At 12:15pm (Arizona Time) this afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee will take its opportunity to hear from Arizona Supreme Court's current Vice Chief Justice Andrew Hurwitz, who has been nominated by President Barack Obama for a seat on the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Link to webcast
Outgoing Arizona Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is on the committee and will likely be present.
Hurwitz was nominated to fill one of the vacancies in the busy circuit this past November. He has been on the Arizona Supreme Court since 2003, clerked for judges at every level of the federal courts in the early 1970's, spent many years in private practice and also provided legal counsel to Arizona's three most recent Democratic governors.
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Showing posts with label Jon Kyl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon Kyl. Show all posts
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
WATCH: Sen. Kyl's Incendiary Floor Speech Announcing Plan To Fight Debt Ceiling Deal Trigger
I previously described a bit of Arizona Senator Jon Kyl's fiery speech on the Senate floor just before the vote on the debt ceiling/deficit reduction deal. Rather than cut and paste it here, check out that link.
But here is the link to the speech itself. It is a 7-minute speech and C-Span has not yet made the video "embeddable". It is worth a watch.
UPDATE: It is now embeddable:
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But here is the link to the speech itself. It is a 7-minute speech and C-Span has not yet made the video "embeddable". It is worth a watch.
UPDATE: It is now embeddable:
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Arizona Senators Vote "Yes" On Debt Ceiling/Deficit Reduction Deal; Kyl Announces Plan To Undermine It
Arizona's Senators "swallowed hard" (McCain's words) and voted to approve the debt ceiling/deficit reduction deal, and Sen. Jon Kyl set out his plans to undermine it in his floor speech shortly before the vote. Kyl and Sen. John McCain were among the 74 Senators to vote "aye" and to send it to the President; 26 Senators voted "nay".
Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip who is retiring from the Senate at the end of next year, gave a bitter speech blaming the White House and the "tax and spend" Democrats for the across-the-board cuts that will be triggered if the Congressional committee cannot agree on further deficit-reduction measures. He stated that he would tell members of the so-called "Super Congress" that the debate should be "taken to the American people" and that he would not countenance the "armageddon" that the automatic cuts to the Defense Department would cause.
Kyl indicated he would - if necessary - urge his "colleagues to disregard this provision". He acknowledged that the Congressional negotiators should not have approved the trigger, but said the President nearly violated his oath of office by including it in negotiations. Kyl said he would vote for the measure because his no vote would not change the outcome, but that he would continue fighting it.
The legislation now goes to the President's desk for signature.
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Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip who is retiring from the Senate at the end of next year, gave a bitter speech blaming the White House and the "tax and spend" Democrats for the across-the-board cuts that will be triggered if the Congressional committee cannot agree on further deficit-reduction measures. He stated that he would tell members of the so-called "Super Congress" that the debate should be "taken to the American people" and that he would not countenance the "armageddon" that the automatic cuts to the Defense Department would cause.
Kyl indicated he would - if necessary - urge his "colleagues to disregard this provision". He acknowledged that the Congressional negotiators should not have approved the trigger, but said the President nearly violated his oath of office by including it in negotiations. Kyl said he would vote for the measure because his no vote would not change the outcome, but that he would continue fighting it.
The legislation now goes to the President's desk for signature.
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Monday, August 1, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE, Arizona Delegation Updates: Monday, Aug. 1
I posted Sen. McCain's TV interviews from this a.m. separately, but am now going to post our (somewhat) daily compilation (in progress) thread. As always, if you find anything that should be included, or have any corrections or complaints, please drop me an e-mail!
VOTE IN HOUSE: Passed 269-161. Arizona's delegation voted as follows:
YES: Giffords, Gosar
NO: Grijalva, Flake, Schweikert, Franks, Quayle, Pastor
Giffords, Rep. Gabrielle (D-CD8): Very exciting to read that Rep. Giffords is there to cast her 1st vote since the attempted assassination! Arizona's Dan Nowicki breaks it: http://bit.ly/oZZuaS
Parenthetically, I e-mailed Giffords' office earlier today to attempt to find out what was going on. Dang those reporters on the ground!!!
