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* Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias spoke separately to a Metropolitan Planning Council gathering today. Giannoulias hung out afterwards before and answered media questions, but Kirk beat it outta there in a hurry…
As soon as that was done — with a swarm of TV cameras and reporters moving toward the front of the ballroom– Mr. Kirk bolted for a back door.
With media in hot pursuit, he raced through a Hyatt kitchen and into the back set of a black SUV — I believe it was a Cadillac Escalade — which instantly pealed out.
I can’t help but wonder if Kirk’s escape looked like this, without the screaming girls, of course…
*** UPDATE 1 *** The AP is now, um, running with the story…
Kirk eluded reporters Monday by quickly ducking out a back door and into a waiting vehicle after speaking at a Chicago hotel.
The longtime congressman from Chicago’s northern suburbs has been on the defensive after acknowledging he exaggerated his military record.
Politico picked it up as well.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Tribune…
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk has dodged reporters for a week after acknowledging he embellished stories about his military service. Today, Kirk ran from a pack of reporters today after speaking for about 20 minutes at a forum held by the Metropolitan Planning Council where Giannoulias had spoken earlier. Kirk ran through a back door through a kitchen prep area and onto a loading dock where a car waited for him.
The rapid departure came after Kirk offered his answers on a series of pre-arranged questions dealing with planning and urban growth issues such as public transit to Lake Michigan’s water levels.
* While we’re talking about the Republicans, do you remember this bold statement?…
IL GOP’s Executive Curt Conrad said IL GOP Chairman Pat Brady and the new Finance Committee has raised more funds in the first four months of 2010 than was raised in 2009 altogether.
The IL GOP raised $1,398,784.77 in 2009.
The party’s latest report shows it raised $486,905.32 $371,604.58 through the end of May - five months, not four.
And its cash on hand was a startlingly puny $55,200.35.
Yikes.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Chairman Brady just called to say they actually raised “close to $750,000″ so far this year through about six accounts and has about $360K on hand in those accounts.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:50 pm
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Of course we’ll have to see what the IL GOP reports in their seperate State PAC account after the state reporting period ends June 30. (Just like the Dems, the State GOP has a federal and a state account.)
But yes, given past history, it’s safe to assume the IL GOP hasn’t been honest, thus feeding the vicious cycle where Republicans don’t want to give.
Comment by just sayin' Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:57 pm
JS,, the usual practice for them is to move that state money into their federal account almost right away.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 2:58 pm
I’m sure you’re right Rich. Also interesting to note they pay salaries and consulting fees through the federal account, possibly because it’s harder to navigate the FEC site and find things.
Gotta give props to the IL Board of Elections which has always had a more user friendly site than the Feds, even before their recent big overhaul.
Comment by just sayin' Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:05 pm
You were not there Rich, it was surging with girls. The Metropolitan Planning Council is notorious for their large collection of screaming Republican fans….
Comment by OneMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:05 pm
They told veryone how well they were doing, so no one though they eded more money
It would be interesting to see if they are seeing a loss with the money showing up at ta parties.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:09 pm
Rich, according to the FEC report, the IL GOP only really raised $371,604.58 in the first five months, because they began the year with approx. $115,000 cash-on-hand on Jan. 1. It’s even worse than it looks on paper.
I guess IL GOP must have “misremembered” what they raised when they bragged to the media.
Comment by Whatever Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:09 pm
W, thanks. Guess that nap didn’t help. Two oopsies in one post.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:12 pm
Rich, the lack of money in the GOP till does not bode well for the party prospects this fall, especially Brady, unless he digs into his own pocket…
Just wait until the opposition airs their Brady didn’t pay taxes ad…I ran this fact by a couple of my relatives yesterday, and even though it was legal, they thought this was an abomination…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:18 pm
Mark Kirk a coward?
Big shocker there.
The guy has repeatedly lied about being shot at, in Kosovo, in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
What kind of man tells this kind of lie?
A coward. He can’t even face reporters if they haven’t been told in advance by management to give Kirk good coverage.
