Bright scores better than other Democrats on Club for Growth report

Freshman U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright of Montgomery scored better than any other Democrat on a scorecard from the Club for Growth, which supports low-tax, pro-growth Republicans who want limited government.
He also scored better than about two dozen Republicans including two Alabama Republicans, Rep. Mike Rogers of Saks and Rep. Parker Griffith of Huntsville. He also finished well ahead of Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham.
Bright was in the middle of the pack among Alabama's seven congressmen.
Rep. Jo Bonner of Mobile finished ahead of the pack with a score of 90 percent.
Bright, with a score of 64 percent, was one of only three Democrats in Congress with a score of 50 percent or higher. The other Democrats are Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho.
Bright ranked 155th among the 435 members of the House.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, for example, scored a 7 percent. Some members, including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island and Rep. John Conyers of Michigan scored 0.
Alabama's two U.S. senators, Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, finished with strong scores.
Sessions had a 100 percent score while Shelby had an 83 percent.
The Club looked at lawmakers' records on "pro-growth policies" including reducing income tax rates, repealing the death tax, limited government through limited spending, social security reform with personal retirement accounts, free trade, lawsuit abuse, tort reform, education choice, and regulatory reform and deregulation.
Members who refused earmarks were also awarded points.
The lawmakers who score 90 percent or higher receive the Defender of Economic Freedom award.

-- posted by Sebastian Kitchen