Arizona’s Lawmaker’s Power Rankings

Congress.org and Knowlegis compile congressional power rankings of elected officials. The rankings are based upon 15 characteristics of power. These
characteristics were measured and weighted to determine the
relative power demonstrated by Members of Congress. Those characteristics may be grouped into three broad categories.

1) Position: How much power could the legislator wield through
his/her position in the Congress by virtue of tenure, committee
assignments or leadership position? This Power Category included
weightings for all committees, subcommittees, and leadership positions,
taking into consideration majority or minority party status of the
member.

2) Influence: How much power did the legislator demonstrate to
influence the congressional agenda or outcome of votes through the
media, congressional caucuses or money contributed to other Members of
Congress by his or her campaign committees or leadership PACs?

3) Legislative Activity: How much power did the legislator
demonstrate through the passage of legislation or shaping legislation
through amendments? The team eliminated from that data items which did
not substantially change the bill or existing law. These included
amendments dealing with technical changes or bills of a ceremonial or
commemorative nature such as naming of post offices or other public
buildings, or non-binding resolutions that expressed the "sense of the
Congress."

The results for the Arizona delegation:

Sen. John McCain, Senate Rank #3
Sen. Jon Kyl, Senate Rank #17

Rep. Jim Kolbe, House Rank #30
Rep. Rick Renzi, House Rank #84
Rep. Jeff Flake, House Rank #140
Rep. J.D. Hayworth, House Rank #142
Rep. Trent Franks, House Rank #220
Rep. Fred Pastor,  House Rank #229
Rep. John Shadegg, House Rank #243
Rep. Raul Grijalva, House Rank #279

There are a few surprising results. These rankings were based on the
2005 sessions of Congress, yet Senator Kyl’s position is surprisingly
weak considering his 5th rank in the GOP caucus from his chairmanship
of the Policy Committee. His score reflects, at least in part, his
relatively short tenure in office. But one has to wonder why Kyl hasn’t
been more effective in enhancing his own power, and thus his ability to
help his state, with the powerful Judiciary and Finance Committee
Assignments he holds, his position in the GOP caucus, and his much more
powerful senior Senator from Arizona (presumably) in his corner.
Perhaps it’s because he wastes so much time churning out pap like "Why a Marriage Amendment is Necessary," (PDF) instead of attending to the serious business of governing.

Meanwhile, Senator McCain’s influence defies his actual position in
his party and in the Senatorial structure. He claims his power ranking
by dint of his actual ability to lead and craft legislation rather than
his apparatchiki position in the GOP Caucus’ pecking order. He wields
considerable influence in the media and has proven his ability to make
policy on even very controversial and thorny topics. I seldom agree
with the man, but I respect his ability to get things done.

On the House side, it is unsurprising that the delegation’s senior
Representative should be ranked highest. Kolbe’s departure, any way you
slice it, will result in a dimunition of Arizona’s influence in the
House. The person who replaces Kolbe will face a long and laborious
task of restoring that legacy.

Perhaps a salient question for voters on both sides of the aisle to
ask themselves is, "which party is going to control Congress after
2006?" It’s a strategic voting issue of the first order, in my view.
Arizona’s 8th is a key swing district, so the outcome will help
determine the answer, but the effectiveness of our Representative will
also be highly dependent on the overall party balance in the House.

For my part, of course, I think the Democrats will retake the House,
and possibly the Senate, so my vote in both the primary and the general
will be largely determined by which Democrat I think can be most
effective and influential in the new ruling Caucus, even as a freshman.
I hope to shorten the amount of time until Arizona can reclaim the
influence lost by the reitrement of Kolbe, as well as to redirect that
influence to goals that I agree with more consistently.

One last anomality in the rankings bears comment. Rep. Shadegg is
buried down BETWEEN two Democrats? This is a guy who just ran for a
leadership position of his party in Congress! Obviously, the effects of
that race wouldn’t be reflected in these rankings, but how did someone
who is more lowly than some Democrats in the Congress ever expect to
win the Whip race? Is it because he’s an out-of-touch and impractical
ideologue even within his own very out-of-touch and impractically
ideological party?

Clearly, Pastor has seniority on his side, but that cannot be enough
alone to out-rank Shadegg. Could it be that Shadegg for all his
posturing and rhetoric is just a blow-hard who doesn’t actually
accomplish much as a legislator? Thank God for Harry.
Let’s at least get rid of the GOP Representative who is less effective
even than a Democrat when Democrats were still the minority in the
House. If Shadegg is more useless than a Democrat in a GOP Congress,
imagine how useless Shadegg would become in a Democratic Congress. Like
lipstick on a pig, as my granddaddy used to say.