When things were tough for Alexi Giannoulias he took the questions. He took the heat.
Kirk? Kirk has shown over and over he’s a coward.
Kirk wouldn’t ever run against perennial loser Andy McKenna in the primary.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:43 pm
From Twitter
daveweigel
Man, Mark Kirk’s tracker is getting some interesting video. http://bit.ly/xG766
9 minutes ago via TweetDeck
Comment by I'm Just Saying Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:48 pm
Geez Carl, a coward? That’s a little rough.
I’m sure we all know what kind of bravery it takes to travel to these war zones, and do nothing but use the time for campaign work while real soldiers did the soldiering.
If he was man enough to use his deployments for political work, we should all realize he’s also man enough to lie about it later.
Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:54 pm
6 accounts? Guess someone will have to continue fact-checking the IL GOP. Why don’t they give up the bragging and just let their reports speak for themselves?? With real numbers.
Comment by Whatever Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 3:57 pm
Running from the press wouldn’t be necessary if Mr. Scott could just get our transporter operational!
You can help Scotty “beam us up” to victory by donating a just few Federation credits to our campaign!
http://twitter.com/CaptKirk4Senate
Comment by Capt. Kirk for Senate Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:05 pm
So what’s the news?
He got into a Cadillac Escalade?
He didn’t hang around for questions?
He didn’t stay?
Whatever it is, it has you people making statements that are very embarrassing. You are calling a US Senate candidate a coward over this?
You all know what this was. He didn’t want to take questions he didn’t want to answer. He moved on as soon as he could. Big deal.
What you are smelling isn’t blood in the water, it is your own hot gasses.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:12 pm
Just wait. By the end of the week both Campaigns will release “official” youtube videos of this event. One will include girls screaming and begging for autographs. The other will include an angry mob of women carrying torches and 2×4s.
However, the only controversy that will spill over into the following week will be whether Kirk actually stopped, while in the kitchen, to share a few cooking tips with the chef as he ran out, and whether that qualifies him for executive or sous-chef status.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:14 pm
This has been Kirk’s election to lose. He was not my choice. The hillbuzz bloggers would have said that young men were running after Kirk screaming like girls.
The IL GOP never ceases to disappoint people who really believe the party platform. Sigh.
Comment by Peggy SO-IL Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:15 pm
- You all know what this was. -
Yeah, its called politics, and its not always the fairest game in town Vman. Get over it.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:21 pm
OK, Peggy.
THREE “reality-based” videos then.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:25 pm
mark kirk avoiding the illinois media. that isn’t a story. that’s a long-time pattern.
bet he’s still returning the calls of the washpost and nytimes…
Comment by bored now Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:28 pm
He’s running from his base? That’s an odd strategy, don’t you think?
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:31 pm
Yeah, its called politics, and its not always the fairest game in town Vman. Get over it.
I am telling you and others like you that the people who are getting over this are the voters. They recognize that this is the kind of political crapfest that has been passing for election year issues for far too long in Illinois.
Blagojevich didn’t just stink up the governor’s mansion. The fact that he was re-elected has set a new low for politics in Illinois. When someone like Blagojevich wins, it gives hope to political people out there who have no answers to any of our issues, it gives hope to political consultants who need to justify working for vermin with political office stars in their eyes.
Thanks to 2006, we have candidates without any qualifications whatsoever spending millions not to help Illinois, but to play political games in order to win a game.
This means doing oppositional research on anything that can smear the other guy. Rumor? Something that happened when he was still legally a minor? Something he wrote on his job application to get that job at Burger King? A harmless statement that could be considered insulting to someone? The fact that she was Treasurer while Ryan was governor? The fact that he was Treasurer while Blagojevich was governor?
It doesn’t matter to these people. They just want to win. It doesn’t matter how they got the money to pay for the ads. It doesn’t matter how low they go. It doesn’t matter who they bury in slander. Their only scruples are the ones they decided on during the last conference call.
