The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Time magazine ranked Arizona’s two U.S. senators among the 10 best in the country, commending the Republicans for being able to use their power to get things done.

Sen. John McCain commands his independence and single-mindedness to put “unorthodox issues” at center stage – such as torture of prisoners of war and excessive government spending, the magazine wrote.

“McCain has that rare ability to put an issue on the U.S. agenda that wouldn’t naturally be there,” the magazine wrote.

The magazine said Sen. Jon Kyl works effectively behind the scenes to accomplish Republican policy objectives.

Time cited examples, including an amendment barring U.S. courts from hearing cases brought by prisoners in the war on terrorism, in which Kyl was behind the efforts but not commanding headlines for them.

“He has succeeded by mastering a tactic that is crucial in a body in which any one member can bring the place to a halt as a ploy or out of pique: subterfuge,” the magazine wrote.

“Jon Kyl has indeed been a very effective partisan, and that’s one of the cases we are going to make to the people of Arizona,” said Kevin Griffis, a spokesman for Jim Pederson, a Democrat who is running against Kyl.

McCain and Kyl were joined on the Top 10 list by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., among others.

The current issue of Time magazine is one newsstands now.

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