Capitol Advantage: Colorado Congress is rank

According to ratings released this month by Knowlegis, a division of Capitol Advantage, which runs the website congress.org, Colorado’s legislative delegation ranks 47th amongst the 50 states’ congressional delegations in power and influence.

Colorado’s top lawmaker is the 1st CD’s Diana DeGette, who scores a 30.49 and ranks 66th amongst all House members. The bottom spot goes to the 5th CD’s Doug Lamborn who ranks 411th out of 435 members with a score of 5.71. The state delegation’s average score was 15.55.

“Knowlegis, in consultation with academic experts and congressional staff,” says the website, “examined dozens of factors that could contribute to the exercise of power and effective outcomes for their upcoming efforts heading into 2008.”

Amongst those factors are positions within the party, committee assignment, indirect influence such as media savvy, and the ability to get earmarks for their district.

 “In addition, the project team recognized that Members of Congress can exert or possess power that cannot be measured by these standard measures. Therefore, we created the 'Sizzle/Fizzle' factor.” This factor measures a legislator’s background and experience. For example, Senators Edward Kennedy and Hillary Clinton get high marks for “sizzle”

Conversely Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona earned “fizzle” points because he was recently indicted on charges that include conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, extortion and insurance fraud. Renzi’s power points come to a total of -2.59 ranking him last amongst all members of the US House.

Colorado’s members of the US Senate fared middling to poor in the measurement.

Democrat Ken Salazar scored 26.82 ranking 47th, while out-going Republican Senator Wayne Allard scored 17.31 for an overall ranking of 79th .

For complete list of all rankings you may click here:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/index.tt

Colorado Delegation Rankings:

 1) Rep. DeGette (D-CO 1st) score:      30.49

2) Sen. Salazar (D-CO) score:              26.82  

3) Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO 7th) score:   19.32

4) Sen. Allard (R-CO) score:                 17.31

5) Rep. Udall (D-CO 2nd) score:           15.20  

6) Rep. Salazar (D-CO 3rd) score:        11.68  

7) Rep. Musgrave (R-CO 4th) score:       6.92

8) Rep. Tancredo (R-CO 6th) score         6.52

9) Rep. Lamborn (R-CO 5th) score:         5.71