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Rep. Gosar just (3:30p.m., AZT) issued a news release that he will vote for the deal (momentarily... maybe). Here's his statement:
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): As of this p.m. (1:00p.m., AZT), Rep. Schweikert is still "leaning no". He did an in-depth interview with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, and indicated that his biggest hang-up about the deal is that only $21 billion of the spending cuts in the coming year.
Kyl, Sen. Jon (R-AZ): A National Review reporter - Andrew Stiles - tweets that he asked the Republican Whip if he would like to be included in the so-called "Super Congress" (the committee that will try to come up with the next round of deficit reduction measures). Stiles reports Kyl's response as "not really". Somewhat surprising, since I recall the Senator's news conference announcing that he would not be running for re-election, at which he spoke enthusiastically about how being freed up from the pressure of a campaign would allow him to better tackle some of the tough issues. Including deficit reduction.
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Gosar tweeted (re-tweeted) at approximatel 10:45a.m. (AZT): "A Balanced Budget Amendment is the only way to stop the explosion of debt."
A Washington Post reporter - Felecia Somnez - tweets that freshman Rep. Paul Gosar is "still reading" about the deal. When asked about the process, he reportedly said "Seems like bureaucracy at its finest."
Quayle, Rep. Ben (R-CD3): Rep. Quayle has asked Tweeters to let him know what they think about the deal on the table. I'm not sure what link to give you to view the responses, but the ones I saw seem to be split about evenly.
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert was on Bloomberg TV and CNBC's "Squawk Box" this morning. He thinks the deal will pass but is not yet sure how he'll vote on it.
TheHill.com has Schweikert as "leaning no."
Franks, Rep. Trent (R-CD2): Rep. Franks also re-tweeted the one sentence mentioned in the Gosar section, about the Balanced Budget Amendment (at approx 10:00a.m., AZT).
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
VOTE IN HOUSE: Passed 269-161. Arizona's delegation voted as follows:
YES: Giffords, Gosar
NO: Grijalva, Flake, Schweikert, Franks, Quayle, Pastor
Giffords, Rep. Gabrielle (D-CD8): Very exciting to read that Rep. Giffords is there to cast her 1st vote since the attempted assassination! Arizona's Dan Nowicki breaks it: http://bit.ly/oZZuaS
Parenthetically, I e-mailed Giffords' office earlier today to attempt to find out what was going on. Dang those reporters on the ground!!!
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Rep. Gosar just (3:30p.m., AZT) issued a news release that he will vote for the deal (momentarily... maybe). Here's his statement:
Grijalva, Rep. Raul (D-CD7): "All take and no give... is not a compromise." That is the condensed quote from Rep. Grijalva at a press conference this afternoon with the Congressioal Progressive Caucus.“Our nation’s debt and spending crisis is like a super tanker. In order to bring a supertanker to a stop, its engines are typically cut off about 15 miles from port. In order to change direction even slightly, the captain has to start the maneuver miles ahead of time. The current bill is a change in direction. But we cannot stop this “supertanker of debt” tonight, in one vote. Our Supertanker of Debt was created over the last 10 years or more. We cannot undo a decade of wasteful spending in one night. I plan on voting for the Budget Control Act tonight even though it is far from perfect. We cannot expect perfection when the Senate and the White House is fighting us on even acknowledging the severity of the problem. The Senate has not even passed a budget in 824 days.I preferred the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. I heard the people loud and clear. This bill is far from perfect, but it is actually a milestone of progress. The people spoke in November and sent me to DC. We have heard you. We will continue to listen.”
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): As of this p.m. (1:00p.m., AZT), Rep. Schweikert is still "leaning no". He did an in-depth interview with MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, and indicated that his biggest hang-up about the deal is that only $21 billion of the spending cuts in the coming year.
Kyl, Sen. Jon (R-AZ): A National Review reporter - Andrew Stiles - tweets that he asked the Republican Whip if he would like to be included in the so-called "Super Congress" (the committee that will try to come up with the next round of deficit reduction measures). Stiles reports Kyl's response as "not really". Somewhat surprising, since I recall the Senator's news conference announcing that he would not be running for re-election, at which he spoke enthusiastically about how being freed up from the pressure of a campaign would allow him to better tackle some of the tough issues. Including deficit reduction.
Gosar, Rep. Paul (R-CD1): Gosar tweeted (re-tweeted) at approximatel 10:45a.m. (AZT): "A Balanced Budget Amendment is the only way to stop the explosion of debt."
