I don't buy that this clymer "needs" to be so liberal to "win" in his "swing district". Kirk represents an suburban upper middle class to wealthy electorate in the far north suburbs of Chicago. It was held by another "moderate" Republican for 20 years before him. I'm in a less affluent, more Democrat part of suburban Chicago, and my DEMOCRAT state legislators vote to the right of this guy. Kirk is so liberal he supports partial birth abortion. Now how many "middle of the road" people can you find who would jump up and defend that?
He is a shameless opportunist and needs to go.
I agree that Kirk is dreadful, but this isn't much of a GOP district anymore. You may remember that prior to Kirk's predecessor, John Edward Porter, the district sent the ghastly leftist rodent Abner Mikva from this seat. Mikva might still be there today had he not been promoted by Carter to a federal judgeship. Unless we elect a GOP Governor in IL in 2010, the likelihood is that the 'Rats will draw Kirk out of his seat and gerrymander a huge rodent majority in the state for 2012.