Voter are sick of this. So go ahead and do the happy dance. Enjoy yourselves. Because few others are dancing with you. Because we’re voting based on reality, not your political spin.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:47 pm
The best thing I like about this thread is the 10 minute Beatle clip.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:50 pm
===Voter are sick of this.===
And you have polling data to back that up, right?
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:51 pm
Yeah, Six, me too.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:52 pm
We’ll see.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:53 pm
OK, VMan, fine. But let’s try to avoid couching opinions as hard facts here.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 4:54 pm
CommandoKirk on the lam
NoTaxBill & NoReturnMcGurn releasing yawner ads
GagsBrady begging for nickels outside the Northwestern …err Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Complex
Yup, another superduper year for ILGOP
Better get KJ and Bill to raise some buckos on the qt
Fire,Aim, Ready
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 5:03 pm
rich- it has been a rough road for the il gop this yr fund raising wise…. any guesses how june 30 will go for them??
GREAT CLIP!!
Comment by quinn fan Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 5:05 pm
Rich - Who do you think runs faster from the press: Mark Kirk or Sharon Angle?
I mean, like obstacle course through hotel kitchens speed, not 40-yard dash speed.
Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 5:13 pm
It’s too bad they didn’t hold that event at the Conrad Hilton because I could’ve posted “The Fugitive” footage of the kitchen fight. lol
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 5:26 pm
Mark Kirk hasn’t run away in terror like that since the nursery school baby uprising of 1983.
Comment by just sayin' Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 5:28 pm
You can decline to answer questions while walking at a dignified pace. Add gravitas to the list of missing character traits. You’re not Scooby Doo running from a monster.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 5:40 pm
Not if you might be trying to set a record for “obstacle course through hotel kitchens speed”, Anon 5:40, or are in a hurry–and possibly trying to avoid press to some extent after a very “controversial” week or two.
I’m guessing he’s probably aware that he’s going to have to deal with all of this at some point. He probably decided this wasn’t the time–and maybe that was actually a good call on his part.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 6:05 pm
Many will argue that he still has some ’splainin’ to do–and I’ll even agree–but maybe a bit of “quiet time” is in order, too, so that everyone can sift through what’s been going on to determine what’s really still important–and what’s not–to the Voters.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 6:15 pm
And, maybe, for both campaigns to “reflect” a little on how they’ve been behaving to determine whether any changes to their approaches may be required for the Voters’ sake.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 6:16 pm
Going back to June 1st, every day except the 16th there’s a post on this blog talking about Kirk’s problems. Today is the 21st. How bad is Kirk’s campaign team? How can you not get your candidate’s name out of the paper after three straigh weeks? At what point do the DC Republicans step in and make them fire some people, or everyone?
This is why the polls are saying that only 10% of people believe Kirk. Every day when they open the paper they see a new story that reinforces the point from the day before. This is the political version of compound interest.
Comment by Screwball Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 6:20 pm
I suppose Mark Kirk would have done better to tell the full truth well the story broke.
Instead he retreats to a new lie or partial truth.
And then his new defensive position gets overrun.
So, Kirk supporters, what’s your theory on why he can’t tell the truth all at once?
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 6:28 pm
Cheers to another Mark Kirk Disaster!
Comment by Moving to Oklahoma Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 8:55 pm
When you say he pulled a “Ringo”… do you mean he was replaced in the Senate many times with a bunch of session players?
Comment by Gregor Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 10:44 pm
I heard Mark Kirk’s resume also says he invented Grape Kool-Aide and flew the “slot” position for the Blue Angels in the 1998 season…. is this going to wind up like a variant of the Chuck Norris list of facts by November?
Seriously, who thought a little thing like this would have tripped up his campaign? When you look at his already impressive credentials, what need did he have to embellish? Maybe it’s true that all politiclans are byt nature very insecure people and are always doubting they are really ‘good enough’.
Well, I take that back: I know *one* politician that is still convinced he’s God’s Gift… but I don’t think the jury is buying it…
Comment by Gregor Monday, Jun 21, 10 @ 10:49 pm
Kirk and Alexi — what a couple of lightweights.
