The pork index

The Examiner has developed an index with which to measure the porkishness of U.S. Senators. It’s based on how they voted on twelve key earmark-related issues in recent years.
The results are discouraging. The average score was only 30.6 out of a possible 100. Democrats came in at a paltry 14.3, but Republicans can’t take much pride in the 43.9 scored by their party’s Senators.
The Senate’s leaders all came in below the Senate average. Majority Leader Harry Reid scored 16.6, and Deputy Majority Leader Richard Durbin 24.9. Both Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Deputy Minority Leader Trent Lott also scored 24.9.
The five best scores went to Republicans — Senators Coburn, Sununu, Burr, Ensign, and Kyl. They were followed by Democrat Russ Feingold and Republican Jeff Sessions. There were no surprises when it came to the biggest porker. Robert Byrd scored 0.
The Examiner plans to produce an index for House members soon, which should keep intern Emily Mirengoff busy.
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