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Mark Kirk doesn’t even know where the line is

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* Congressman Mark Kirk is apparently a wee bit upset with the governor’s tax hike proposal…

“I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.”

Perhaps someone who hasn’t yet lost his or her mind in the Illinois GOP could advise this distinguished gentleman to turn it down a notch or two?

Seriously. What the heck? I mean, I’ve heard of dogwhistling the base, but that was like a foghorn in a library. I thought Kirk was supposed to be a moderate? He sounds a bit like Alan Keyes on meth. Or maybe Rod Blagojevich before he was hampered by federal bail restrictions.

* Kirk, by the way, reported raising $696,000 in the first quarter and has $597,000 on hand and said he may run for governor or US Senate.

I certainly hope his “shooting” comment wasn’t indicative of the sort of statewide campaign we can expect from him. We just got rid of one crazy guv. I’m not sure I could take another one so soon.

* Afterthought: Alexi Giannoulias raised over a million bucks in a month and Kirk raised almost 700 large in a quarter. Campaign contribution caps are really keeping the money out of DC politics, aren’t they? Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

* Meanwhile, as I told you the other day, DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom is considering a bid for governor…

Schillerstrom’s chances are far from clear. He has experienced diminishing political influence in recent years, having lost both authority and seats on the county board. Additionally, he faced harsh criticism from GOP officials for supporting a half-cent sales tax increase to fund mass transit expansion and public works projects.

On Thursday Schillerstrom held a forum to let voters speak out against Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn’s income tax increase proposal. If he were governor, Schillerstrom said, he would opt for tough cuts, even in education and health care, before raising taxes during a recession.

Besides the tax issue, there’s also all those campaign contributions from people who do bidness in the county, developers and the like. This probably won’t be the most favorable environment for him, but he’s ready to move on, so here he comes.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:14 am

Comments

Alan Keyes on meth would be “I think Jesus will shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.”

Comment by Eighty Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:26 am
lol. I stand corrected.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:28 am
Maybe Mr. Kirk is referring to those numerous tax-averse amateur photographers, who stand ready to “shoot” any legislator in the act of signing a tax increase bill.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:37 am
I don’t know what his usual M.O. is, but I just found out today he is one of a small handful of reps (both D and R) who decided to forgo asking for earmarks for FY2010. I suppose he thinks that gives him the right to talk to the talk. Or take the talk for a walk. Or something.

Comment by Cheswick Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:51 am
Shhhhh. It’s almost bedtime, and I’m trying real hard to visual kitties.

Did I fail to mention that Six (and Eighty) are right?

Oh! There’s one! Gotta go! lol

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:02 am
The real reason for the Bob Schillerstrom candidacy is that Hastert’s political boys, From and Hahn, have been whispering sweet nothings into Bob’s ear that he can win. This will give them a paycheck for 9 months. They got a lot of cash from Oberweis and it is time to hop on another gravy train.

Comment by Real Reason Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:04 am
I suspect Mark Kirk’s main motivation for running statewide for something is the savvy sense that Susan Garrett or Michael Bond each have a growing appetite to run in his ever-bluer congressional district. And against either of those two candidates, I don’t see how he survives against the blue tide.

Comment by Dan Johnson-Weinberger Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:06 am
DJWinfo, look at Illinois history. When was the last time a congressman not involved in a big scandal booted out of office?

Kirk has that seat until they map him out before the ‘12 elections, which is what this statewide talk is really about.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:08 am
P.S. Special request for a Vman lullabye that I can listen to while I’m falling asleep with my laminated IL GOP card clutched in my little hand.

Something to the tune perhaps of “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:11 am
After his shoot to kill obama mishap you would think Kirk would learn to think before he brings up shooting people.

Comment by bob the builder Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 3:20 am
Poor analysis, DJW. Did you see how Bond and Garrett both were humiliated in the last round of local elections (not to mention Terry Link’s pathetic showing, including a trouncing on the Rt. 53 referendum which he opposed). The district may be bluer, but all politics are local. The local Dem pols are acting more like Nancy Pelosi than a precinct captain - and people just want their potholes filled and their government reasaonably responsive and responsible. That being said, Kirk does need to tone it down. He won be being Kirk, not Keyes.