A Washington Post reporter - Felecia Somnez - tweets that freshman Rep. Paul Gosar is "still reading" about the deal. When asked about the process, he reportedly said "Seems like bureaucracy at its finest."
Quayle, Rep. Ben (R-CD3): Rep. Quayle has asked Tweeters to let him know what they think about the deal on the table. I'm not sure what link to give you to view the responses, but the ones I saw seem to be split about evenly.
Schweikert, Rep. David (R-CD5): Rep. Schweikert was on Bloomberg TV and CNBC's "Squawk Box" this morning. He thinks the deal will pass but is not yet sure how he'll vote on it.
TheHill.com has Schweikert as "leaning no."
Franks, Rep. Trent (R-CD2): Rep. Franks also re-tweeted the one sentence mentioned in the Gosar section, about the Balanced Budget Amendment (at approx 10:00a.m., AZT).
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Sunday, July 31, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE, Arizona Delegation Updates: Sunday - Deal Emerging Edition
Kyl, Sen. Jon (R-AZ): Sen. Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip, was on Fox News Sunday (with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
Grijalva, Rep. Raul (D-CD7): Rep. Grijalva, the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House, released a statement blistering the emerging deal. Needless to say, he will likely be a "no" vote. The full statement is after the jump, but here's the concluding paragraph: "This deal is a cure as bad as the disease. I reject it, and the American people reject it. The only thing left to do now is repair the damage as soon as possible.”
McCain, Sen. John (R-AZ): Not to be left out, Sen. McCain engaged the aforementioned Dick Durbin in a 14-minute colloquy on the Senate floor this morning.
Grijalva, Rep. Raul (D-CD7): Rep. Grijalva, the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus in the House, released a statement blistering the emerging deal. Needless to say, he will likely be a "no" vote. The full statement is after the jump, but here's the concluding paragraph: "This deal is a cure as bad as the disease. I reject it, and the American people reject it. The only thing left to do now is repair the damage as soon as possible.”
McCain, Sen. John (R-AZ): Not to be left out, Sen. McCain engaged the aforementioned Dick Durbin in a 14-minute colloquy on the Senate floor this morning.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
DEBT CEILING COVERAGE: Arizona Delegation Updates, Sat./Sun.
I will try to post 'em as I can find 'em - but, if you have any that you
would like to see included, please shoot me an e-mail at info@arizonaspolitics.com.
Kyl, Jon (R-AZ): Arizona's junior Senator delivered the Republican's weekly response this morning (Saturday). He delivered a speech blaming President Obama for not understanding that this is an "opportunity" to "rein in spending". ("President Obama is simply too committed to the European style of big government that his policies have set in motion." "...raise taxes and keep on spending.")
McCain, John (R-AZ): Arizona's senior Senator sat down with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last night. He repeats his softened criticism of those Republicans who have been holding out for a balanced budget amendment. "Let's be honest with the American people. We have to have a balanced budget amendment.... But, I have to be honest with my constituents and tell them that this Senate is not going to pass it, but we can't give up the fight."
Here's a good article in today's Arizona Republic, from Dan Nowicki and Erin Kelly, with comments from many in the Arizona delegation, including the oft-ignored House Democrats (Pastor and Grijalva).
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Kyl, Jon (R-AZ): Arizona's junior Senator delivered the Republican's weekly response this morning (Saturday). He delivered a speech blaming President Obama for not understanding that this is an "opportunity" to "rein in spending". ("President Obama is simply too committed to the European style of big government that his policies have set in motion." "...raise taxes and keep on spending.")
McCain, John (R-AZ): Arizona's senior Senator sat down with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren last night. He repeats his softened criticism of those Republicans who have been holding out for a balanced budget amendment. "Let's be honest with the American people. We have to have a balanced budget amendment.... But, I have to be honest with my constituents and tell them that this Senate is not going to pass it, but we can't give up the fight."
Here's a good article in today's Arizona Republic, from Dan Nowicki and Erin Kelly, with comments from many in the Arizona delegation, including the oft-ignored House Democrats (Pastor and Grijalva).
