On Thursday, Republican Congressman Mark Kirk appeared with doctors and patients at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine to discuss a bill he is co-sponsoring that would make President Obama's authorization of stem cell research permanent. His support of stem cell research has divided Kirk from many Republicans for years, but he joined in the GOP chorus Thursday to criticize spending by Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele.
When asked by reporters if he thought Steele should resign following revelations about committee officials entertaining guests at a Los Angeles bondage club, he would not answer, but said he was concerned, and felt the RNC should host retreats in more "modest" cities, Chicago Public Radio reports.
He also said that he has some concerns about RNC spending in general, adding that he wants Steele to make some staff changes and bring more transparency to the party.
"I have concerns," Kirk said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "I am all in favor of having retreats in places like Baltimore or Cleveland."
His reluctance to call for Steele's resignation could have to do with the support Steele has given Kirk leading up to this Senate race.
Last summer, when appearing on the Don Wade & Roma show on WLS, Chairman Steele defended Kirk to the hosts, who asked if the party would support Mark Kirk. Kirk has been criticized by the right for his pro-choice, pro-stem cell research stance, but Steele stood behind him.
"Oh my gosh, yeah. I'm so excited about Mark Kirk and his race," Steele said, adding that the people of Illinois should "give Mark Kirk a fair shot."
Thursday's appearance was another example of how Kirk is torn between Republicans who do not think he is conservative enough and moderate Illinois Democrats who think his recent shift to the right on certain issues will come back to bite him in Illinois. For example, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Planned Parenthood and the National Organization for Women, which previously had rated Kirk as one of their favorite Republicans, denounced his vote for the Stupak amendment. Also, his pledge to "repeal" health care reform may have resonated with a Republican crowd in Winnetka last month, but has since been something he has avoided.
Again on Thursday reporters asked if he planned to work to repeal the bill, the Sun-Times reports:
A few weeks ago, Kirk told a Wilmette audience that he would lead the charge to repeal Obama's health care bill. But since then, he has refused to take that hard line, saying Thursday only that he opposed what he said were "12 new federal taxes" in the bill. Kirk would not say whether he would repeal it.
Kirk's reputation as a moderate congressman is what many say has allowed him to keep his seat in Illinois for five terms. Though his support of stem cell research remains, his flip-flopping on issues such as 'cap-and-trade' legislation, carbon emissions and health care repeal pledge have given his opponent Alexi Giannoulias something to grill him about. But his Thursday appearance looked like an effort to show Illinois voters that he is still the "moderate" they supported in the past.