Comment by phocion Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 5:47 am
given kirk’s association with the club for growth, i never understood the moderate label. i mean, i understand why he wants to wear it, i just don’t understand why anyone bought it…

Comment by bored now Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 6:09 am
Inexcusable comment for a responsible public official, no matter the party, no matter where you place them on ideological spectrum.

The wack jobs don’t need any encouragement or ideas.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 7:23 am
No wonder Mark Kirk was not going to announce anything when interviewed by Eddie Arruza earlier this week. Mark Kirk said eary May he would announce if and what higher office he would be running for.
If he keeps this up he had best hope to be re-elected to his current Congressional seat.

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 7:36 am
Taking Kirk’s quote out of context a bit are we? Suddenly he is Alan Keyes? Really now, Rich! He also said it would be political suicide for any politician to promote those tax increases. Why isn’t your headline “Kirk promotes suicide.”

If he “tones it down” then he gets no real MSM. Why do pundits feel that “moderate” politicians must engage in extreme politeness all the time?

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 7:55 am
This isn’t any kind of acceptable media stunt.

This is making threats of violence against a freakin’ governor.

Not to sound shrill, but Congressmen have been forced to stepped down from office for less.

Comment by unreal Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 7:59 am
Louis, there’s a line and he’s way over it. He could have made his point with force and creativity a million other ways. Again, his party or “moderation” have nothing to do with it.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:12 am
“wordslinger”: Well said.
“unreal”: Absolutely; if an ordinary citizen said something like this, he/she’d be having visits from law enforcement.

Don’t these ‘public figures’ have any concept of personal responsibility anymore?

Comment by sal-says Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:16 am
If he were referring to a president rather than a governor he would be visited by the secret service. Seriously. The comment is irresponsible because in a time when people are afraid and paranoid and threatened they act emotionally. We need our leaders, of both parties, to bring calm and ideas to the table. Not rhetoric that even hints at violence. Now every politician is going to verbally step in it every once and a while. Its human nature. But that doesn’t mean that Kirk shouldn’t recognize that he went too far and publicly say so. That would be leadership!

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:23 am
Louis G. Atsaves “If he “tones it down” then he gets no real MSM. Why do pundits feel that “moderate” politicians must engage in extreme politeness all the time”?

Perhaps because at some point one has to be responsible for what falls out of one’s mouth? Politeness? Can you imagine the uproar and snide comments if such remarks tumbled out of all who have something to take a stand on–example: Labor workers under contracts ready to ’shoot’ anyone…blah blah? Being responsible when one speaks to the public or has a mic under his nose should just be simple common sense. One would hope to think that a point verbally can be made of your views short of hyper drama.

Comment by Princess Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:23 am
At least Kirk isn’t sending Lou Pinella lineup suggestions.

Comment by Feldman Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:27 am
Sound like Kirk drank to much tea yesterday.

QOTD: Did anyone go to a Tea Party yesterday? I went to Chicago and what a large number of people. For a Democratic town there sure were a lot of protesters.

Comment by Mommy Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:28 am
A stupid remark but he could probably get over it.
I don’t know much about him and I doubt most Illinoisians outside his district do. He needs some statewide exposure sans the silly off the cuff remarks. Democrats are probably getting kind of nervous about 2010. The primary could be nasty. The economy will likely still be struggling. The Blago trial will still be in the news…or even ongoing during the election. The Republicans have some opportunities here if they could just lose their self destructive impulses.

Comment by Cassandra Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:32 am
“I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.”

Not if he is going to ban assault weapons!

Comment by Illinimax Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:38 am
It is a little embarrassing at how many bloggers are so squeamish about guns that can’t even accept a typical conversational phrase.

Quinn wants to raise our income tax by 50%, but Kirk is over the line?

Go back to your tea and crumpets ladies!

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:40 am
Kirk is no moderate, he’s an extremist. He was the only Repub in Congress to vote against the ban on “partial birth abortion.” That puts him even to the left of liberal Dems like Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy, who did vote for the ban.

Kirk is also a guy who never said a peep about the runaway spending and runaway corruption under his political godfather Denny Hastert.

Comment by More like it Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:46 am
Perhaps a better turn of phrase could have been used however I don’t thinlkk the electorate will hold it against him for any length of time; even if someone wanted to make a campaign commercial out of it.

