Project Vote Smart Has Gathered Plenty Of Info On Your Elected Officials--And It's Yours For Free! By Jim Nintzel IF YOU'RE LIKE Bob "Just-A-Kansan" Dole, you probably figure that the liberal media is always sticking up for the Democrats, perhaps even in violation of FEC regulations. If you're like us, on the other hand, you probably think that the local press just does a lousy job of covering Washington affairs and federal elections. Either way, you'll be happy to hear the latest from those hardworking folks at Project Vote Smart, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to helping people learn more about the candidates at the ballot box. With the help of many college interns and generous grants from prestigious foundations, Project Vote Smart has assembled a massive database of information about your federal congressmen and senators. With just a free call to their Voter's Research Hotline (1-800-622-SMART), you can find out how your representatives have voted, how much they've collected in campaign contributions, how they've been rated by special interest groups and much, much more. If you're cruising the web--and who isn't these days?--you can stop by the project's Vote Smart Web at http://www.vote-smart.org Since it's a presidential election year, the project has also compiled crates of info about Bill, Bob, Ross and all those other men who would be president, so you can see past those mindless, mudslinging commercials. And, as the election draws near, the staff will also be compiling data on state legislative candidates. In short, these folks have gathered more information than Whitewater Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr. And it's all yours for the asking. This year, in fact, the project is sending out a free 75-page Voter's Self-Defense Manual to anyone in Arizona who requests one by calling the Voter's Research Hotline. It's chock-full of data about Congress, the White House and American politics in general. As you can see from the accompanying chart, Project Vote Smart has compiled a breakdown of ratings from various special interest groups about the Arizona congressional delegation. The chart shows that Arizona tends to lean toward the right. The sole exception is Rep. Ed Pastor, the District 2 Democrat who represents part of Tucson, Yuma, Nogales and Maricopa County. Pastor got high marks from the labor, pro-choice and liberal crowds, while scoring low with pro-life outfits, big business and the conservatives. Three Republicans are battling in the September 10 primary to decide who will face Pastor this November. Best-known is state Sen. Jim Buster, who last year sponsored the notorious environmental audit bill, which would have allowed polluters to avoid criminal and civil penalties if they filed a secret report to the state and promised to clean up their mess. (The bill died in the Arizona House one vote short of passage.) Buster will be opposed in the GOP primary by Phoenician Ed Barron and Vida Florez, who is from Yuma. District 5 Rep. Jim Kolbe was the most moderate of Republicans statewide. He scored high with pro-choice organizations and big business and only managed to agree with conservatives 60 percent of the time. Kolbe faces a primary challenge from fellow Republican Joe Sweeney, a perennial candidate who regularly runs against--and loses to--the incumbent. After Kolbe finishes off Sweeney--and if he doesn't, I'll eat one of Sweeney's campaign signs--he'll face Democrat Mort Nelson and Libertarian John C. Zajac. Both are lightweight candidates with no name recognition. The biggest congressional race outside of southern Arizona is in District 6, which covers parts of Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale and Flagstaff. Incumbent Republican J.D. Hayworth, a former sportscaster who was voted one of the House's 10 dimmest bulbs, is facing former state Democratic Party chairman Steve Owens. Owens, who is tight with Vice President Al Gore, hopes to raise a half-million dollars to challenge Hayworth. For a free copy of the Voter's Self-Defense Manual or more info about your reps, call 1 (800) 622-SMART. Visit the Vote Smart Web at http://www.vote-smart.org

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