Thursday, January 22, 2009

Kyl disappointed with Obama inaugural address

January 21st, 2009 @ 9:50am

by Jon Zimney/KTAR

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, second-ranking Republican in the Senate, was not impressed with President Barack Obama's inaugural address.

"His speech was not high-brow, it was more low-brow and a bit surprising in that regard," said the Senate Minority Whip.

Kyl said he felt that Obama took an unfair shot at the Bush Administration and that he suggested that anyone who does not agree with his policies is unpatriotic.

"It's fine to say you're going to do your best to be a leader, you're going to do your best to deal with the problems at home, but you don't have to contrast with the previous administration," Kyl said.

He took exception to Obama's call for "an end to petty grievances" and a political truce in Washington.

"If the idea is we have to avoid controversy by getting in line behind his proposals, that's not patriotism," Kyl said. "If he is asking that everybody agree with him and thereby have a truce, that's not going to work."

Kyl said Obama's proposed economic stimulus package "is, in my view, awful."

"It's very expensive, it will do very little to stimulate the economy. It's essentially just making good on an awful lot of Democrat political promises over the years that they haven't had a vehicle to attach to."

Kyl said he has every right to question and debate the issue, and cast a "no" vote if he wants, without being considered "unpatriotic."

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