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Thursday, June 23, 2011
READ: Sen. Jon Kyl Statement On His Leaving Deficit Reduction Talks
A couple of months ago, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the Minority Whip, was named to represent Senate Republicans at deficit reduction talks headed by Vice President Joe Biden. Today, Kyl and House GOP Rep. Eric Cantor left the talks. Here is the statement that Kyl has made (along with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell):
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“The White House and Democrats are insisting on job-killing tax hikes and new spending. That proposal won’t address our fiscal crisis, our jobs crisis, or protect and reform entitlements. And a bill with new spending and higher taxes would fail with bipartisan opposition – as it should. President Obama needs to decide between his goal of higher taxes, or a bipartisan plan to address our deficit. He can’t have both. But we need to hear from him.”
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011
WATCH, IN CONTEXT: Sen. Kyl Testifying Re: Wallow Fire, Forest Management
Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) took to the witness chair yesterday in front of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He did not read his prepared testimony, and instead spoke (partly) extemporaneously from "first-hand observations."
He started with an update on the Wallow fire and recounted how his cabin in Greer was spared but that he was at a neighbor's a half-mile away a couple of week's ago and that cabin was destroyed. He then moved on to discussing better forest stewardship in the future. Kyl's website has some concise information on his positions on the issues.
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He started with an update on the Wallow fire and recounted how his cabin in Greer was spared but that he was at a neighbor's a half-mile away a couple of week's ago and that cabin was destroyed. He then moved on to discussing better forest stewardship in the future. Kyl's website has some concise information on his positions on the issues.
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Friday, May 6, 2011
NEW: Arizona Poll Numbers On Brewer, Arpaio, McCain, Kyl, State Gun, Planned Parenthood; Disapproval of McCain Crosses 50%
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) was easily re-elected last Fall; today, only two Senators have higher disapproval ratings than McCain. Meanwhile, Governor Jan Brewer's approval ratings stayed nearly flat from January, even after vetoing a flurry of bills. And, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio continues to have a more favorable than unfavorable rating.
Public Policy Polling ("PPP") - an organization hired mainly by Democrats but which has noted to be one of the most accurate and unbiased pollsters - released the numbers, a couple of days after releasing portions of the poll dealing with the 2012 Senate and Presidential races.
Only 7 substantive questions in this portion of the poll results, so we will simply print them in their entirety below the jump.
But, we will first note that the two Senators with lower approval ratings than McCain are close McCain friend Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Ensign (R-NV, just resigned). However, not all of the states are polled, nor at the same time.
The pollsters surveyed 623 Arizonans, had a 3.9% margin of error, and did not try to limit its automated poll to registered or likely voters. Conventional wisdom is that such polls are more likely to lean towards Democratic candidates. The poll was not paid for by any candidate or political organization. (Note: I have asked PPP to confirm whether or not they try to reach registered voters and/or screen the respondents for the likelihood of voting.)
Public Policy Polling ("PPP") - an organization hired mainly by Democrats but which has noted to be one of the most accurate and unbiased pollsters - released the numbers, a couple of days after releasing portions of the poll dealing with the 2012 Senate and Presidential races.
Only 7 substantive questions in this portion of the poll results, so we will simply print them in their entirety below the jump.
But, we will first note that the two Senators with lower approval ratings than McCain are close McCain friend Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Ensign (R-NV, just resigned). However, not all of the states are polled, nor at the same time.
The pollsters surveyed 623 Arizonans, had a 3.9% margin of error, and did not try to limit its automated poll to registered or likely voters. Conventional wisdom is that such polls are more likely to lean towards Democratic candidates. The poll was not paid for by any candidate or political organization. (Note: I have asked PPP to confirm whether or not they try to reach registered voters and/or screen the respondents for the likelihood of voting.)
Friday, April 15, 2011
Kyl Aide Takes Full Responsibility For #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement; Kyl Has Fuller Explanation, Too
The Arizona Republic's Dan Nowicki has a post with explanations from both Arizona Senator Jon Kyl and his press secretary about their comments one week ago that are on their way to becoming part of the lexicon when politicians botch a fact. On the Senate floor, Kyl stated that he wanted to provide some information (about the issues that were holding up a deal to avert the government shutdown), and went on to horribly botch a statistic about Planned Parenthood and the percentage of abortions they provide. When confronted, his press secretary gave a now-classic explanation, stating that Kyl had not intended to make a factual statement.
