Respected National Journal puts lawmaker in “the ideological center”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today was named the most centrist member of Arizona’s congressional delegation in the National Journal’s annual analysis of key votes.
The respected Washington D.C.-based publication also found that Giffords was among the most centrist members of Congress nationwide.
“Representing the men and women of Arizona in Congress means making sure their priorities are reflected in each and every vote I take,” said Giffords. “Arizonans aren’t interested in partisan warfare or ideological purity. We are tired of the bickering and gridlock. We want practical, common sense solutions to strengthening our economy, securing our border and making sure our families can afford health insurance and an education for our children.”
The 2009 rankings are similar to the magazine’s rankings for 2007 and 2008, which also named Giffords as one of the most centrist members of Congress. In 2008, the Arizona lawmaker was depicted on the National Journal’s cover with the headline, “Center Stage.”
The National Journal determined its rankings by assigning separate scores for lawmakers’ roll call votes on key economic, social and foreign-policy issues throughout 2009. Lawmakers were rated in each category on both liberal and conservative scales, with a composite score determined by averaging the issue-based scores.
Lawmakers’ with a composite score closest to 50 are in “the ideological center,” the magazine wrote. Giffords’ composite liberal score was 52.2 and her composite conservative score was 47.8. No member of Arizona’s House delegation was closer to 50.
In her votes on economic issues, Giffords scored an exact 50 on both the “liberal” and “conservative” scales.
By way of comparison, Reps. Trent Franks of Glendale and John Shadegg tied for first place as the most conservative members of the state’s congressional delegation and among the six most conservative members of the House nationwide.
The National Journal article can be found here: http://www.nationaljournal.com/2009voteratings/