Free Republic

Here's a political story that really couldn't have gone better for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Today, President Obama joined Senate Republicans for their weekly luncheon, and according to people who were in attendance, McCain used his time to inform the president that the National Guard needed to head to the U.S.-Mexico border in order to control crime and make it at least possible to begin a discussion on comprehensive immigration reform. According to Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.), who backed up McCain, the senator even informed the president that he was doing a disservice by mischaracterizing what was in Arizona's new...

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) is unlikely to run in a GOP primary against Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), let alone win, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Monday. Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said he expects the former congressman, who's been mulling a primary challenge to McCain's right next year, to carry on his activities as host of a radio show, and not as a candidate.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) today renewed their push to enact legislation to reduce drug-related violence in the border region by cracking down on organizations smuggling weapons illegally from the United States into Mexico.  Senators Richard Durbin, Dianne Feinstein, Jon Kyl, and John McCain are also cosponsors of the legislation. Ongoing violence in Mexico is having a devastating impact on Mexico and is raising concerns for border communities on both sides of the border.  In 2008, more than 5,300 people were killed in Mexico -- double the number in the previous year.  More...

Arizona's two senators voiced support for Gov. Janet Napolitano as she went before the Senate today, seeking confirmation as secretary of homeland security under President-elect Barack Obama. Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans, said they expected Napolitano to ace her appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

When it comes to immigration, it seems the chaos on the border is exceeded only by the chaos in Washington. That is especially curious since Members of Congress are usually famous for being able to read which way the political wind is blowing. In this case, however, it appears they would be well served to commit to reading the results of a recent, reputable bi-partisan national survey of voter attitudes on immigration. What its findings show is not at all startling, and is indeed testimony to the common sense of US Americans. With solutions to border, immigration, and guest worker...

Link only, per FR copyright and posting policy

(CNN) – Two members of the Senate’s Democratic caucus have called for Joe Lieberman to lose his committee chairmanship. On Sunday, North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan didn’t go that far — but did say the Connecticut senator’s actions during the campaign were “not acceptable,” as Republican Sen. Jon Kyl said the GOP would “welcome [Lieberman] with open arms.”