It was widely assumed that Kyl's comment that more than 90% of what PPA does is provide abortions was a misstatement of the 3% figure that PPA self-reports. However, Kyl's explanation to the Republic is that he inadvertently left out the word "pregnant" from a statistic showing that 98% of the services provided to PREGNANT WOMEN are abortions. He cites that statistic's usage by an anti-abortion foundation and a former PPA employee who now campaigns against PPA; PPA disputes the validity of how that percentage was derived from its report.
For his part, press secretary Ryan Patmintra clearly states that he made his statement about Kyl's intentions without running it by his boss. And, "that, in retrospect, made no sense."
It is very likely that if Sen. Kyl and Mr. Patmintra had made these comments on Monday instead of waiting for Thursday, that faux news commentator Stephen Colbert (and Jon Stewart and others) would have decided not to run with the so-called "excuse-planation", letting loose a non-stop barrage poking fun at the Senator. Ah, well.
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It was widely assumed that Kyl's comment that more than 90% of what PPA does is provide abortions was a misstatement of the 3% figure that PPA self-reports. However, Kyl's explanation to the Republic is that he inadvertently left out the word "pregnant" from a statistic showing that 98% of the services provided to PREGNANT WOMEN are abortions. He cites that statistic's usage by an anti-abortion foundation and a former PPA employee who now campaigns against PPA; PPA disputes the validity of how that percentage was derived from its report.
For his part, press secretary Ryan Patmintra clearly states that he made his statement about Kyl's intentions without running it by his boss. And, "that, in retrospect, made no sense."
It is very likely that if Sen. Kyl and Mr. Patmintra had made these comments on Monday instead of waiting for Thursday, that faux news commentator Stephen Colbert (and Jon Stewart and others) would have decided not to run with the so-called "excuse-planation", letting loose a non-stop barrage poking fun at the Senator. Ah, well.
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Thursday, April 14, 2011
Kyl On #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement: "That Was Not Me"
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl has finally acknowledged that he simply misspoke last Friday when he stated on the Senate floor that more than 90% of the services performed by Planned Parenthood are abortions. (The correct figure is apparently 3%.)
The botched statistic received attention from comedians and more when he (his office) released a statement saying that "it was not intended to be a factual statement."
Now, Sen. Kyl has told Politico that he misspoke on the floor "and I said so." Arizona's Politics has not been able to find any coverage before this Politico report where Kyl had acknowledged an error.
As to the "not intended to be a factual statement", Kyl passed the buck: "That was not me - that was my press person." And that may or may not be intended to be a factual statement.
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The botched statistic received attention from comedians and more when he (his office) released a statement saying that "it was not intended to be a factual statement."
Now, Sen. Kyl has told Politico that he misspoke on the floor "and I said so." Arizona's Politics has not been able to find any coverage before this Politico report where Kyl had acknowledged an error.
As to the "not intended to be a factual statement", Kyl passed the buck: "That was not me - that was my press person." And that may or may not be intended to be a factual statement.
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Arizona Senators McCain, Kyl Both Vote For Budget Deal
Both of Arizona's Senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl, were among the 81 who voted this afternoon for the bill that authorizes federal spending through the rest of FY2011.
Over on the House side, Arizona's delegation overwhelmingly opposed it. Only Rep. Paul Gosar (R-CD1) voted for it, saying he did so because of the military troops.
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Over on the House side, Arizona's delegation overwhelmingly opposed it. Only Rep. Paul Gosar (R-CD1) voted for it, saying he did so because of the military troops.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011
WATCH: Conservative Commentator* Continues Assault On Sen. Jon Kyl's So-Called "Excuse-planation"
Arizona Senator Jon Kyl and his (office's) explanation for botching a statistic about how many abortions Planned Parenthood performs (as a percentage of all services it performs) continue to be on the receiving end of conservative commentator1 Stephen Colbert's sharp barbs. Colbert led last night's show with a segment on what he calls Kyl's (office's) "ground-breaking excuse-planation".
