WASHINGTON — By Washington standards, and the standards of special interest groups that press their agendas here, Hawai'i's congressional delegation is liberal.

The results of annual rankings by groups across the political spectrum reveal the four Democrats that represent the state vote reliably for proposals on social and political progress, such as supporting minimum wage increases, expansion of federal programs for the low income and defense of civil liberties.

For example, Americans for Democratic Action, a liberal lobbying group concerned with strengthening international human rights, maintaining civil liberties and blocking rapid increases in defense spending, gives Hawai'i's House members 100 percent ratings.

The group evaluated U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono on 20 House votes in 2007 on issues including raising the minimum wage and reauthorizing Head Start.

Using 20 Senate votes, the group rated U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye at 90 percent for twice voting against its position — once for voting for a U.S.-Peru trade agreement and again for allowing a judicial nominee to come up for a vote.

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka was rated at 95 percent for his vote on allowing the vote on the judicial nominee.

But the American Conservative Union, which tracks a variety of issues from taxes and spending to national security and abortion, gave Inouye and Akaka a 0 percent rating on 25 votes last year.

Hirono also received a 0 percent rating on the group's score of 25 House votes. Abercrombie was awarded a 4 percent rating for a vote supporting the group's position to allow offshore natural gas drilling.