In fact; I suspect that while others may have chosen a different description, my sense is that he has his finger on the pulse of the electorate, and an overwhelming majority will agree with his sentiment, despite the poor choice of words.

As you suggested from your column this past week Rich, the Madigan’s are counting on it for the primary.

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:56 am
really? for real? kirk uses a term used by many, including me, almost everyday and he’s an extremist? is this all people have to talk about? in 8 years of dedicated public service? run for anything mark, you will win and i got what you were saying…

Comment by colt 45 Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:59 am
Here’s how it’s done, Mr. Kirk.

“Our political and economic freedoms are in jeopardy,” State Sen. Chris Lauzen told the Geneva crowd, calling an income tax hike “crippling.”

Comment by Stuck with Sen. CPA Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:03 am
Mark Kirk should feel pretty solid right about now. You know you have the Dems running scared with posts like this trying to tear you down. The reality is that a wide swath of pepople sympathize with this type of off the cuff humor and while they certainly would neve “shoot” anyone they are rightfully incensed. Lets not let the left change the topic. The concern is runaway taxes–not political correctness.

Comment by HaHa Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:09 am
That’s right, HaHa, Rich Miller is the evil leader of the Left movement in Illinois.

Comment by George Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:11 am
haha, well said.

Comment by colt 45 Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:11 am
Easy, Rich. It was a dumb comment, for sure, but Kirk’s no flamethrower.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:13 am
haha and others, if you had said what Kirk had said on this blog, I would seriously consider notifying the Illinois State Police’s executive service detail.

This isn’t about political correctness, goofballs. It’s about charging the atmosphere with violence.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:14 am
Thanks for calling this out Rich. Kirk’s been at this for too long (both as Congressman and a congressional chief of staff) to unintentionally use language like this - especially when he knew that everyone was paying attention to this speech. In the mid-1990’s, rhetoric like this by Bibi Netanyahu preceeded Prime Minister Rabin’s assasination by a right wing lunatic. Abe Polin, in one of the few socially conscious moves in sports, decided it was not right for a city which such gun violence to have a franchise named the “bullets”. So Mr Kirk, you want to represent the entire stat - which includes places that have problems with gun violence - don’t be tossing around “shoot” so casually. Shame on you Mark Kirk.

Comment by Wrestlemania 2010 Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:14 am
===If he “tones it down” then he gets no real MSM.===

The Tribune buried the quote near the bottom of the article, so I don’t see your point.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:18 am
===kirk uses a term used by many, including me,===

You need help.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:19 am
Listen to the VMan — give us one of those macho show tunes, buddy.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:19 am
I think we should cut Kirk a little slack. He was probably a bit over-excited from all of the tea-bagging yesterday….

Comment by ILPundit Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:22 am
If Rep. Kirk runs, statewide, he’ll at least win the primary, since he’s moderate. In 2008, Dr. Sauerberg was moderate, and he won his primary. In 2006, then-Treasurer Topinka was moderate, and she won her primary.

Comment by ConservativeVeteran Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:25 am
haha “The concern is runaway taxes–not political correctness”.

I disagree with this. It’s not a seperate issue. A Leader or one wanting to be should not be excused for his/her choice of words when pressing their views. The country is full of nuts all too willing to ‘follow their leader’ or what they thought they ‘heard’ their leader say. A leader (and not just Kirk, all of them) should be able to get his/her views across without chancing violence and/or hate. I’m sure Kirk did not mean citizens should start shooting anybody, but he must learn to speak in a responsible way, people can not ‘read’ his mind, only hear his words.

Comment by Princess Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:40 am
Conservative Veteran - nobody cared about the 2008 Republican Senatorial primary, and Topinka only got 30 something% of the primary votes in 2006 (conservatives got more than her). In both cases, the base was not energized by either candidate. This was Kirk’s attempt to rile up the base and maybe even endear himself to downstate voters who don’t know him from Peter Roskam and just want to know that their guns won’t be taken away. In any case, Kirk is irresponsible.

Comment by Wrestlemania 2010 Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:43 am
Kirk should probably get his marital status clarified before he runs for state office. His website says he is “separated” from Kimberly.

