Republican Rep. Mark Kirk would not say whether he believed Sarah Palin is qualified to become president during an interview with the Tribune editorial board:
"Quite frankly, I don't know," said Kirk, 49, of Highland Park, when asked if Palin could step into the job. In answer to repeated inquiries about Palin's experience, Kirk said, "I would have picked someone different."
But last month, Kirk had said he was "encouraged" by the Palin selection and praised her in a series Chicago radio interviews, as Progress Illinois points out.
Listen to the interviews here.