PROMOTION FOR ONLINE GAMBLING'S POLITICAL NEMESIS

14 December 2007

Arizona Senator moves up in the Republican hierarchy


Online gambling's long standing arch-enemy, U.S. Republican Jon Kyl (65), is on his way up according to an article in the Arizona Republic this week. The Senator from Arizona won an uncontested party election to become the GOP's assistant leader, or minority whip.

The unanimous vote moved Kyl up the Republican ranks from the number 3 spot and put him in charge of counting votes and enforcing party discipline in a Senate controlled by Democrats.....with a national election on the horizon.

Kyl will replace Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, who is resigning his seat at the end of the year.

"We have one leader, that's Mitch McConnell (of Kentucky), and my job is assistant leader, and I appreciate that point," Kyl said after the vote. "I assured my colleagues that I would work as hard as Trent, that I would do everything I could to assist our leader in the work that we have to do in the remaining days of this session and, of course, throughout the next session."

Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander beat out North Carolina Senator Richard Burr to take Kyl's old job as head of the Republican conference.

The promotion means Kyl will take over an office suite just off the Senate floor, and it will significantly increase the time and energy he must devote to monitoring debate and parliamentary tactics in the chamber. But he said his increased influence could put him in a position to put legislation important to Arizona higher on the Senate's agenda.

Kyl was elected to the Senate in 1994 and re-elected in 2000 and 2006. Previously, he had served four terms in the House.

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