...[N]o member received a perfect score; however, two members received a zero score.
The economic efficiency scores don't paint a pretty picture about our elected representatives. The highest score held by a Democratic House member (48) was jointly held by Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Ron Kind of Wisconsin, and Ralph Hall and Charlie Stenholm of Texas, who all voted for efficiency-enhancing legislation 48 percent of the time. The highest score for a Republican House member (87) was jointly held by John Shadegg of Arizona, John Sununu of New Hampshire, and Tom Petri and James Sensenbrenner, both of Wisconsin. In the Senate, the highest score (64) held by a Democrat was held by Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, and for a Republican, it was Richard Lugar of Indiana (91). The average Econ-E Score was 20 for Democratic House members and was 54 for Republicans. The average for Senate Democrats was 40, and for Senate Republicans, it was 69.
Congressional Econ-E Scores tend to confirm what I suggested earlier that doing what's best for America is nowhere near as important to congressmen as doing what's best for special interests within their constituencies. Doing what's best for the nation is a losing proposition and can cost them an election. But I don't blame politicians for their efficiency-diminishing votes. After all, isn't it unreasonable to ask a politician to commit political suicide by upholding his oath of office and doing what's best for all Americans?
Join me in calling for an update of this information. (They plan to do so.) I can't quite get worked-up over Paul Wellstone's record anymore. (He wasn't one of the zeroes.)
It's worth your while, I think, to go through Mr. Williams' archive.
BTW, I'll be rooting for the Packers in any case. This stat is how superstitions are made. "The fate of the free world, says one observer, rides on the Redskins versus the Packers on Halloween night" indeed. I didn't see that in the Bible.
Lot's of other interesting stuff in that article though: speculations going both ways, the October surprise will be Kerry's new pet and proof that Karl Rove is nuts.
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