There is some seriousness to Colbert's crusade, however. He points out that Kyl's non-factual statistic is now in the Congressional Record. And, as he closes the below segment,
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There is some seriousness to Colbert's crusade, however. He points out that Kyl's non-factual statistic is now in the Congressional Record. And, as he closes the below segment,
"But, 'Nation' (his moniker for his viewers), when you Tweet something you know to be false about Senator Kyl or anyone else, be sure to use the hashtag #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement. Because Jon Kyl taught us that makes it OK. And, if it's not OK, I look forward to hearing Senator Kyl's response, perhaps in a Tweet. Although it might take him awhile. After all, he did just have all of his fingers surgically replaced with Bratwursts.2"(embedded video from Comedy Central not working again - at least for me; here's the link: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/381484/april-12-2011/jon-kyl-tweets-not-intended-to-be-factual-statements?xrs=share_copy
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WATCH: Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl's Speech BEFORE Non-Factual Statement; Sometimes, "Context" Does NOT Set You Free; #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement
(UPDATE: Although the comment has been scrubbed from the Congressional Record, it is still in the C-Span archive.)
Everyone has had some fun - Arizona's Politics included - at Arizona Senator Jon Kyl's expense the past few days, after his expanation for why he erroneously stated on the Senate floor that 90% of Planned Parenthood's services performed are abortions when only 3% are: "it was not intended to be a factual statement". But, one of the primary missions of this low-budget blog is to try to provide context to the soundbites that are hammered into all of our heads.
With that in mind, we went to watch Sen. Kyl's Friday morning speech (we had already posted Friday evening's oration), hoping to find an indication that he was not wanting the viewer/listener to take him seriously. Unfortunately for Sen. Kyl, sometimes the context does not set you free.
In Kyl's favor, he immediately followed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's much-played soundbite speech ("I'm not going to do it. As a legislator, I am very frustrated. As an American, I'm appalled. As a husband and a father and a grandfather, I'm personally offended.").
However, Kyl starts off by saying that
(Parenthetically, at the end, he repeats the "rotten apples" phrase; was that intended to be a statement referring to rotten "tomatos"?)
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Everyone has had some fun - Arizona's Politics included - at Arizona Senator Jon Kyl's expense the past few days, after his expanation for why he erroneously stated on the Senate floor that 90% of Planned Parenthood's services performed are abortions when only 3% are: "it was not intended to be a factual statement". But, one of the primary missions of this low-budget blog is to try to provide context to the soundbites that are hammered into all of our heads.
With that in mind, we went to watch Sen. Kyl's Friday morning speech (we had already posted Friday evening's oration), hoping to find an indication that he was not wanting the viewer/listener to take him seriously. Unfortunately for Sen. Kyl, sometimes the context does not set you free.
In Kyl's favor, he immediately followed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's much-played soundbite speech ("I'm not going to do it. As a legislator, I am very frustrated. As an American, I'm appalled. As a husband and a father and a grandfather, I'm personally offended.").
However, Kyl starts off by saying that
"I think we would be best served by providing some information to our constituents. And, as politicians, resist the temptation to throw rotten apples at each other. And also, I think it would be wise for media not too hype or over-hype the situation regarding government shutdown, but to try to put things into perspective. And, so, let me try to do that here for a moment."Then, at about the 18:34 mark (of the session, not of his speech), he lets the unintentionally unfactual statement slip out.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
(technical difficulties): Here's more of the Stephen Colbert/Jon Kyl
(Editor's Note: The video of Colbert skewering Arizona Senator Jon Kyl over his egregious Planned Parenthood statistic flub - and his subsequent explanation that it was is not intended to be a factual statement - is in the post below. But, something about the embedding code must have gobbled up the rest of the text of the post. Twice. (I now have less hair than I did this morning.) I have not had a problem posting here in quite some time that would prompt me to save text before hitting submit. Sooooo, I do not have the time to re-create the text for what was a pretty decent post, for a third time. Therefore, I will just post the links with one line descriptions. Please fill in your own jokes and text!)
