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* Tribune…
The rhetoric continued to escalate in the U.S. Senate race Wednesday, as Republican Sen. Mark Kirk accused Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth of mocking stroke victims when she characterized him as “unhinged” for likening President Barack Obama to the nation’s “drug dealer in chief” over the January Iran prisoner release deal. […]
On Tuesday, the Democrat appeared at the City Club of Chicago for a speech in which she characterized Kirk as “unhinged” for his comments on the Obama administration sending $400 million to Iran as U.S. hostages were being released as part of the multination agreement aimed at reducing the Middle Eastern country’s ability to build a nuclear weapon. Kirk likened Obama to the nation’s “drug dealer in chief” last week in an appearance before a Springfield newspaper editorial board.
Duckworth assigned to Kirk a term defined as “mentally deranged.” But Duckworth backed off when asked by reporters if voters should take into consideration any possible aftereffects of her opponent’s stroke. […]
“She is so desperate to run for office she would denigrate any stroke victim in America and make fun of them and that’s awful. You shouldn’t do that. For people who have strokes, they can make tremendous comebacks mentally and physically,” said Kirk, who also rejected Duckworth’s call for an apology to Obama.
This is at least the second time that the paper reported that Duckworth “backed off” her original comment. But that would only be the case if Duckworth had actually tried to connect Kirk’s stroke to the “unhinged” remark.
* Here’s what she said during her speech…
Senator Kirk has joined the rogue’s gallery of the President’s fiercest — and most unhinged — critics, and for that he should be ashamed. What he said is beneath the dignity of the office he now holds, and Senator Kirk should apologize immediately to the President, as well as to the people of Illinois.
* Sun-Times…
Duckworth on Tuesday called Kirk “unhinged” for his comments and urged him to apologize.
“If you look at all of the things he’s said, I think he lacks the ability to control what he’s saying, and you can look at the numerous gaffes that he’s had over the years,” Duckworth said after a City Club of Chicago event.
The Democrat sidestepped reporters’ questions about whether she was suggesting Kirk was suffering after effects from his stroke.
* Here’s her subsequent exchange with reporters…
Bill Cameron [WLS 890 AM radio]: You said [Senator Kirk] was unhinged. Is it that bad?
Cong. Duckworth: Well, if you look at all the things he has said, I think that [Senator Kirk] lacks the ability to control what he is saying. And, you can look at the numerous gaffes that he has had over the years.
Derrick Blakely [NBC-5 News]: Is that inability due to his stroke?
Mike Flannery [Fox 32 News] : Unhinged?
Cong. Duckworth: I do think [Senator Kirk] is unhinged. To call the Commander in Chief—basically comparing [the President] to a drug dealer. I think that is a significant thing for a United States Senator to say. I mean this is the same man who called one of his colleagues ‘a bro with no ho,’ it’s not befitting of a United States Senator.
* She was then asked: “Tammy, if that lack of ability is a result of the after-effects of the stroke, should voters take that into consideration?” Her response…
I think that is, uh, the furthest thing that people should look at. People should look at the fact that he’s been ineffective as a Senator.
It seems to me that the reporters really wanted her to talk about Kirk’s stroke and she wasn’t taking the bait. Maybe I’m wrong, though. Watch the video yourself and let us know what you think…
* What she most definitely side-stepped, however, was a question about her support for President Bush’s big tax cuts. She has blasted Kirk for voting for the tax cuts, but she backed those same cuts in her 2006 congressional campaign. Her excuse was that she never actually voted for the cuts.
* Related…
* Editorial: Mark Kirk’s mouth bites him again
* Editorial: In Senate race, voters deserve better; Illinois needs more
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:23 am
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Ugh. Can it be Wednesday, November 9 already?
Comment by illini97 Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:29 am
Blakely is with CBS for what it’s worth (and it’s someone else’s transcript so not a dig at our proprietor).
To the post: It did feel a bit like Duckworth was saying “it” while not saying “it” but I don’t think that was her intention. Does it make you wince? Yes. Was it malicious? No.
