Dana Milbank of the Washington Post places the blame for the Super Committee’s failure squarely on Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl:
So when the Arizonan was named as one of six Republicans on the debt supercommittee, Democrats feared the worst — and they got what they feared. It exaggerates little to say that Kyl thwarted agreement almost singlehandedly. While some Republicans on the panel — notably Reps. Dave Camp and Fred Upton — were, with House Speaker John Boehner’s blessing, prepared to strike a deal, Kyl rallied resistance with his usual table-pounding tirades.
The tragedy here is that Kyl, who has announced his retirement at the end of his term, could have risen above political pressures to strike an agreement to right the nation’s finances for a generation. Boehner’s House Republicans, aware that voters will hold them to account for inaction, were willing to deal. But Kyl’s Senate Republicans, hoping voters will evict the Democratic majority in the Senate, had no such incentive.
The conclusion:
“Walking napalm” is how one Democratic aide involved in the supercommittee described Kyl this week. And if the senator makes some mistakes as he burns down the village — well, that’s just a cost of doing business. Earlier this year, when Kyl was leading an effort to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, he claimed on the Senate floor that abortion is “well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” The actual number is 3 percent. An aide to Kyl explained: “His remark was not intended to be a factual statement.”
As Kyl leaves the Senate, he will be remembered as a lawmaker who intended to be not factual but destructive.
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2011.
Kyl can’t be gone soon enough! Back when he was named to the so called “Super Committee” I knew it was doomed at that very moment because this lying bastard is againist anything good and decent aimed at the middle class. Plus he is the most incompetent senator in Wasington and I just can’t wait for this poor excuse for a man is gone. Our state has had the worst senators in the nation for years… when are Arizonans going to wake up and see that the republican party does not have the interests of the middle class at heart. Our two senators hate the middle class and are so out of touch that they wouldn’t know an average Arizonan if said Arizonan bit them in the ass, and that could be any where on their bodies since they are ALL ass. When you retire Kyl go to hell.
Just one more instance of a guy standing too long in front of the feeding trough. What a joke. What a clown. Pompous. Loud-mouthed. Arrogant. Tell me when to stop, Kyl…
Kyl epitomizes our misbegotten American culture: greed and ignorance. Good riddance to bad garbage.
Mike Proko
Kyl is just the fall guy because he’s retiring. Everyone on the “super”committee is owned by the military-industrial-complex. None of ’em ever wanted to deal if it meant cuts to the defense budget. Don’t be stupid, people. This whole thing was a scam from the outset.
I agree it was a scam,,none of the 12 really cared,,the dems were ready to cut spending/at the expense of seniors,medical care yet at the same time the repugs couldn’t come up with one single way to raise revenue,,We need a third party that has a clue and enough support that can win an election without reelecting a disapointment or a scary clueless repug or dem by sidetracking the vote by clueless voters.
So if we can find a canidate that has the brains and speaking ability of Obama,,the common sense of Ron Paul,don’t get me wrong here Ron is OK 30% of the time but he’s a little nuts also,,so where do we go from here????
I’m sick of voting for the lesser of two evils,,but anybody that votes for any of the rep field right now needs their head looked at.
Kyl could have risen above the political pressure at any time in his career, but didn’t. Knowing that he doesn’t have to run on his record next election makes it easier for him to stick by someone else’s convictions on this committee. No one expected anything good to happen from the time he was named. I’m glad he is leaving and I hope his record makes it easier for a Democrat to catch his seat at the trough.