1) Kyl Senate floor speech Arizona's Politics posted from Friday; NOT the one in which he made the error: http://bit.ly/hxvCsC
2) Colbert's Twitter feed, in which he (and his staff) are issuing a Kyl factoid* every 30 minutes: http://bit.ly/gW3ALM
3) Example of one of the #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement statements about Kyl: http://bit.ly/g7YuZK
4) Transcript from CNN reading Kyl's office's statement: http://bit.ly/e42FpP
*Anything marked with an asterisk is not intended to be a factual statement.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
1) Kyl Senate floor speech Arizona's Politics posted from Friday; NOT the one in which he made the error: http://bit.ly/hxvCsC
2) Colbert's Twitter feed, in which he (and his staff) are issuing a Kyl factoid* every 30 minutes: http://bit.ly/gW3ALM
3) Example of one of the #NotIntendedToBeAFactualStatement statements about Kyl: http://bit.ly/g7YuZK
4) Transcript from CNN reading Kyl's office's statement: http://bit.ly/e42FpP
*Anything marked with an asterisk is not intended to be a factual statement.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
WATCH (and read): Conservative Commentator* Stephen Colbert Firing Two Rounds An Hour At Arizona Senator Jon Kyl
*Anything marked with an asterisk is not intended to be a factual statement.
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Monday, April 11, 2011
WATCH: Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl On Bipartisan Approach To A Budget Diet
Retiring Arizona Senator - and GOP Minority Whip - Jon Kyl is holding true to his word (in news conference announcing plans to not run for re-election) and is urging his colleagues to not be too extreme in their federal deficit-cutting plans.
"If we try to be too strong here about how we try to reduce spending, we are not going to be successful because people just won't stand for it," said Kyl on the Senate floor Friday night as the last-minute deal to avert a federal government shutdown was minutes away from being announced.
Kyl advocated for three measures for Congress to pursue: a balanced budget amendment, a constitutional spending limit ("a very, very good idea"), and a bipartisan (Corker-McCaskill) effort to cap mandatory and discretionary spending ("create a glide path by which we could gradually reduce the spending so you don't have to do it all at once").
Kyl compared the need to slim down the budget and the deficit to a diet, saying you do not gain all your weight at once and you cannot get rid of it all at once.
Here is the entire 16-minute presentation he gave - a pretty good summation. (If you want to see a good summation of a representative Democratic viewpoint, keep watching after Kyl for Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO).)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
"If we try to be too strong here about how we try to reduce spending, we are not going to be successful because people just won't stand for it," said Kyl on the Senate floor Friday night as the last-minute deal to avert a federal government shutdown was minutes away from being announced.
Kyl advocated for three measures for Congress to pursue: a balanced budget amendment, a constitutional spending limit ("a very, very good idea"), and a bipartisan (Corker-McCaskill) effort to cap mandatory and discretionary spending ("create a glide path by which we could gradually reduce the spending so you don't have to do it all at once").
Kyl compared the need to slim down the budget and the deficit to a diet, saying you do not gain all your weight at once and you cannot get rid of it all at once.
Here is the entire 16-minute presentation he gave - a pretty good summation. (If you want to see a good summation of a representative Democratic viewpoint, keep watching after Kyl for Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO).)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
WATCH: Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl On Fox News Yesterday Re: Budget, More
I only caught about a minute of this last night, and have not yet watched it this a.m. But, here is not-quite-retiring Sen. Jon Kyl on Fox News last night (with Greta Van Susteren). The interview lasts about 7 1/4 minutes and, in it, Kyl uses the analogy of the day for the Administration budget proposal: it "kicks the can down the road." (Rep. Jeff Flake, in his Monday announcement of his candidacy for Kyl's Senate seat, also noted that there is no more road left.)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Feeling Each Other Out; Arizona Rep. Trent Franks and Sheriff Joe Arpaio Talk Opening Senate Seat; Arpaio Would Be Impacted By "Huge Groundswell"
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has given at least a couple of interviews today (and one over the weekend to Channel 10 flirting with the possibility that he may run for the seat opening up (in January 2013) when Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) retires. Arizona's Politics has learned that at least one other possible contender - already in Congress - thinks there might be something to it; Rep. Trent Franks (R-CD2) called the Sheriff earlier today to ask if he was planning to run.
According to Chad Willems, Arpaio's campaign manager (for whatever he may or may not run for next year), Franks called. He likely received the same "maybe" that Arpaio is giving to the media, because Willems indicates that Arpaio does not yet know if it would be the right thing for him to do.
Willems tells Arizona's Politics that Arpaio has a large fundraising operation, already has approximately $3 million in his re-election campaign account that could legally be transferred to a run for federal office, and has familiarity with Washington from his previous jobs there (with the DEA). The decision will be a personal one, says Willems.
