Udall Tumbles in Influence

Mark Udall is spending so much time on the campaign trail that his "influence" is half what it was last year. So says the Denver Post, quoting Congress.org, a subsidiary of a nonpartisan company that provides data to lobbyists.

The Post makes it clear that one of the influence criteria is the ability of a congressman to spend money, our money. Diana DeGette climbed on the list because Congress passed a bill that would have resulted in serious spending.

This upcoming race will be in part about fiscal responsibility. We wonder how many people would think Mark Udall's falling on the list a bad thing? We wonder how many people in Colorado will be unhappy to find that the lobbyists thought Mark Udall the 121st most powerful member of the House last year on the basis of his spending success.