At the same time, Sen. Kirk says and has said a lot of stupid stuff since being elected to the Senate. He calls Cong. Duckworth desperate? Please - his control of faculties isn’t the issue. Mark Kirk is the issue.
Comment by Curious Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:32 am
In fairness to Rep. Duckworth I don’t think she intended to bring the stroke issue into it. However, the fact remains that Sen. Kirk went through a major, life-threatening and debilitating medical issue. While I think the perspective of a stroke victim in Congress is a valuable one, some of his statements may raise concerns for voters that he is somehow affected by the lingering effects of his medical issues so that he cannot fully serve. He says he is fine, and I’d like to be able to take him at his word. Ability to fulfill the duties of the office is a fair question in my opinion. All this being said, I also think Rep. Duckworth provides a valuable perspective in Congress as a wounded veteran. I just wish the tone and level of rhetoric in this race would rise dramatically.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:33 am
Yep, these are the two choices.
Comment by Federalist Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:36 am
I find it funny that Duckworth calls Kirk an ineffective Senator when she’s rated one of the least effective congress(wo)man
Comment by Clark Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:44 am
== I think he lacks the ability to control what he’s saying,==
Those are her words and that is where the stroke thing comes in. A person can reasonably agree or disagree with what Tammy is saying about Kirk not being able to control what comes out of his mouth. But nobody’s buying that she isn’t throwing up his stroke when she uses that phrase and those words. She’s being too cute by half when she pretends otherwise.
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:45 am
Puhlease. People have been saying the same things about Trump, are those digs at stroke victims?
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:52 am
Sadly, Rep Duckworth seems to have ‘forgotten’ or won’t acknowledge all that then Cong. Kirk did for IL, the nation and the world well before the 2012 stroke. On Veterans issues alone I’d ask her to visit the Capt. James Lovell Healthcare Center for starters. Then I’d ask her to drive through the homes that replaced the rickety shacks at Ft. Sheridan that once housed our Veterans until Cong. Kirk totally rebuilt that area. Kirk’s commitment to Veterans issues goes well beyond the 10th District. Since his stroke his words aren’t always “PC” and that’s regrettable. If one looks at the totality of his successes as a Congressman and a Senator since his stroke, there is much to applaud. On Foreign Policy he ranks at the top in moving legislation to protect our nation’s interests and that of our allies. As a Congressman and as a Senator, Kirk has shown the kind of rock-solid bi-partisanship that we need in Congress. Rep. Duckworth’s successes? What has she done that benefits Veterans? What are her legislative successes since she was first elected? It’s easy to knock and criticize but her statement that he hasn’t traveled the State is ridiculous. Just as her service to our nation is appreciated, so to should Kirk’s 22 plus years of Naval Reserve service be recognized and appreciated. It IS by those honest enough to stand and be counted. I hope the egregious name calling ends and substantive discussions and debates are the order of the day so that voters know WHY they’re choosing to send Senator Mark Kirk back to the US Senate. He deserves to be judged and elected on the merits of all he has done for our State, nation and world these past 16 years.
Comment by interested voter Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:52 am
People have had to be exceedingly careful in their words and tactics running against Tammy. She is a severely wounded veteran. The delicacy of running against someone in that circumstance is a super high priority.
She and her people should know better. Fishing anywhere near the spot she was is dangerous. She’s now learning all the lessons her opponents had to learn in tactical and diplomatic campaigning.
She is having a tough time with this.
Comment by A guy Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:54 am
=== But nobody’s buying that she isn’t throwing up his stroke when she uses that phrase and those words===
Meh.
People were saying that about Kirk 6 years ago when he was saying equally weird things.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 11:59 am
Good point a guy. I would think Rep. Duckworth would be super sensitive and rightly so to anyone telling her that she can’t do something because of her injuries. She now has to be careful with what she says as well.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:03 pm
===If one looks at the totality of his successes as a Congressman and a Senator since his stroke, there is much to applaud.===
Does that include, pre and post stroke, all the crazy things Kirk has said, including some sketchy accounts of things that happened during his military service?
