Arizona senator Kyl praises Lowden at valley GOP fundraiser

By LAURA MYERS

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., on Saturday dismissed criticism of Sue Lowden for suggesting people can barter with their doctors, calling the gaffe by the GOP front-runner in the Senate race a "distraction" ginned up by her opponent, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., if she wins the Republican primary.

Kyl, the powerful Republican minority whip in the U.S. Senate, came to Las Vegas to show his support for Lowden's bid to win the GOP nomination in the crowded primary.

Kyl was the main draw at a fundraising lunch with other Republicans held at the Las Vegas Valley home of a Lowden supporter.

The Arizona senator said top Republicans in Washington weren't worried about Lowden's candidacy in light of her bartering comments, which she defended by noting that in the old days people even traded chickens.

Her defense was mocked by the Reid campaign, the Democratic Party and late-night comedians and in videos of her remarks mixed with barnyard animals or men in chicken suits.

"Heavens no," Kyl said when asked if the GOP was concerned about Lowden's campaign.

"That's a distraction and I think people realize that is not her plan for health care. She was discussing a historical reality. But she was not saying it's part of her health care plan."

Without mentioning Reid by name, Kyl added, "That is the kind of distraction an opponent who doesn't have much to talk about will frequently create."

The health insurance reform law was Reid's signature accomplishment but has been attacked by GOP critics who call it a government takeover.

A conservative, Kyl said he supports Lowden in the Senate race because he has known the former Nevada Republican Party chairwoman for some time and they are from neighboring states.

"Her views and mine are quite close," Kyl said in an inter­view with the Review-Journal. "And she's very electable."

Asked if Kyl was officially endorsing Lowden, he said he has contributed to her campaign and came to Nevada to help her, "and if that means an endorsement, so be it."

Kyl said he has "no animus toward Senator Reid," but he said the Senate majority leader must represent the positions of his Democratic Party caucus more these days than the views of Nevadans.

Reid has rejected that criticism, saying he has never forgotten his roots and comes home often.

"I suspect when he first entered politics in Nevada he represented the state well," Kyl said, adding that times change. "I think Sue would be more representative of the voters here in Nevada."

Lowden, a former state senator, has lost ground to her closest GOP opponent, Danny Tarkanian, since she made her bartering comments at a town hall in Mesquite, but she remains about 10 points ahead of him and far out front of the rest of the dozen-strong field, according to recent polls.

On Friday, Lowden launched a TV campaign commercial that accuses her opponents of taking her words "out of context" and playing dirty politics. But the Reid campaign shot back that she clearly was talking about ways to save money on health care and is late in trying to fix her fumbling.

Kyl also discussed the hot election-year topic of illegal immigration with Arizona in the news for passing a new law that would give law enforcement the right to ask suspected illegal immigrants about their legal status if they're stopped or arrested for some other offense.

On Friday, Kyl and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is in a close re-election race, introduced a 10-point border security plan to combat illegal immigration, drug and human smuggling, and violent crime along the southwestern border.

The bill includes deploying National Guard troops, an increase in U.S. Border Patrol agents and 700 miles of fencing, along with other equipment and funding upgrades.

Asked if his federal proposal would mean there is no need for the state law, Kyl said, "It's unclear. It depends on how long it would take to shut off the spigot of illegal immigrants. But there wouldn't be a need if the state border were secure."

Reid also has proposed a Democratic plan for comprehensive immigration reform. It also focuses on improving border security, but would set out a path for citizenship for the estimated 12 million people who have been living in the United States illegally.

It's not certain whether any of the immigration and border security proposals will go forward this year, however, with the political stakes so high and the Hispanic vote in play.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.