Democratic Senate Candidates Blast Kirk Over Health Care Comment

Three Democratic U.S. Senate candidates jumped all over Republican rival Mark Kirk Tuesday after the North Shore congressmen said voting for the Obama administration's health care reform effort would endanger vulnerable Democrats.

In a sign of how the national health care reform debate is affecting local Senate races, former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and former Chicago Urban League president Cheryle Robinson Jackson all released blistering statements in response to Kirk's suggestion that voting for health care reform is politically toxic.

"Several dozen House Democrats risk losing their jobs if they vote for reform," Kirk told Politico Tuesday, saying that Republicans were comfortable as the party of 'no' because they sense voters will punish Democrats for the bill in the mid-term elections.

The Democrats charged Kirk with putting politics above people's health.

"Mark Kirk is aiding and abetting the insurance companies who are trying to stop health care reform," Hoffman said in a statement. "It's shameful. Illinois families who have lost their jobs and health care deserve better. Kirk continues to play politics on this critical issue."

Minutes later, the Giannoulias campaign sounded off.

"It's sad that Congressman Kirk would rather win an election than lower the cost of health care for Illinois families, but with these words and ten years of voting with big drug and insurance companies to block reform, Congressman Kirk has made it clear he puts politics ahead of our families," Giannoulias said in a statement.

"Mark Kirk's statement to politico.com shows he is first and foremost focused on political gain at the expense of sound policy and the needs of Illinois families," the Jackson campaign said in its statement. "The time is long past to put people before politics in Illinois. Mark Kirk needs to think more about policy and what's good for his constituents and less about maneuvering for mere political gain."

Kirk released his own national reform plan in August that he said would prevent government interference in health care and cut costs by limiting medical malpractice suits. He gave no specifics, though, on how much it would cost or save.

Kirk and Giannoulias are neck-and-neck in fundraising and popular support. A Rasmussen poll released Monday found the two frontrunners in a dead heat, and both have raised more than $2 million toward their runs.

Hoffman trails Giannoulias in fundraising and name recognition. In a hypothetical head-to-head with Kirk, Hoffman trails by 10 percentage points, 43 percent to 33 percent. Jackson trails Kirk by just 4 points in Rasmussen's hypothetical matchup, 43 percent to 39 percent.

Democrat Jacob Meister and Republican Patrick Hughes are also seeking to replace Roland Burris in President Obama's old Senate seat.

Comments

[Oswego Joe]

These posts have been a wildly entertaining read. First, how is Pelosi able to supercede the 10th amendment with HR 3962? But more importantly why arent they trying to reform health care if that's what they are really after? Instead they are just creating a government run monstrosity. If they are serious, cut down on existing waste, fraud and abuse. IF they cant do it with exisiting programs, they surely wont be able to cut down on it with a program that will take up 20% of the American economy. Second, support the medical rights act. Third, I know, you guys hate this but TORT REFORM!!! There is nothing more costly to American health care than abusive puntive damage awards. Cap them, start with these reforms before ruining our existing system. There is no reason we cant help the poor, disabled, elderly and young but not at the expense of the rest of us.

[ilse]

When do the republicans ever say anything that's not stupid? It will be the republicans that suffer next election. The healthcare will pass without their help and they will be the losers for not participating in a huge accomplishment.

[mitsie]

IMO this guy will lose his job. When they go against the majority of Americans, and only pay to their base, they will lose moderate Republicans and Independants.

[Aldyth]

The Republican Party is willing to used scorched earth tactics. They'd rather bring down the country than admit that they have been full and willing partners with the greedy corporate big whigs that wrecked our economy, plunged our country into massive debt, brought on forclosures to hundreds of thousands, and unemployment to millions.

Thank you so much, Mark Kirk. I'll be giving your candidacy all the support it deserves.

[mamala4]

Me too....I will donate to ANY candidate that opposes this clown.

[Cogs]

Mark Kirk is the face of the GOP in Illinois. That's a bad look.

[mamala4]

Actually, I think George Ryan is the face of the GOP in Illinois....Kirk is just a follower.

[fallingsky]

Hey, I think George Lyin Ryan is where he belongs,, But the Illinois Dembags have proven they are still the crem de la crem as the epitome of political dung ...

[ilse]

Coming from the wise dingleberry dung himself, fallingsky.

