Mark Kirk Enters Senate Race, Looks To 'Restore Ethics And Integrity To Illinois'

CHICAGO — Republican Congressman Mark Kirk is running for the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.

Kirk says Illinois has become a laughingstock since Democrat Roland Burris was appointed to the Senate seat by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who's accused of trying to sell that seat.

During an interview on Chicago's WLS Radio on Monday, Kirk said he's announcing his candidacy and hopes to "restore ethics and integrity to Illinois government." Kirk says Burris hasn't been able to be effective in Washington because of the controversy over his appointment and it's time to change that.

Burris has decided not to seek a full term.

Kirk is in his fifth term representing Illinois' 10th Congressional District, which stretches north of Chicago to almost Wisconsin and borders Lake Michigan.

Comments

[medit]

We need a strong progressive to take on Kirk. I used to think that Chris Kennedy would be the best man for the job, but after watching this video I'm not so sure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv_ztCQ6DFg

[jsgaetano]

Mark Kirk- traitor to America

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/rep-mark-kirk-r-il-i-told-china-not-to-believe-us-budget-numbers.php

"One of the messages I had -- because we need to build trust and confidence in our number one creditor," said Kirk, "is that the budget numbers that the US government had put forward should not be believed. The Congress is actually gonna spend quite a bit more than what's in the budget, and the health-care bill probably being the lead driver of additional spending by the Congress."
- Mark Kirk, June 8, 2009

[greenie 61]

Can't wait to dust off some of his most memorable quotes!

"Secretary Rumsfeld used to represent parts of our district in the 1960s. I think that he and his team have done a masterful job in defeating Iraqi forces quickly and decisively." ~Mark Kirk

[eyepatch]

Boy his candidacy ought to be good (lol)
all those pictures of him posing with
former president George W. Bush!!!

Illinois voters will not forget his
coziness to former president Bush!
and how Rep. Kirk voted for the
very policies that have landed
our country and our state in the
deep financial bind we find ourselves
in today!!!!

Rep. Kirk won't be able to run from
his voting record during the Bush
years! I hope he has a lot of money
for advertising because it will take
lots to reshape his image as a Bush
administration flunky!

[earnestb]

Kirk is the best thing to happen to the illinois GOP since Lincoln. He's got the fiscal conservatism that America needs to withstand Obama's spending, and his moderation on other issues will get independent voters. You can't call the naval intellegence officer of the year a traitor. He's the first congressman to serve in an danger zone since world war two.
Kirk is also one of the only people on capital hill who has a realistic view of what is happening in the world economy. Simply put, the US has bad credit. Just as banks are free to stop loaning to bad creditors, China and India and the EU are free to stop loaning to us. Obama's just going to keep spending until he can't find anymore money to spend. We need fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill who will make America's credit good again. Kirk will do that.
If the Illinois GOP are giving Kirk an unopposed primary, they know he's the thing that'll bring ILGOP back. He's got party unity already, and that's about 50% of Illinois right there.

[poomplet]

I'd say since Jim Edgar, but that's quibbling.

This China/traitor crappe is pathetic. He didn't tell/ask China ANYTHING...he just reported back on a high-level meeting with them that included observations that they were stopping buying our debt & warning us that the big-picture, global financial picture is very dire. Of course...that flies in the face of trillions of dollars of rash, unsupervised bailouts & $1.5 trillion healthcare reform being shoved down our throats like a foie gras goose...ergo, the liberal fear of Kirk.

It's really telling how much the Dems are going after him already...they KNOW he's practically bulletproof & the state is gonna punish the Dems for what they did to us. I really hope Don Giannoulias ends up getting the nod...I can't wait for the Kirk ad campaign, the centerpiece being the quote from the senate leader & de facto Dem. leader Mike Madigan (re. the mob ties):

""I want some answers. The allegations are there," Madigan said earlier this week. "My history in politics, if you were alleged to be connected to the mob, you were done. But life seems to go on."

It's not a national race, but the liberal blogosphere will try to make it one. That's OK, I recall what a great job they did in manipulating Dem voters to pick Ned Lemont over Joe Lieberman in the CT senate primary. That worked out swimmingly, didn't it?

[mamala4]

This country is a danger zone b/c your boy Kirk voted with George Bush 99% of the time....you're fighting a losing battle....and since when has Illinois voted 50% repugnant?

[Bude]

I can't think of a republican candidate who the democrats would try harder to defeat.

[poomplet]

I agree 100%

Demonstrating to Americans (and to the GOP power structure itself) that citizens can/will vote for a moderate Republican could finally wrest power away from the fundies that control the party & usher in a new age of GOP legitimacy & strength.

