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* This is good news…
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is making his first trip to central Illinois since his January 2012 stroke.
Kirk’s keynote appearance at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday will be his first major political event since he revealed his intention to run for re-election in 2016.
The Highland Park Republican was first elected to President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat in 2010 and has been influential in reshaping the party’s political strategy.
Kirk’s spokesman says the senator will not endorse anyone in the 2014 Republican primary.
…Adding… Kirk won’t be endorsing in the gubernatorial primary. Apparently, he’s keeping his options open on the other races.
Kirk is also the special guest at Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka’s annual State Fair reception.
* More…
Kirk, the Illinois GOP’s top officeholder, was first elected to President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat in 2010. Before being sidelined for nearly a year by an ischemic stroke in Jan. 2012, he played an instrumental role in reshaping the party’s political strategy, both in revamping fundraising efforts and in working with the Illinois delegation to avoid costly primary matchups, which he refers to as “red on red” warfare.
Kirk’s renewed efforts, many of which will likely be behind the scenes, come at a pivotal time as Republicans work to reclaim the governor’s mansion and win several top-tier congressional races in 2014.
“I think it’s incredibly important to our viability,” said Jack Dorgan, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. “Any time a U.S. senator gets involved in something, people stand up and take note.”
* Kirk is also hosting a veterans’ jobs fair with Aaron Schock…
It’s billed as one of the biggest veterans events the area has seen, and the two federal lawmakers sponsoring it hope they can help hundreds throughout the region.
On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, are pooling their efforts for the Central Illinois Veterans Employment and Resources Fair, which they say is unlike anything. More than 150 vendors, organizations and employers will be at Bradley University’s Renaissance Coliseum.
Veterans can get free health screenings from Veterans Administration medical staff, attend breakout sessions on how to prepare a resume, how to obtain a union card and how to navigate the VA claims system.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 9:58 am
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It is good news.
Interesting to see, as well, that one of his first public events is with Schock, who has been taking a beating from the Club for Growth-type inquisitors.
Farmer Bruce might know a thing or two about that.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 10:06 am
Last month Senator Kirk was one of 16 Republican Senators who signed a letter to Harry Reid essentially saying that they would not support a continuing resolution that included funding for Obamacare. They were prepared to shut down the federal government to stop implementation of the healthcare legislation. When several House and Senate Republicans derided the idea, Kirk was one of five Senators who asked that their name be removed from the letter.
Not only did he sign on to a stupid strategy but after the health issues he had and continues to have I think voting to deny others access to affordable healthcare is close to unconscionable.
I wish him nothing but continued good health but he has lost my respect.
Comment by And I Approved This Message Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 10:19 am
Great news.
I wish only the best for Sen. Kirk.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 10:26 am
Along the same lines, good to see he is back in good health but anyone who follows U.S. Senate votes will notice he has voted with the teapublicans far too often to be considered a moderate any longer.
He may talk a good game, yes; but his votes shoe he is very very far from the moderate he presents himself as.
Comment by low level Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 10:29 am
I would say that using a continuing resolution as opposed to passing a budget is a pretty “stupid strategy”.
Comment by Phenomynous Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 10:33 am
== He may talk a good game, yes; but his votes shoe he is very very far from the moderate he presents himself as==
I dont agree with you, low level. Kirk remains one of the few moderate GOP voices in the Senate. He has one of the lowest GOP unity scores, voting against his party about 30% of the time according to OpenCongress. I hope he continues to keep an open mind to future issues as they come up in the Senate.
Comment by Pierce & Pierce Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 10:42 am
Kirk has always acted differently in Washington, than he talked at home. Perhaps that’s hard to avoid in his caucus.
Good for him in continuing to get better, and working for vets.
Comment by walkinfool Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 11:17 am
Pierce&Pierce: thanks for that info.
Perhaps 30% off of “GOP unity” is as good as we can get toward moderation.
Comment by walkinfool Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 11:37 am
everyone knows that i’m no fan of kirk’s, but he definitely is in what constitutes the “moderate” camp among senate republicans. minority leader mcconnell has enforced a pretty strict regime on senate republicans on fiscal issues, so you’d have to remove all those votes when looking at whether kirk has been a follower to the tea party doctrine in the senate…
Comment by bored now Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 12:48 pm
I will say it because you guys won’t. There’s not a lot of precedent in recent american political history for a statewide candidate running for re-election coming off a stroke. If Republicans as many people expect they will in 2014 retake the senate and keep the house, this senate seat will be democrats top target in 2016 towards the path of retaking control of the senate and potentially avoiding a teaparty gop controlling the white house-senate-house in 2017.
Now you look at the fly around schedules dillard put out to start his campaign last july. If it’s taken kirk 1.5 years just to make appearances like this, can he even do that in a race like that? can he keep the schedule, how does he do debates when he has to rapid fire punch and respond? Then there’s the fundraising.
Comment by shore Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 1:08 pm
Shore, LBJ had a near-fatal heart attack in 1955 and went on to run two national campaigns.
Ike also had a serious heart attack in 1955 and went on to a landslide re-election the next year.
Heck, Reagan was shot and almost died but won big three years later.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 1:15 pm
Poor Shore - back at it again…
Comment by Doooode Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 1:49 pm
Kirk may very well have a difficult time in winning the next Republican primary.
He often waffles all over the place and now appears to be a another pro amnesty supporter. If he continues in his present ways there will undoubtedly be a backlash against him and someone will come forth to challenge him.
And unless they are a real nut case they can probably beat him. He is being supported by establishment Republicans but they will not carry the election for him on election day. He is increasingly persona non grata among many voters of a Republican persuasion.
Comment by Federalist Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 3:05 pm
“Kirk may very well have a difficult time in winning the next Republican primary.”
Not likely. Kirk will do fine. He has more than sufficient cover from his own party on immigration. There’s just nobody out there of any note on the Republican side who wants to take him on in a primary.
The only one I can think of would be somebody like Joe Walsh, and that would be doing Sen. Kirk a giant favor.
Probably the only Democrat who could win a Senate race would be Lisa Madigan, and that would be a brutal fight for her. No cakewalk.
Comment by Judgment Day Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 4:09 pm
But you missed the most important quote, Rich, i.e., Kirk’s ability to do the right thing has never been questioned.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 13, 13 @ 5:00 pm