* CNBC…

Along with mayors, many Republican politicians down the ballot in state and federal offices have been avoiding Trump. Republicans in endangered seats, like Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson or Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, have been particularly hesitant to endorse him, and in some cases have outright rebuked him. Struggling with a divisive nominee, The New York Times reported some GOP senators have even received fundraising help from an unusual source: former President George W. Bush.

* But, apparently, Bush won’t be helping Sen. Kirk…

Former President George W. Bush is lending a hand to vulnerable Republicans in competitive Senate races across the country this summer, CNN reported Friday, but Illinois U.S. Senator Mark Kirk is not among them.

Either Kirk is viewed as not vulnerable or not competitive, no explanation was offered.

Bush has attended fundraisers for Arizona Sen. John McCain and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, and will attend upcoming events for Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, according to The New York Times.

Well, we know he’s vulnerable, so that’s not a good explanation. Maybe it’s as simple as no events are scheduled yet.

But another reason might be that W was (and likely remains) hugely unpopular here. He got clobbered by John Kerry in 2004, while a certain Chicago state legislator launched his national career by running a largely anti-Bush campaign for US Senate.

Bush’s second midterm in 2006 was an unmitigated disaster here, and wound up handing the state Senate Democrats a super-majority. Also, people tend to believe the “polka” footage of George Ryan dancing with Judy Baar Topinka tanked her campaign. But the people I know in the Rod Blagojevich campaign swore that the video they used of her appearing with Bush at a Chicago event did far more damage. Whatever it was, RRB won by ten points. The trend was most definitely his friend.

…Adding… My theory has been confirmed.