Jon Kyl

U.S. Reps. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) and Harry Mitchell are celebrating the passage of the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act, the compromise energy bill that passed the House Tuesday on a 236-189 vote.

The bill is a hybrid that enacts a number of the energy priorities on both sides of the aisle. It opens the Outer Continental Shelf to drilling for oil, but does not extend the allowed limits as far as congressional Republicans wanted.

The bill also allows some of the fuel in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve onto the open market, repeals tax breaks for oil companies and provides investment in renewable energy, paticularly through an eight year extension of the Investment Tax Credit - a priority for Giffords.    

"Solar power represents one of our nation’s best hopes for a clean, secure and sustainable energy future," said Giffords, speaking Tuesday on the floor of the House in support of the bill. "It will provide powerful economic benefits to my district in Southern Arizona and to the rest of the country."

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl: Getty Images PhotoST. PAUL, Minn. - U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix) acknowledged today that Senate Republicans faced fundraising difficulties heading into the fall elections, but he suggested that Democrats would fall short of the 60-seat mark needed to override a filibuster.

“I’m not going to predict to you that we take the Senate back. I don’t think that’s going to happen. But I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere near the point where we wouldn’t be able to assert our authority as the minority to stop legislation,” Kyl told reporters outside a breakfast meeting of the Arizona delegation at the Saint Paul Hotel.

Kyl argued that Republicans had opportunities to win seats in several states including Colorado and Louisiana, and he predicted that the party would hold onto its seat in New Hampshire.

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix): Getty Images PhotoU.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix) has been tapped to officially enter John McCain's name into nomination at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. today.

Kyl is on the national campaign committee of his fellow senator from Arizona, but was not originally slated to do the nominating honors. According to CNN.com, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was set to nominate McCain, but had to return to his home state to address the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Hoping to break through the media's focus on the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix) will join other Republicans Thursday morning at a "Not Ready '08" press conference to "discuss why Barack Obama is not ready to lead."

John McCain may be the Republican nominee for President, but according to Right Wing News blog McCain is not a favorite among right wing bloggers. The blog sent out an email to right wing blogs asking them to name their least favorite elected Republican. Arizona’s senior senator came in 5th behind Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Right Wing News had done an earlier survey asking bloggers for their favorite Republicans and four Arizona Republicans made the top 20.  Jeff Flake came in 11th, John Shadegg and Jon Kyl tied for 12th and McCain made that list too coming in 16th.

With all the talk about our senior senator running for president, its easy to forget our junior senator is the current Republican whip in the Senate.  The Poltico has an interesting look at Jon Kyl and his leadership style.

U.S. Sen. John McCain: Getty Images PhotoThe Southwest regional headquarters of U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is now officially up and running, after a grand opening ceremony Friday that brought out prominent Arizona Republicans - including U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix) - as well as up to 100 protesters denouncing the senator from Phoenix.

The new headquarters will house a call center and offices to coordinate efforts in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada - all of which, besides Arizona, are swing states that could prove vital to Sen. McCain winning the presidency. As the festivities got underway, the room was packed to the hilt with McCain supporters, including Arizona Republican Party officials, office holders and office seekers.

"Today is a very proud day," said Bettina Nava, Southwest Regional Director of McCain's campaign. "Arizona has always overwhelmingly to elect John McCain, and we think that history will continue."

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) is opening the Southwest Regional Headquarters for his presidential bid in Phoenix on Friday, according to Politico Mafioso. U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Phoenix), who chairs McCain's Arizona campaign, will be appearing to commence the celebration. A celebration of that sort is a long way off for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), however, according to his campaign.

"We're still hiring staff" was the response from the Obama press office, which told PolitickerAZ.com that there are no plans in the immediate future for an Obama Arizona office. "It's still early, though," said the media contact.

CQ Politics has a list of the top 10 campaign committees with outstanding debt.  Coming in at number seven on the list is Arizona’s own Jim Pederson.  Pederson still has $2,532,972 in campaign debt from his 2006 US Senate bid against Jon Kyl.  Under FEC regulations a candidate cannot close their committee until all debts have a repayment agreement approved by the Commission.  Pederson’s debt is from personal loans he made to the campaign during his election.  

Don't expect Sen. Jon Kyl to be a presidential runningmate. In a survey of the U.S. Senate's membership not already running for president on whether they'd consider accept an offer to be vice president, The Hill newspaper found a variety of responses to the veepstakes question. Some were accompanied by laughs, others took the question seriously.

With his colleague John McCain presumptively the Republican nominee, how did Republican Jon Kyl respond?