* After saying that she wouldn’t support a candidate who “upholds a policy that discriminates against gays and lesbians,” then saying that she’d vote for her ex-husband Mark Kirk if she could, Mark Kirk’s former wife is now advising his campaign, even though her arch nemesis is apparently still playing a major role. From Lynn Sweet…

Kimberly Vertolli, the ex-wife of Illinois Senate nominee Mark Kirk — who recently called a top Kirk consultant, Dodie McCracken, a “kind of Svengali figure in his life” — will begin advising his campaign.

Vertolli’s role is being worked out. Vertolli said Monday that Kirk told her “he wants her to be a close adviser” and “that he trusts and respects my judgment.” […]

Vertolli, in that interview, also blamed McCracken for breaking up their marriage. “I think if Dodie McCracken had not continued to be in our lives, we probably would still be married,” she told Felsenthal. […]

The Kirk campaign wants to keep McCracken’s involvement under the radar. I’m told by several sources she is involved in day-to-day operational and strategic decision making. Kirk campaign spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski told me McCracken is a consultant who works on campaign “messaging.”

I wouldn’t want to be the campaign liaison between those two.

* Meanwhile, Politico is reporting that lots of Democratic US Senate candidates are staying mum on that proposed New York City mosque a few blocks from Ground Zero. I’ve asked Alexi Giannoulias’ campaign for comment, but have been met with radio silence so far. Kirk’s campaign issued a statement to Politico, but they only printed part of it. Here’s the full statement…

“While we protect freedom of religion, Congressman Kirk agrees with the Anti- Defamation League that sitting this mosque near ground zero causes undue pain to families of the 9/11 victims. There are legitimate calls for more transparency on the source of the estimated $100 million Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf will raise from here and abroad to build the mosque. In the end, Rauf should accept New York Governor Patterson’s offer of a convenient but less controversial site.” - Kirk spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski

You can find a decent background for how this story has blown up so big at Salon. The lede…

A group of progressive Muslim-Americans plans to build an Islamic community center two and a half blocks from ground zero in lower Manhattan. They have had a mosque in the same neighborhood for many years. There’s another mosque two blocks away from the site. City officials support the project. Muslims have been praying at the Pentagon, the other building hit on Sept. 11, for many years.

Let’s try to avoid hyperventilating in comments, please. And you might want to keep this in mind…

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

Also, take a tour of the neighborhood. And the Right is now trying to take advantage of the situation by connecting Giannoulias to a $1,000 campaign contributor.

*** UPDATE 1 *** From the AP…

Democratic Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias says he supports building a mosque near the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City.

Giannoulias said Tuesday during a visit to the Illinois State Fair in Springfield that Americans must stand up for freedom of religion even when it’s difficult.

He says he sympathizes with those who lost loved ones in the attacks, but pointed out that includes Muslims and some emergency personnel at the disaster were Muslim. […]

Giannoulias says the world is watching how America responds and says “Are we going to talk about tolerance, talk about freedom of religion or are we actually going to practice it?”

*** UPDATE 2 *** Bill Brady also weighed in today…

Republican candidate for Illinois governor Bill Brady says he thinks there’s a “lack of sensitivity” regarding the building a mosque near the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City.

Brady on Tuesday wouldn’t give an opinion on whether he supports or opposes the mosque site near Ground Zero. He said he hopes “sensitive minds will deal with this in a sensible way.”

[ *** End Of Updates *** ]

* The Giannoulias campaign is touting a new Internet video that whacks Kirk on the financial services bailout. Rate it…