Our profile Tuesday on Democratic mayoral candidate Bob Filner’s congressional record focused on his work with veterans and constituents and his relationships with colleagues.
We don’t plan to do a deep dive into Filner’s congressional voting history. But if Filner’s stance on national issues interests you, there’s an easy way to catch up.
Many organizations and interest groups produce annual report cards for federal legislators. Filner tends to receive an “A” or an “F” depending on the group doing the grading. D.C. publication National Journal rated Filner one of the most liberal members of the House of Representatives last year. Here’s what the magazine described as Filner’s “key liberal stand”:
Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., represents a border district and is the sponsor of the Visitors Interested in Strengthening America Act, which would ease entry requirements for Mexican children wanting to visit the U.S.
Here are links to Filner’s ratings from four major interest groups for the last available year. We’ve also included percentages for how often he sides with President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party and his missed votes:
• AFL-CIO, a labor group: 100 percent rating in 2011; 96 percent lifetime rating.
• American Conservative Union, a conservative umbrella group that hosts a popular annual conference: 8/100 score in 2011; 4.51/100 lifetime score.
• Americans for Democratic Action, a progressive, social justice group: 100 percent score in 2010.
• Club for Growth, a limited government, low-tax conservative group: 11 percent score in 2011; 9 percent lifetime rating.
• Supported President Obama’s positions (Congressional Quarterly): 80 percent of the time in 2010.
• Support for the Democratic Party’s positions (Washington Post): 92 percent of the time in 2011-12.
• What Percentage of Votes He Missed (GovTrack.Us): 6 percent during his entire career, worse than the 2.4 percent median for members of Congress. In 2011-12, Filner’s missed votes increased sharply to 31 percent.
Liam Dillon is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He covers San Diego City Hall, the 2012 mayor’s race and big building projects. What should he write about next?
Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.
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