The first big race I covered was Percy vs. Simon. That was a knock down, drag out, brawl. But both of them were serious, accomplished men. I can’t figure out which of these guys today is the biggest nobody.
Check out the Greenie. If he’s not nuts, lets vote for him.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 8:40 am
It’s not Ringo, he pulled a Rosti!
Don’t you remember the time Rostenkowski ran out of a meeting with Seniors, hopped in his car (Cadillac?) and nearly ran down some poor guy in a walker?
Comment by Don't Worry, Be Happy Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 8:50 am
I was at the MPC speech, and I think the bigger gaffe on Kirk’s part was his failed “shot” at Alexi about the infrastructure “bank” (and that it’s one back the FDIC shouldn’t take over or something like that). On a panel where the candidates were being asked serious questions by Lynn Sweet and giving fairly straight, policy-based answers, it just came across as a cheap shot. Most everyone in the room groaned in embarrassment for Kirk.
Comment by ChicagoR Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 9:08 am
I was not impressed with ABC7’s coverage.
I felt like they were trying to make their video fit the narrative set by Hinz.
If you missed the shot, you missed the shot.
Cover what you photographed and saw. Provide context yes. But don’t go along with a narrative just b/c someone else is and the narrative is sexy.
That’s how we ended-up invading Iraq. All the media outlets were trying for the sexiest story instead of looking for the truth.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 9:13 am
Rosty’s driver put an old lady on the hood of his Caddy. She was a notch baby, if you remember that Social Security issue.
Prison probably saved Rosty’s life. He did his time and sobered up. He developed an arrogance of power as Ways and Means chair, but on balance, he was one helluva Congressman. A real guy from Milwaukee Ave., not a blow-dry, mid-market weatherman like the folks in Congress today.
Back in the day, I was at an event at Daley Plaza for Lech Walesa shortly after the wall came down. We were celebrating the defeat of the Soviets and the end of the Cold War, but man it was freezing outside. Big Jim gave the most stirring introduction I ever heard for Congressman Danny. It was 30 below and the tears were freezing on our faces.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 9:16 am
1) “Many will argue that he still has some ’splainin’ to do…”
This may be true, but this is a classic problem he’s facing. His campaign is trying to avoid a feeding frenzy. If they stonewall, they run the risk that Alexi, media & other Kirk critics will use that to justify further “feeding frenzy” behavior. However, if they come out to address it, it could backfire and create more of a frenzy. The reality is, Alexi and Kirk critics will NEVER be “satisified” or deem the issue put to rest unless & until either Kirk loses, the campaign is over, or the media stops enabling the feeding frenzy. It’s a classic political problem.
2) I’m shocked that the ILGOP is having so much trouble w/ funding. I know they’ve burned folks before in the past and party morale was at gutter level for 6-8 years post-Ryan. But this should be a killer year for the GOP. If anything, they should be at baseline level, if not 20%-50% more inflow of cash. What’s the deal? Is is that McKenna’s wealthy friends just aren’t kicking in as much cash now that he’s no longer in charge? Pat Brady is a pretty solid and professional guy. The moneyed North Shore types ought not be “frightened” by him. Additionally, there are at least a few reasonably conservative candidates on the GOP ballot this year to please some of the grassroots–Brady, Rutherford, Hultgren, Kinzinger, Rauschenberger at the state senate level, etc. Perhaps the money is going directly to campaigns themselves as opposed to the ILGOP or other party groups like the HRO? This is baffling….
Comment by John Galt Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 9:16 am
What is really ashame is that we have these two guys to vote between only because they have millions of dollars to get elected in the primary. Until there is a cap on spending in primaries, we will end up with goofballs that have money. people who lie, whether its imbellishing, misremembered, or just plain bullsh*t. The bank, the military, the college fund, the teacher issues, I mean really, what in the heck and why in the heck do we have to choose between 2 lieing basta*ds ? Why ?
Comment by Stallion Tuesday, Jun 22, 10 @ 9:57 am