The picture you paint is very… rosey. If it’s so rosey, how can this race be this close?
With respect.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:04 pm
Mark Kirk has always been a loose cannon.
Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:07 pm
9 and a half minutes of Tammy Duckworth doubling down in front of an incredulous press of her “unhinged” statements. Made her look terrible.
Mark Kirk committed “malpractice” as a U.S. Senator by voting for the Iraq war, but when Hillary’s vote gets mentioned, she avoids calling her out as well. “He lacks the ability to control what he is saying” but then double talks her way out of that one, wanting to have both ways on the stroke recovery issue. “Are you focusing on what he has said or what he has done?”
The over the top Duckworth statements have hurt her as much as Kirk’s statements have hurt him. What I see happening now is the shrillness of the Democratic response to Kirk’s statements have become a new campaign issue. The questioning and the tone of the voices asking those questions by the press clearly signals their disbelief that she is not attempting to link Kirk’s stroke and recovery to his “inability to control what he is saying.”
With Exelon about to pull the plug on several nuclear power plants in Illinois, Duckworth knows nothing about it and nothing about some Federal Regulations being pushed for to stall out those closings? She’ll get briefed on all that and more when she goes back to Washington “next month?” Is THAT an example of “malpractice” Tammy on YOUR part?
Like Hillary Clinton, Duckworth strangely seems overly determined to defeat herself. Sometimes it is best to shut up and not run your mouth. Trump is the classic example of that. Duckworth and Kirk should both learn their lessons from that, but clearly they haven’t.
Pathetic race to the bottom here. Absolutely pathetic.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:13 pm
Neither candidate seems to choose words wisely. Perhaps both have become unhinged.
Comment by Keyser Soze Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:17 pm
Either one will help keep illinois limping along
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:25 pm
Kirk can’t hide behind his stroke forever. But that isn’t the reason I won’t vote for him.
I think he through Illinois under the bus when he said that Illinois should expect no help from the Federal government when it comes to its massive debt. Since he is representing Illinois, he should have been pushing for any help the state can get. Even if he fails, at least he is trying to help the state that elected him. So I score him as a “no-go” in his job as Senator.
Comment by A Jack Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:34 pm
I think this is harming Kirk more, because they keep restating his comment about obama. Kirk is sounding more like trump every day…..
Comment by Ghost Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:38 pm
She didn’t say anything about his stroke. She reiterated that she wasn’t referring to his stroke. So the next time….and there will be a next time…Kirk says something ridiculous like this we can’t call it out because he had a stroke?
Comment by sideline watcher Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 12:43 pm
== I think he lacks the ability to control what he’s saying,==
==Those are her words and that is where the stroke thing comes in.==
My mother lacked the ability (or the desire, we were never completely sure) to control what she was saying, and she never had a stroke. Some people are just like that. From things I’ve read, he used to be like that. Some people lack that internal censor. And calling them on it doesn’t have to mean anything other than speaking the truth.
Comment by HangingOn Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 1:07 pm
Other candidates for the US Senate: Erick Conklin (Ind); Chad Koppie (Community Party); Kenton McMillen (Libertarian); Scott Summer (Green Party).
Comment by Katich Walker, Jr. Thursday, Aug 25, 16 @ 2:30 pm
So if Kirk is saying that Duckworth is attacking all stroke victims because she called him out on his stupid comment about the President, then he is claiming that his saying stupid stuff is a result of the stroke.
If that is the case, then perhaps he is no longer qualified to be a law maker. In his job proper word selection is vital. The words he chooses to put into a bill could become the law of the land. This is nothing against stroke victims. It is a statement of fact.
If a sniper loses their sight they are probably not well suited to continue working as a sniper. If Kirk has lost his ability to choose the right words to express his position he probably shouldn’t be in a job where proper word selection is so important.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 26, 16 @ 9:30 am