A LOSS FOR THE GOOD GUYS – AT 9:37 P.M. ET:  Republican Senator John Kyl of Arizona, the second-ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership, announced today that he will not be standing for reelection next year. 

This is a major loss.  Kyl is one of the best Republican leaders, and an attractive and reasonable man.  He is especially strong on foreign policy, and I'm concerned that many of the new GOP members of the Senate and House are not.  (Rand Paul comes to mind.) 

Arizona is, generally, a Republican state, and the current conventional wisdom is that Kyl's seat will remain in Republican hands.  But Arizona can surprise us.  The current secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, was governor of Arizona, and is a Democrat.  I suspect the Democrats will contest the seat vigorously.

February 10, 2011