WARM UP VOCAL CORDS, SEN. KYL! Farewell Speeches Running Long

Long acts to follow!  Many of the U.S. Senate's departing members gave their farewell addresses last week; Arizona Senator Jon Kyl (R) is set to give his tomorrow (at noon, AZ Time), and has to decide how much time he wants to take to give his valedictory.

Retiring Democratic Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) and defeated Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) spoke last week, as did Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (R).  (Others may have, as well.)  Their speeches ran in the range of 15 minutes to an hour.  Sen. Kyl's office notes to Arizona's Politics that he has not decided how long he is going to address his colleagues (and the nation, via C-Span).

There are one dozen members of the 10-person Senate who are spending their final weeks there.  In addition to Kyl and those named above, there are: Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Daniel Akaka (D-HA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Herb Kohl (D-WI).

Kyl was one of the more high profile retiring members, due to his role as the Republican's Minority Whip.  He will be replaced by Rep. Jeff Flake (R), who won a close election over Richard Carmona.


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