[stav506]

Please do NOT believe the numbers in the Rasmussan Poll. It might as well be titled a FOX News Poll as this guy is on Fox News all the time. He's also the go to guy for the local Chicago affiliate whenever they need to make up numbers to trash Obama or local Democrats.

As a matter of fact he was on the morning show to tout the exact same poll. I was running late so I didn't really catch what he said. I'm betting it was the usual anti-Democrat message.

[mitsie]

Rassmussan polls are not credible and they were always outliers in the Presidential election. I would like to know why they only poll 1001 people, when America has a population of 3 million? Also where are they polling? Unless they get samples from all over the US, a poll reflects the opinions of the area they are polling.

[nini516]

Republicans are comfortable being the party of NO? Then stop wasting taxpayer $ and resign. You guys were elected to DO something.

[niblik]

Yeah, I noticed that too. They are openly admitting that they will do nothing while hoping that our President fails.

Forget about helping the country as a whole or coming up with actual solutions. They sit in their corner with their arms crossed while repeating the mantra of "You guys are gonna fail."

[Soundofthunder]

Thanks to gerrymandering, I live in Melissa Bean's district, but Kirk's is RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from me, and down the block. What a coincidence that he gets a piece of the more conservative part of Palatine and Inverness to help solidify his seat.

SoT

[foodchain11]

GOP gerrymandering of the district did indeed change it to a more GOP base. The 10th was broadened to include parts of Democratic areas to solidfy the 10th and weaken the others. Cheats and game riggers. If they can't win cheat.without cheating?---they cheat

[Matt7]

"Several dozen House Democrats risk losing their jobs if they vote for reform," Kirk told Politico Tuesday, saying that Republicans were comfortable as the party of 'no' because they sense voters will punish Democrats for the bill in the mid-term elections."
___________

The fact that he can even SAY something like this . . . out loud . . . in public . . . in the daylight, shows anybody who needs to know, EXACTLY where Republicans' priorities lie.

We're talking about giving people access to life-saving health care, preventing them from losing their homes because of medical bankrupticies, enabling small businesses to be more globally competitive by lowering health care costs, modernizing health care records to reduce waste and increase efficiencies, allowing our country to again live up to its promise as a moral and caring society. And he's worried about ELECTIONS! Trying to scare legislators into thinking they'll lose their JOBS if they vote to reform a broken health care system?

Republicans need some "down time." Away from the pressures, away from the media; time to get their heads -- and their hearts together to think about exactly what kind of Americans they really want to be.

And if that doesn't work, they need a vacation. Permanently.

[mamala4]

They will sell out their constituents to save their own paychecks.....while his constitutents lose their own paychecks, lose their health insurance, he worries ONLY about his paycheck for 2 more years...this buffoon held a jobs fair during the summer that was so awful it wasn't even funny....lines out the doors, hardly any companies showed up, no one was hiring, and there he is, Mr. Kirk walking around with that clownish smile, shaking hands and NOT saying a word....vote this guy out...

[Lakeview Greg]

I'm surprised he's not using Alice Cooper's "Elected" for a theme song.
Once again, my sympathies to the people of the 10th.

[mamala4]

Thanks but we need more than sympathy....the people of Illinois need to defeat this clown in 2010...put us out of our misery and send this guy back to the Pentagon for good.

[RanceSpergl]

Mark Kirk is the same out-of-touch Republican shill who recently tried to INCREASE penalties for marijuana possession. A toady in thrall to his rich corporate masters.

[bigironal25]

That's weird, is it me or does this sh*t stain look just like George W Bush ?

[VOTER]

It isn't just you.

Ha!!!

[max hp]

He's j@ck@$$, too.

[fallingsky]

Giannoulias just got his butt handed to him this a.m. after promising he would take no PAc $$ and now he is , and he was caught saying it on WLS radio....He is one of the most corrupt Dems in the Corrupt Dem capital of the country,, Between him , Burris, Schakowsky, Stroger, Daleys and Madigan Rahm and Axelrod and Blago ,,Its no wonder That HP has to go after an Illinois senate race on a national level

[jmsent]

This is about Kirk. Why are you bringing everyone else but him? Kirk's a Jirk.

[Dustee]

Because s/he works for the GOP.

http://www.politicsandtechnology.com/2007/07/make-no-mistake.html

[Dustee]

Mark Kirk is the same jerk the flew to China to beg them not to loan the United States any money to help in our crisis early this year.

Kirk the jerk should never be elected to anything.