If it's Kirk v. Giannoulias, it's like Kirk v. Obama...and if Kirk then wins, that's a HUGE blow to the party.

Problem is, I (and many others) care more about my state & country than I do about the Democratic party itself, which is why I'm choosing Kirk when I haven't voted for a GOP candidate in years.

Don't worry though, I don't think the GOP is smart enough to learn or change anything if Kirk wins...they'll still push fundies like Palin on tickets & keep losing.

[belfam]

hell to the NO to Mark Kirk

[mamala4]

At least it gets him out of the 10th district and hopefully out of Congress...he can stay in the Pentago for all I care...

[VOTER]

KIRK: Selling Bush's War of Choice in Iraq

In 2002 while Kirk debated his opponent, Professor Perrit, Kirk said to Perrit,

"You don't support the war because you don't have the security to know
about the photographs of the WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION that I know about."

[bosha]

I hope the people of Ill realize that Kirk is the creep that told the Chinese not to trust America's books.

[VOTER]

Red colored bumper stickers opposing Kirk will clearly state
the Congressman's "error" in foreign "diplomacy."

[LMPE]

Restore ethics and integrity to Illinois? Isn't that like trying to restore dryness to the ocean?

[poomplet]

Kennedy would be a MUCH stronger candidate than 'Don Gianoulias' . I don't think I'd switch, but it'd make it a race, that's for sure.

But given Alexi's closeness to the Prez...I don't think Kennedy or any other clean, strong candidates will go up against him, as it'd be like going against Obama himself.

Ergo, the GOP will have a FIELD DAY smearing Gianoulias, and it'll work...like it or not.

BTW, not only am I a registered Dem, but I'm Greek-American too....I'd love to love him, but there's way too much baggage.

[poomplet]

PLEASE...explain exactly how the traitorous Kirk is telling China not to invest in the USA.

Cuz all I found was that in CHAIRING A FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, all he did was say this"

China, wary of the troubled US economy, has already “canceled America’s credit card” by cutting down purchases of debt, a US congressman said Thursday.

Representative Mark Kirk, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-chair of a group of lawmakers promoting relations with Beijing, said China had “very legitimate” concerns about its investments.

“It would appear, quietly and with deference and politeness, that China has canceled America’s credit card,” Kirk told the Committee of 100, a Chinese-American group. “I’m not sure too many people on Capitol Hill realize that this is now happening,” he said.

The Republican lawmaker said that China was justified in concerns about returns from finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were bailed out by the US government due to the financial crisis. Kirk said he was the first member of Congress to tour the Bureau of Public Debt, which trades bonds, and was alarmed at how much debt was being bought by the US Federal Reserve due to absence of foreign investors.

“There will come a time where the lack of Chinese participation may have a significant impact,” Kirk said. “We should track that, because up until last month they were the number one provider of currency to the United States and now they’re gone.”

[poomplet]

Gee, someone with top-level foreign policy experience who's respected on both sides of the aisle vs. a Daly/Rezko crony with proven MOB TIES.

Tough call in a state who was embarrassed for months on a worldwide scale for pretty much a full year by a party that has controlled everything for almost a decade.

[VOTER]

"...................a Daley/Rezko crony with proven MOB TIES."

Please provide your links to Alex's "proven MOB TIES."

[poomplet]

Back 'atcha:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?articleId=32169

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09052007/news/nationalnews/obamas_mob_tie_idekick.htm

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=4609432

http://www.thechicagosyndicate.com/2009/07/will-alexi-giannouliass-potential-us.html

...yawn, this is tiring (and easy). And good 'ole Tony Rezko worked most of the deals for which he's sitting in prison thru Broadway Bank.

[LolaB]

I don't recall the lawyers asking me about Daley when I was at Jury duty and questioned to be on this very jury. funny..

[Josie Gates]

he cant be as bad as teh last few, I have seen 4 presidents come and go, got letters from every IL senator so far, some of them are DEAD now, paul simon, moselybraun, durbin, blajojevich, blah blah blah.......about my green card status....so eventually, i took legal action...then...

http://www.josieg6.wordpress.com

Senators dont do squat unless you are one of their relatives, or cashing a check that they just wrote you for a spanking...

[najablah]

Mark Kirk said, ""I'm okay with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states. I'm okay with that."

Sounds about right for a Republican.

[poomplet]

I'd venture to say over 60% of the population agrees with him on that

[VOTER]

You can venture all you want but you would be wrong.

[bluepapa]

Kirk to restore ethics? That's a joke, right?

[VOTER]

Right.