[sphinx]

That's a misleading headline. The linked report gives an overall number of contacts between the Soviets and Senators, Representatives, and staff. The report then lists the congresscritters with the MOST meetings. This does not make them the Russians' "favorites." There are many reasons the Russians might strike up a continuing relationship with a Senator, for example; the simplest is that the Senator might have held a position of influence on some issue of interest, and be willing to engage somewhat sympathetically. That doesn't make the Senator a tool; it makes him a soft touch, or a useful idiot.

To cut to the chase, while there is an obvious left tilt to the list, I can think of any number of Senators and Representatives during that period who were further left than most of those listed. Bella Abzug, Alan Cranston, and Ron Dellums come to mind, and I am sure others will access old (mental) files and add to that list. For the really suspect cases, the Russians might well have minimized contact, or gone to extreme lengths to deal indirectly, in order to avoid additional scrutiny to some folks who may well have been very conscious collaborators.

[TigersEye]

That doesn't make the Senator a tool; it makes him a soft touch, or a useful idiot.

If someone is a soft touch and a useful idiot for the enemy doesn't that make them a tool?

[Robert A Cook PE]

On the other hand, for Dellums, Abzug, Cranston, and a few other “democrats”, why spend time contacting those who are already in your camp and following communist party orders promptly and properly?