Comment by HouseSalad Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:52 am
Unless Kirk has a state campaign committee with a cute name other than ‘Friends for Mark Kirk’ or some such, he is only raising fed money. Fed money can only be used for fed races.

If he goes for Gov, he starts at zero dollars making him the prototypical Quinn candidate.

Comment by SangamoGOP Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 9:57 am
What is the matter with you people? Have you become so politically correct, so coddled, so partisan, you can’t even listen to what a person is saying and can only focus on how they are saying it?

Good heavens! Kirk was saying what is commonly said when people get exasperated over a situation they can’t seem to control. Saying that someone will shoot someone over something has been a common phrase in our dialog for generations. What is the matter with you?

How can we have bipartisanship if partisans will not listen to what the other says without arguing over semantics?

So you don’t like guns. So you don’t like hearing someone saying that someone is going to get shot - when did you people get so ubersensitive and start fainting like Antebellum Scarlett O’Haras?

What a bunch of wussies!

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:11 am
===If he goes for Gov, he starts at zero dollars ===

You have that absolutely and completely backwards. You can’t use state money for federal campaigns - at least, not yet.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:12 am
SangamoGOP - I think you have that backwards. Federal money can be used for state elections, but not the other way around. Look at U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, she began the year by transferring, approximately, $8 million from her federal campaign to a state exploratory campaign.

Comment by GoldCoastConservative Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:12 am
Mark Kirk’s the typical politician. He looks at the protests yesterday and says those people are mad at every politician except ME.

The truth is that when Hastert was in charge, Kirk never met a spending increase he didn’t like.

Comment by just sayin Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:13 am
===What is the matter with you?===

If you can’t see the problem here, I would have to ask that question of you.

Seriously, is this the sort of rhetoric you want in your candidate? Go with that, then. I’m sure you’ll get far.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:13 am
Maybe Kirk’s comment was somewhat over the top, but implying that it is at all literal is ridiculous. He is truly a moderate- even by impartial ratings- and he is a very good public servant. Anyone who really upsets the far right AND the far left is likely doing something right.

Comment by NW Noah Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:14 am
Kaptain Kirk is that “shoot to kill” or “shoot to wound”. If you all think his remark was just innocent political rhetoric I suggest you tell that to the individual holding up the Obama-Hitler sign on page 12 of today’s Chicago Sun Times.

Comment by Nervous In The Service Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:22 am
VMan, I’m a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. I don’t think responsible public figures should talk about shooting people they disagree with. Lots of different ways to express yourself forcefully.

It’s not political correctness, it’s common sense.

Wussies? Stay classy, Einstein. Maybe you can give us a Mitzi Gaynor tune on the taxpayer dime to express yourself.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:26 am
Ms. Gaynor called. She says she’s ready to shoot anyone who uses her name in another snide comment like yours.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 10:46 am
I know some of the ILGOP “want” to win statewide and may even “believe” that they can win statewide (Brady, Dandy Dan and Kirk) but it ain’t gonna happen— the DEM’s bench is deeper than the Bears at WR–oh wait, the Bears have a guy who can run but can’t catch and slow guys who can catch but not run—see the irony, fellas and ladies? The ILGOP can run but they can’t catch (even a cold)

Comment by vito Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:00 am
===Mommy===\

Many in Chicago came out against Urkel, at least that’s what most of their signs said (aka, Todd Stroger) it was a tea party for all taxes

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:21 am
[…] Really? […]

Pingback by ArchPundit | Daily Dolt: Mark Kirk Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:34 am
Guess you couldn’t come up with an example of someone actually shooting after a politician said “they’re ready to shoot”.

Comment by Conservative Republican Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:37 am
LOL, ILPundit.

Comment by Ela Observer Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:40 am
CR, don’t be stupid.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:41 am
Good grief you all!

I grew up with a whole bunch of “elders” warning me that they would “shoot” me if I did something wrong. Never took a bullet in my life. No one stuck a gun in my face. No wackos stepped out from behind trees to do me in. It was a common expression that I still hear even today. And Kirk and I are roughly the same age and grew up in the same region of Northern Illinois.