Willems gave props to the "impressive" response to the DefendSheriffJoe (independent) fundraising-to-urge-Joe-to-run; it raised nearly $20,000 (from 500+ people) in five days, which will go to more polling and fundraising. However, Willems says it will be "interesting to see if there's a huge groundswell... that would certainly impact Arpaio's decision."
Franks' phone call to Arpaio may just be an expression of friendly interest. Or, it may be the best indication yet that a second member of Arizona's current Congressional delegation may be ready to try to step up to the more exclusive chamber. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-CD6) has already announced his candidacy.
By the way, the polls released today by the Summit Consulting Group that show Arpaio leading Flake and others among likely Republican primary election voters has a margin of error of 3%. That is according to Summit President, Chad Willems. (Yes, the same Chad Willems.)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
According to Chad Willems, Arpaio's campaign manager (for whatever he may or may not run for next year), Franks called. He likely received the same "maybe" that Arpaio is giving to the media, because Willems indicates that Arpaio does not yet know if it would be the right thing for him to do.
Willems tells Arizona's Politics that Arpaio has a large fundraising operation, already has approximately $3 million in his re-election campaign account that could legally be transferred to a run for federal office, and has familiarity with Washington from his previous jobs there (with the DEA). The decision will be a personal one, says Willems.
Willems gave props to the "impressive" response to the DefendSheriffJoe (independent) fundraising-to-urge-Joe-to-run; it raised nearly $20,000 (from 500+ people) in five days, which will go to more polling and fundraising. However, Willems says it will be "interesting to see if there's a huge groundswell... that would certainly impact Arpaio's decision."
Franks' phone call to Arpaio may just be an expression of friendly interest. Or, it may be the best indication yet that a second member of Arizona's current Congressional delegation may be ready to try to step up to the more exclusive chamber. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-CD6) has already announced his candidacy.
By the way, the polls released today by the Summit Consulting Group that show Arpaio leading Flake and others among likely Republican primary election voters has a margin of error of 3%. That is according to Summit President, Chad Willems. (Yes, the same Chad Willems.)
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Group Raises Nearly $20,000 Over Weekend To Urge Arpaio To Run For Senate; Combined With Survey Results, Pressure Mounts
Last week, Arizona's Politics reported on the e-mail effort to raise a $25,000 "money bomb"/love note by the end of Valentine's Day to urge Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ). DefendSheriffJoe.com - a 527 non-profit organization - got close to their goal and raised $19,349 in five short days.
Chairman Vernon Parker notes that it is "truly impressive" that more than 500 people made an average $37.64 contribution to put their money where their mouths are. "That’s what a grassroots movement looks like," said Parker.
Their voices may be getting heard. On Sunday, Arpaio - who has often flirted with running for other offices - told a Phoenix television station (Channel 10, Fox) that he would not rule it out and that he would "sure rock the boat on Capitol Hill" if he was elected and that it would be "exciting".
A Republican-leaning political group (Summit Consulting Group) also released a quickie survey of "likely Republican primary election voters" showing Arpaio as the top pick for the 2012 Republican primary for the Senate seat. Arpaio drew 21.3% to Rep. Jeff Flake's (R-CD6, who announced yesterday) 16.8% and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth's 16.6%. No word yet on the margin of error of the survey.
According to the organization, the $20,000 DefendSheriffJoe "money bomb" will likely be used to do more polling to convince Arpaio to run, and to then raise more money for an ad campaign.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
Chairman Vernon Parker notes that it is "truly impressive" that more than 500 people made an average $37.64 contribution to put their money where their mouths are. "That’s what a grassroots movement looks like," said Parker.
Their voices may be getting heard. On Sunday, Arpaio - who has often flirted with running for other offices - told a Phoenix television station (Channel 10, Fox) that he would not rule it out and that he would "sure rock the boat on Capitol Hill" if he was elected and that it would be "exciting".
A Republican-leaning political group (Summit Consulting Group) also released a quickie survey of "likely Republican primary election voters" showing Arpaio as the top pick for the 2012 Republican primary for the Senate seat. Arpaio drew 21.3% to Rep. Jeff Flake's (R-CD6, who announced yesterday) 16.8% and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth's 16.6%. No word yet on the margin of error of the survey.
According to the organization, the $20,000 DefendSheriffJoe "money bomb" will likely be used to do more polling to convince Arpaio to run, and to then raise more money for an ad campaign.
We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com. Thanks.
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