Alicia RobinsonRep. Dana Rohrabacher was deemed a...

Alicia Robinson

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher was deemed a “taxpayer superhero” on Wednesday

by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste based on his

voting record on 2002 legislation.

“It means that he voted 100% of the time in favor of cutting

wasteful spending,” council President Tom Schatz said.

The council looked at how legislators voted on 24 issues, such as

cutting appropriations to the federal treasury, a farm bill and

several tax relief bills.

The superhero awards are given annually. Eight of the House’s 435

members received superhero awards for 2002.

Schatz said Rohrabacher’s lifetime rating for votes on wasteful

spending issues is 93%, the second highest of all House members.

Topping the list with the highest lifetime record at 95% is another

Orange County legislator, Rep. Ed Royce.

California’s two senators didn’t fare so well, Schatz said. Sen.

Barbara Boxer and Sen. Diane Feinstein received scores of zero for

their 2002 voting records, he said.

The council is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government

Waste, a fiscally conservative watchdog organization, Schatz said.

The awards it gives are “really intended to encourage legislators

to vote more often to cut waste and cut taxes. It’s really a lobbying

tool,” he said.

Cox tells Russians to shape up if it wants into the G8

Rep. Chris Cox has introduced legislation stipulating that

Russia’s membership in the Group of Eight nations be conditioned on

Russia improving its record on human rights.

The bipartisan bill says the Russian government under President

Vladimir Putin has suppressed the media, arrested prominent

opposition supporters and has moved away from a market economy.

Russia’s membership in the Group of Eight should depend on its

“voluntarily accepting and adhering to the norms and standards of

democracy,” the bill says.

A press release from Cox’s office notes the bill’s coauthors

include Rep. Tom Lantos, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Joseph Lieberman,

but does not elaborate on the bill.

Cox, a longtime expert on Russia and its former incarnation as the

Soviet Union, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.