By Michael Bryan
Governor Ducey has decided upon a caretaker, not a competitor, for the McCain seat, naming former Senator Jon Kyl to finish McCain’s term until the 2020 election. It may be a wise move, not giving a leg up to any potential contender wishing to permanently hold the seat, he avoids giving any faction offense that they could take out on his reelection bid.
Ducey gets an experienced hand in the Senate, who most recently acted as “sherpa” for USSC nominee Kavanaugh, but who has no interest in holding the seat for himself after 2020. Ducey may be in line for some criticism of his selection as a creature of McCain by those who backed candidates against McCain, like Kelli Ward. I guess he’s not as worried about that as he would be by promoting a fire-brand like Ward to a position as influential as a Senate seat, given that GOP voters just rejected her: again. Third time’s the charm, eh Kelli?
UPDATE: Now that I think about it, isn’t it a conflict of interest for Kyl to go from lobbying Senators in favor of the Kavanaugh appointment to voting in the Senate on his confirmation? Perhaps Kyl should have to recuse himself from voting on the Kavanaugh confirmation?
UPDATE: When asked about potential conflicts of interest from his lobbying, Kyl merely answered, “No,” he didn’t think he had to recuse himself for anything.
UPDATE: Kyl has only agreed to serve until the end of the current session of Congress, possibly retiring as early as January. Why so short a commitment?
UPDATE: Finally, Jon Kyl is no maverick. He’s about as close to a party-line voter as one can get:
Jon Kyl’s short-term commitment to serve only until the end of the current term is calculating and suspect. As Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star explains, https://tucson.com/news/local/steller-column-respected-kyl-plays-opportunistic-role-for-ducey-gop/article_ff9d7b3d-d0ab-5a66-bd27-25151cfe3770.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-2:
“U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, a Tucson Republican, is in a tough race for U.S. Senate against Rep. Kyrsten Sinema of Phoenix. They’re both strong candidates — either could conceivably lose.
If McSally loses, Kyl could honor his commitment to complete this congressional session and quit in time for Ducey to appoint McSally to the seat. That could work even if Ducey loses his bid for re-election to challenger David Garcia, although there would have to be a quick resignation and appointment probably in late December.
Any governor, Garcia or Ducey, would have to appoint a Republican. But it’s likely Garcia would appoint the most moderate, anti-Trump Republican possible, while McSally has hewed increasingly close to a pro-Trump line.
And if all of this plays out — if Kyl casts a vote that puts Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, and if McSally loses but then is appointed after Kyl quits — Kyl can return to lobbying again, completing his second 360-degree circle between lobbying and elected office.”
This scenario creates a new issue in the governor’s race: there needs to be a pledge that the next governor will appoint the replacement to a vacancy created by Jon Kyl’s early exit. If Ducey loses in November, he should not be making a lame-duck appointment to the Senate. This kind of naked political calculation is just another example of the GOP culture of corruption in Arizona.
“Ducey Fingers Kyl”
This is why we invented the internet.
And it’s what I expected. Kyl is a lobbyist, so of course he’s Corporate/Koch Shill Ducey’s boy.
The AZGOP is 90% scam and 10% conspiracy theory.
I agree it is the smart and safe mood. I think this seat is tailor-made for Senator Farley should he decide to try for federal office.