Pulling that comment out of context is my continuing complaint. And it was clearly pulled out of context. He wasn’t calling for “violence” towards Quinn or any tax supporters, even inadvertently. No one can seriously say that with a straight face. I’m sure the FBI, CIA and others recognized that quote for what it was and didn’t swoop down on Kirk yesterday or today to arrest him or grill him.

Linking him to Keyes? Also way over the top.

But then again, Homeland Security has adopted a report claiming veterans returning from battle will turn into right winged terrorists so they need to be carefully watched or something equally preposterous.

Maybe there was a full moon last night which caused everyone to fall off the reason cliff?

Or is today officially the launch of the political silly season?

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 11:44 am
All that plus I once heard Kirk say nice things about Texas…the guy is just unelectable

Comment by easy Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:09 pm
Louis, then go ahead and advise Kirk to use that imagery over and over in the campaign if it’s no big deal. See how far it gets him. Good luck with that.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:10 pm
“It is a little embarrassing at how many bloggers are so squeamish about guns that can’t even accept a typical conversational phrase.

* * *

Go back to your tea and crumpets ladies!”

Had to love VMan’s note. He managed to offend so many in a few lines and even provided his view that “ladies” is an insult.

And then people in the GOP wonder about the gender-gap.

I keep hearing that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” from the gun people, but when a person actually advocates armed violence, they wave away the very notion that it might be a problem.

Wake up you right wing freaks: “Woman” is not an insult, and advocating gun violence is bad.

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:13 pm
Image? Rich, I should probably take a shot at responding to your last comment, but if that creates an image of me in your mind doing a real life Dirty Harry impression then I should drop that phrase from my vocabulary?

Sorry. I still think the whole thing is silly. And I mean REALLY silly!

Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 12:58 pm
Again, Louis, if it’s no big deal and perfectly reasonable, then by all means advise Kirk to keep doing it.

And, again, good luck with that.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:00 pm
1. I love this blog and think it’s generally all-pro, but this blog did give Alexi foreign policy bona fides for visiting greece (about as important to foreign policy as escargot is to the diets of working Americans) and now slams kirk, an ivy league naval reservist former diplomat for expressing the concerns of most people. Not everyone is a right wing extremist and if you talk to most illinoisans, they aren’t happy with everything the democrats are doing right now.

2. Kirk getting remapped out is kind of funny, how exactly are you going to do this? He lives in fort sheridan in the very far northeast corner of the state meaning you’d have to do something that looks proposterous to get rid of him. Putting him in a district with Jan-her politics won’t fly in winnetka-I don’t think Bean wants to take him on, and Roskam lives too far away.

Plus he’s now the only illinois member of congress with any sort of clout on house appropriations other than jesse jackson junior and who knows where that cat ends up.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:09 pm
Kirk can only run for the Senate spot if the GOP gets a real candidate for Governor. Kirk is too far to the left to be Gov, but he might be acceptable if someone who can represent the base, and can WIN runs for Governor. The announced candidates are minor leaguers. Someone with some bona fides better get recruted by the powers that be or this chance will be blown. That means keeping Shillerstrom OUT of the Governors race. $600,000 is ok for a state senate run up in the north but is no where near the $20-23 million needed for Gov. Kirk as part of a ticket running for Senate just might work, but not at the Gov’s spot. And I have to agree that Kirk had better get his married life and the problems there taken care of before running for any statewide race, being seperated is ok in his district but will not play well in peoria as they say.

Comment by nervousGOP'r Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:15 pm
Let’s see now, gun sales soared in the last three months of 2008. FOX News reports “end-of-year figures showed a big spike in background checks for the last three months of 2008, and in November, the month Obama was elected, the number of background checks was 42 percent greater than in November 2007.”

According to them “An electronic news service that covers outdoor news has even named Obama its “Gun Salesman of the Year.”"

There were two plots (lame attempts though they were) on Obama’s life broken up before he was elected.

The DHS released a report written by a Bush holdover the other day about radical rightwing terrorist groups and their recruitment efforts. There wasn’t anything shocking about it, the DHS does these assessments periodically, they released one of radical leftist groups not so long ago. Nothing shocking except for the rightwing hysteria directed against DHS by major broadcasters like Rush Limbaugh and lunatics all over the net.

