▁and ▁Foreign ▁Mark eting , ▁In spe ction , ▁and ▁Plant ▁and ▁Animal ▁Health ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁Production , ▁In come ▁Prote ction ▁and ▁Price ▁Support ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁Bud get ▁( Ch air man ) ▁Committee ▁on ▁Fin ance ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁Energy , ▁Natural ▁Resources , ▁and ▁In frastr ucture ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁Tax ation , ▁I RS ▁O vers ight , ▁and ▁Long - Term ▁G row th ▁( Ch air man ) ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁F is cal ▁Res p ons ibility ▁and ▁Econom ic ▁G row th ▁Committee ▁on ▁Indian ▁Affairs ▁J oint ▁Committee ▁on ▁Tax ation ▁ ▁Political ▁positions ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁Time ▁named ▁Con rad ▁one ▁of ▁" America ' s ▁ 1 0 ▁Best ▁Sen ators ". ▁That ▁same ▁year ▁The ▁American ▁comm ended ▁him ▁for ▁his ▁knowledge ▁of ▁economic ▁issues . ▁Con rad ▁end ors ed ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Democratic ▁president ial ▁primary . ▁ ▁Con rad ▁was ▁a ▁leading ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁" G ang ▁of ▁ 1 0 ", ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁group ▁that ▁pushed ▁for ▁much ▁greater ▁off sh ore ▁dr illing ▁in ▁sensitive ▁environmental ▁areas . ▁He ▁was ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁using ▁charts ▁as ▁visual ▁a ids ▁when ▁speaking ▁in ▁the ▁Senate , ▁which ▁earned ▁him ▁the ▁nick name ▁" G od father ▁of ▁Ch arts ." ▁ ▁Health ▁care ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁negoti