Mark Kirk Backtracks On Health Care Repeal Comments

Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk has ended his media silence on health care, but seems to be backing away from his previous pledge to repeal the law.

At a campaign event on Tuesday, Kirk gave no direct answer when reporters "asked repeatedly"if he wanted to repeal health care reform, echoing a comment Kirk made when the bill passed. His response, according to NBC Chicago: "I voted against it, but we lost. My job is to explain how this will affect voters."

Two weeks ago, Politico obtained audio of Kirk, at a Republican dinner in suburban Winnetka, saying he would lead the charge to repeal President Obama's signature health care reform. At the same dinner, he referred to Obama as "this guy" and a "one-termer."

Alexi Giannoulias has pressed Kirk aggressively on the remarks. He launched a fake Facebook page showing Kirk palling around with lobbyists, far-right Republicans and the Club for Growth while pushing to repeal the health care bill. He also released videos featuring a "Repeal It! Clock" measuring how long Kirk had been silent on health care since the repeal remarks surfaced.

Giannoulias is not the only one who wants answers from Kirk. Following Tuesday's event, Club for Growth spokesman Mike Connolly told Greg Sargent that "they expect him to live up to his promise."

"He said that he's going to do this," Club for Growth spokesman Mike Connolly told Sargent by phone. "We expect him to live up to his pledge."

Kirk had signed the Club's repeal pledge, which states: "I hereby pledge to the people of my state to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government."

"He's made a promise to the people of Illinois," Connolly told Sargent.

Asked if failing to follow through could cost Kirk the Club's support in a general election, Connolly said: "We'll have to see."

Kirk is taking heat on both sides for his repeal remarks. On Friday, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow slammed his stance on health reform. "Really, Mark Kirk?" Maddow asked. "You want to lead the effort to restore the insurance industry's right to deny coverage to kids who have preexisting conditions? ... That's what you're gonna campaign on?"

Kirk sought to turn the tables back on Giannoulias on Tuesday. NBC Chicago reports that Kirk asked, "When the Broadway Bank collapses on April 23rd will Alexi come clean?"

Giannoulias' bank woes might make headlines again on that date. But until then, the pressure is on Kirk over health care reform, and today's event answered few questions.

Comments

[mratcheson]

06:05 AM on 04/01/2010

It's difficult to guess what kind of Senator Kirk would be. What he says today on any issue, may not be what he says tomorrow. And it's not likely to have been what he said yesterday.

[mamala4]

01:58 PM on 03/31/2010

Hey Kirk supporters, how's this changey changey thing doin' for ya?

[VOTER]

10:11 AM on 03/31/2010

"Kudos" to the patriotic American responsible for taping Kirk's comments
at his Private $$$$$ Fund Raiser and sharing it with us, the voters.

I wonder what steps Kirk will take to stop such information from becoming public again?
The MSM should be following this very closely.

FULL BODY SCANS?
RECORDER SNIFFING DOGS?

What is clear is how Kirk doesn't want Illinois Voters to know what he stands for
but it is too late.
Kirk will work against Illinois voters best interests at every turn.

SAY "NO" TO KIRK!

[mamala4]

12:04 PM on 03/31/2010

Amen...

[MDayne]

09:57 AM on 03/31/2010

Great, another election where we get two a__ wipes from the major parties to choose from. Quinn, the Eskimo, jello-man who is such a leader he was afraid to fire two U of I trustees and Captain Mark, I have no clue what I'm for, Kirk. Why can't we get a decent candidate in this state for governor?

[TheMediaRanger]

09:37 AM on 03/31/2010

When in doubt, smear.

Man, Kirk has no idea how out of touch he is. He's almost a caricature of a politician ... tell 'em what they want to hear. At least until your base has moved on to another state, to the afterlife or to enlightenment.

[truthfinderddw]

09:08 AM on 03/31/2010

A selfdefeated GOP! Don't Republicians think for themselves. A skill I will never Learn; talking out of both sides of my Mouth!

[LouisGA]

08:36 AM on 03/31/2010

Mark Kirk let me understand, you are saying No to NO

[Carolyn LeBeauf]

08:04 AM on 03/31/2010

Just another GOP baffon backing away from his threat. Just wait until these stupid republican governors start to backpeddling from their stupid threats of suining. These fools better realize that PRESIDENT OBAMA is a sart man , he knows what he can do as president and what he can't do. OBAMA knows the law, and the constitution, something these baffon governors need to sit down and learn. I give them three weeks and they start to back away.

[Hieroglyph83]

01:41 AM on 03/31/2010

have fun with that plan...we will hold you to it as well.

[Thefamilyvan]

01:40 AM on 03/31/2010

Mark "Turn-Kirk". He was for it after he was against it, prior to it being written when he was for it, and against it when it was voted on..... scorecard please.....

[Meggie]

12:28 AM on 03/31/2010

Well you've got yourself a real dilemma there, Club for Growth spokesman Mike Connolly.
Because Mark Kirk is ALREADY in Congress - in the House of Representatives. And, I guess you can already see if he's a liar on the issue of repealing the health care bill - what is he doing on it right now in his capacity as a congressman?
I wouldn't trust him at all, Mr. Connolly. I heard him swear over the summer that he'd written his very own health care bill, and that it had been sent all over Washington. OK, so I'm no washington insider, but I did look several times, and I asked a lot of people to look, too, and nobody could find a health care bill anywhere that was authored by Mark Kirk. I should have known when he didn't have a copy on him at the speech he was giving.

[jsgaetano]

11:19 PM on 03/30/2010

This is why I keep telling people who are afraid Kirk is going to win not to worry.

Kirk is a Teabagger and a traitor. That's not going to play well here in Illinois, where we love America.

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

[strick9]

11:14 AM on 03/31/2010

I found this amusing, when I clicked your link I got a blank page. I remember the incident but the blank page is probably a good indication of what he really is.

[jsgaetano]

01:02 PM on 03/31/2010

Seems to work for me, I just rechecked it before replying.

[mamala4]

11:15 PM on 03/30/2010

Mark Kirk: "Who am I? What am I? Where am I?" answers: nobody, nothing, no where.

[ekoorb]

11:37 PM on 03/30/2010

He's whatever he has to be to remain a Washington insider. Nothing more. Nothing less. Exhibit A of what ails our politics. Alexi has purpose; he will play hard for progressive politics.

[Dr Jimmy and Mr Jim]

11:11 PM on 03/30/2010

You're a little late there Einstein. The toothpaste is already out of the tube.

You can't back-track now without looking like a Republican or something like that.

[mamala4]

08:15 AM on 03/31/2010

fanned...

[VOTER]

08:37 AM on 03/31/2010

LOL!

[Meggie]

10:43 PM on 03/30/2010

He didn't back away from his statement! According to this story, he just declined to answer the question again. It's what Kirk does. But the way I read this is that he is maintaining his repeal position, he's just not saying so anymore.

Now what the news media SHOULD get into is why Mark Kirk uses taxpayer money for the NAVY to send him to Afghanistan, a landlocked country, for his two weeks reservist duty during election years. And, while the media is at it, I'd like them to ask Mark Kirk just how many reservists we're sending to Afghanistan for two weeks every year. How is that efficient and how do they fit into any sort of already-established fighting units? Mark Kirk claims to be a staunch conservative who is interested in saving taxpayer money. I am confident he will have all good answers.

[mamala4]

10:45 PM on 03/30/2010

Fanned and Faved....another nail in the coffin.

[Mahi Joe]

07:17 AM on 03/31/2010

Kirk's flip flopping reminds of that line from those old cowboy and indian movies..."white man speak with forked tongue".