A 23 year old man wearing body armor, armed with a AK-47, another rifle, and a .357 magnum in Pittsburgh killed three cops in cold blood, shot two of them in the face, and murdered another who came to help them respond to domestic disturbance call on April 4th. His “reasoning”? He was afraid Obama was gonna take away his guns.

Michelle Bachman, congresswoman from MN has been spewing violent rhetoric for months now. She wants Republicans to be “armed and dangerous”. The Republican governor of TX just yesterday openly speculated about seceding from the Union, calling the federal government oppressive. So not to be outdone in steps Mark Kirk to polish his wingnut bonafides.

Yeah, we’ll all just forget about this, it’s just silly rhetoric. Sure we will. Until some nut takes a potshot at Obama or Quinn. Then all bets are off folks.

I suggest you guys go read the violent vitriol directed against JFK in the weeks and months before he was shot in Dallas. Then tell me it’s all just “harmless” palaver to get Kirk’s name in the paper. If political assassination talk and dogwhistling to lunatics is all you have left you don’t belong in decent society let alone public office Mr. Kirk.

Comment by markg8 Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:18 pm
This classification of Kirk as a lefty is such a load of bull. 7 of the 10 biggest wasteful spenders i.e. takers of pork in the U.S. Senate are pro-life GOP Senators from the south. He’s somewhat moderate on abortion but as long as he votes to confirm justices like Roberts and Alito what does it matter?

Comment by Shore Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:22 pm
=== as long as he votes to confirm justices like Roberts and Alito what does it matter?===

Since he’s in the House, I doubt he did that. lol

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:25 pm
Oh, where to begin…

“this blog did give Alexi foreign policy bona fides for visiting greece”

Really? I would like to see you prove that. Other than mention that it was Alexi’s intent to start building his Foreign Policy resume, I don’t think Rich hyped it up in any way.

“slams kirk… for expressing the concerns of most people.”

I don’t know anyone other than Kirk (and now some of Kirk’s loyalists here today) who have ever publicly warned a sitting Governor they were fixin’ to get shot. And then expected no consequences.

“Kirk getting remapped out is kind of funny, how exactly are you going to do this?”
“He lives in fort sheridan in the very far northeast corner of the state meaning you’d have to do something that looks proposterous to get rid of him.”

Have you seen Congressional District boundaries in Illinois? Heck, you include Ft. Sheridan with Waukegan, and then extend that district down to cover the closer-in and ethnic north/northwest suburbs, and he is as good as gone.

“Plus he’s now the only illinois member of congress with any sort of clout on house appropriations “

You know, we do have this person called the president. And Rahm. I think we have enough clout right now.

Plus, don’t you see the irony there of saying one one hand he is railing against wasteful spending, but on the other saying he is really good at wasteful spending?

Comment by George Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:26 pm
Kirk is too far to the left to be Gov

And I suppose Pat Quinn and Lisa Madigan are not?

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:30 pm
===this blog did give Alexi foreign policy bona fides for visiting greece===

This is what I wrote…

===It seems undeniable that Durbin is now helping Giannoulias with his foreign policy chops. ===

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:36 pm
Rich, FYI, pro-choice Republicans in the Senate vote for Alito and Roberts type guys, yes we know the House does not vote on the supreme court.

No you did not answer the charge that you beat up on Kirk for this, when you gave Alexi unearned foreign policy credentials for his self-funded junket to nowhere and he unlike the entire Democratic party in this state-nice clip of Obama on wttw last night giving up some love for blago-is not responsible for our mess here.

Yes, it is an indictment of the Obama campaign as a massive fraud that the moment he gets into office he goes back to playing old partisan games, issuing a DHS report calling out Right wing groups the same day there’s a protest, hiring a hyperpartisan chief of staff-no andy card is rahm and not getting rid of Rove’s political shop as promised.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:42 pm
Shore, I pasted my response earlier. I can’t see how you think that says I gave AG “unearned foreign policy credentials.” I said that Durbin was trying to help him get credentials. You can’t see the difference there? The story was about Durbin helping G, in the context of the Burris thing.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:45 pm
“issuing a DHS report calling out Right wing groups the same day there’s a protest”

Bad news, Shore.
Bush authorized that report.
It just happened to be delivered late.

