Club for Growth rates congressional delegation

The influential conservative group Club for Growth has release its 2007 congressional rankings, with New Hampshire's Republican senators scoring high and its Democratic representatives ending up near the bottom of the list.

Out of 100 U.S. Senators, U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-Rye) was ranked 19 and received a 79% rating from the group, while fellow U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley) came in 23 with a ranking of 75%.

In the House members were ranked out of the total of 435 members. U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) was ranked 326 and got 6% and U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester) was ranked 394 with a 1% rating.

The rankings are based on a 0 to 100 scale, with 100 indicating the highest support for the group's policies.

Congressional candidate Grant Bosse (R-Hillsboro) used the rankings has an opportunity to criticize Hodes.

"New Hampshire can't afford another two years of Paul Hodes' budget-busting votes," Bosse said in a statement. "Paul Hodes votes against economic growth 94 percent of the time. But in November, we can make sure he's failed us for the last time."

Former Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen said the ranking shows Shea-Porter is creating economic "roadblocks."

"We need our economy to thrive, not to stumble, but Rep. Shea-Porter is placing roadblocks in the way of efforts for growth," Stephen said in a statement. "This is one more reason why we need new blood and a different direction in Washington. The citizens have to us to step forward and make it easier to get our economy moving, not harder. Her record for the working families of New Hampshire is deplorable."