Also, the idea that right wing groups are not a threat is interesting, in light of the bombings in Atlanta and in Oklahoma City.

That’s part of the reason that we take this stuff seriously. American political extremists have done some horrible things in the past few years, and Kirk is pushing them on.

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:45 pm
I am not a blusterer and I will respect your judgment, and let the matter drop. But you did say chops for a country that has zero relevance now to our national security:

“It seems undeniable that Durbin is now helping Giannoulias with his foreign policy chops. State treasurers don’t usually get that sort of experience on their own, of course.”

Comment by Shore Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 1:50 pm
I heard Kirk speak at the City Club the other day and it was not a show of moderation by any means. First he spoke about his service in Afghanistan, which was fine and noteworthy etc. But then he complained about us all working up until April 13th just to pay for taxes. I wonder how he thinks Afghanistan and the Iraq operations are all funded???? He quoted some wacky stats on healthcare saying that we have more NICU specialists than Canada - yes well we also have a much higher infant mortality rate and poor birth outcomes compared to Canada or most other industrial nations. I was really suprised at how far right he was. The one good thing about him running statewide will be seeing us elect someone like Beth Coulson who actually is a moderate or Dan Seals.

Comment by UNCfan Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 3:20 pm
UNC fan

If you think Universial health care will result in lower infant mortality rates I have a bridge to sell you in San Francisco. The rates you mentuion have more to do with socio-economic standing than they do with the health care system. We do not have a health care problem we have a health insurance problem! Nobody is refused care and if you live in urban areas you might have to wait in line but health care is free. Cook county (Stroger) does not even ask if you don’t produce an insurance card no matter what is the matter and there are some of the best Dr’s there than anywhere in the world (Just over worked)And they don’t ask for a green card either. Thats why health care is so expensive, the government has stuck it’s nose where it does not belong and has taken compitition out of the equasion. So prices soar

Comment by nervousGOP'r Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 5:43 pm
Louis, I’ve read your stuff for a long time, I respect it, but you’re wrong on this Kirk thing.

We are living in very tense times. A lot of people have lost money, lost their jobs, lost their houses. Not everybody. But people are worried. Business is not good.

Responsible public officials, and I think Kirk is one, have to be very careful in their language. Let’s tamp it down. He made a mistake. Let’s accept that and move on.

Remember the other day when someone said gay marriage killed Greek culture? You knew how screwed up that was. Let’s get real, let’s get smart, let’s stop moaning and let’s do our bit. Many of us have been riding the gravy train for some time.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 6:25 pm
UNCfan aaid:

“He quoted some wacky stats on healthcare saying that we have more NICU specialists than Canada.”

I’d hope so, we have ten times the population of Canada.

nervousGOP’r said:

“Nobody is refused care and if you live in urban areas you might have to wait in line but health care is free.”

Do you know how many people die because they are denied care their insurance company won’t pay for or they can’t afford to pay for in this country? Do you know how many people have to declare bankruptcy because of medical bills? Lastly there is no such thing as “free healthcare”. Even if poor people can and do get some care, substandard as it is, we all pay for it and the hodgepodge of Medicaid is the most expensive, least efficient way of delivering care in the world. That’s hardly anything to brag about.

Comment by markg8 Thursday, Apr 16, 09 @ 8:48 pm
[…] The Chicago Tribune reports today that Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) is considering running for Illinois governor, saying his interest is the result of “so much corruption in our state.” Responding to reports that Gov. Pat Quinn (D) will raise income taxes to patch a crippling budget deficit, Kirk suggested shooting Quinn: “I think that the decision to raise taxes by 50 percent in Illinois is political suicide,” Kirk said of Quinn’s proposal to raise the tax rate to 4.5 percent from 3 percent, coupled with an increase in the personal deduction. “I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.” […]

Pingback by Rep. Mark Kirk suggest shooting Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn because of higher taxes. | No Bull. news service. Friday, Apr 17, 09 @ 4:40 am
Kirk and Oberweis. Yeah, that’s the ticket for Illinois! Well, it is if Republicans want to go even farther into the woodwork in Illinois.

At least Alan Keyes could sing.

Comment by Lakeview Greg Friday, Apr 17, 09 @ 11:31 am