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Mark Kirk and the Politics of Moderation (RINO follows Dem. "buddy" to Dem. meetings) (BARF ALERT)
RealClearPolitics ^ | 2011-06-09

Posted on 06/11/2011 11:30:02 AM PDT by rabscuttle385

(snip)

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has quickly become one of Kirk's closest friends in the Senate. "My main man Manch" is what Kirk affectionately calls his pal, a Blue Dog best described as the Democratic counterpart to Kirk.

Disillusioned with the Senate's partisan social cleavage, both starry-eyed newcomers set out to fix things. "Follow me," the freewheeling Mountaineer said to Kirk one day in early May, "I'm heading to a budget meeting and we need to shake things up."

Kirk was hesitant, suspecting that his presence might inflame most everyone at the Democratic strategy session. But Manchin insisted.

"Well OK," Kirk said. "You're my buddy."

So off they went, sitting side-by-side in the meeting for what became five increasingly uncomfortable minutes. Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, grew unamused with their shenanigans.

"This caucus is for Democrats only," the visibly miffed North Dakotan told Kirk.

Thanking Manchin for the invite, Kirk stood up, gave a brief but preachy speech about the importance of bipartisanship in these dire times, and bolted from the tension-filled room as he returned smiles with his smirking accomplice.

(snip)

Kirk's bipartisan inclinations have largely helped shape his moderate brand. In addition to setting up bipartisan Senate lunches on Thursdays in tandem with Manchin, Kirk has teamed up with a number of other Democrats on issues both foreign and domestic. With Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois he's working on legislation to crack down on corruption among public officials; with New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand he's fighting to promote human rights in Iran; and with one of his most vocal critics from the campaign trail, senatorial colleague Dick Durbin, he's working on a host of issues pertaining to the Prairie State.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: diablo; markkirk; rino

1 posted on 06/11/2011 11:30:05 AM PDT by rabscuttle385
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To: BillyBoy; Impy; fieldmarshaldj; PhilCollins; chicagolady

ugh


2 posted on 06/11/2011 11:30:45 AM PDT by rabscuttle385 (Live Free or Die)
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To: rabscuttle385
“Blue Dog” after the Obama care fiasco there is no such animal...the other guy is a fool


3 posted on 06/11/2011 11:34:15 AM PDT by darkwing104 (Lets get dangerous)
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To: rabscuttle385

Kirk is the Blue Dog’s tail. We all knew Kirk would be a mush, but politics never fails to surprise.


4 posted on 06/11/2011 11:34:37 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Hawk)
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To: darkwing104

Give me an Orange Cat any day.


5 posted on 06/11/2011 11:35:17 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Hawk)
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To: rabscuttle385

This bothers me less than Coburn’s friendship with Obama.


6 posted on 06/11/2011 11:35:35 AM PDT by gusopol3
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: rabscuttle385

If he’s staying solid on the other two legs of the GOP—economic and defense issues—then he’s at least legislating consistent with how he ran.

I have much more respect for that than for the games of Scott Brown, for example, though I realize they may both be as good as we can expect from their respective states for now.


8 posted on 06/11/2011 11:37:19 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: rabscuttle385

If we could combine the two we’d have a solid conservative.

Kirk on fiscal and Manchin on social.


9 posted on 06/11/2011 11:46:59 AM PDT by nhwingut (Palin '12... Accept No Other)
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To: rabscuttle385
The Classic Unnngh...Thread
10 posted on 06/11/2011 11:53:33 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (Proud to be a (small) monthly donor.)
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To: nhwingut

Kirk voted for cap and tax. He is no conservative.

“This caucus is for Democrats only,” Then Kirk belonged there.


11 posted on 06/11/2011 12:04:20 PM PDT by darkangel82 (I don't have a superiority complex, I'm just better than you.)
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To: rabscuttle385

Does anyone really believe these two jokers?

They probably went to encourage the continuation of destroying and robbing the taxpayer.


12 posted on 06/11/2011 12:49:16 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: rabscuttle385

They sound like two high school kids trying unsuccessfully to pull a prank.


13 posted on 06/11/2011 2:12:39 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (I retain the right to be inconsistent, contradictory and even flat-out wrong!)
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To: darkangel82

I agree that Sen. Kirk isn’t conservative, since he was my congressman. His latest rating from Planned Parenthood is 100%, and his latest rating from Gun Owners of America is 0%.


14 posted on 06/11/2011 4:55:57 PM PDT by PhilCollins
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To: nhwingut; rabscuttle385; darkangel82; PhilCollins; fieldmarshaldj; BillyBoy; BlackElk; ...

Kirk is moderate at best on fiscal and Manchin is a scum sucking democrat. How socially conservative can you be if to want Pat Leahy to be Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Obama to be President? Good luck getting a pro-life judge in. You aren’t a social conservative if you enable social liberals. So-cons have no place in that rat party.

If you combined Kirk and Manchin all you’d get is a really ugly baby. Oh wait Kirk get get pregnant, that’s why there’s that sadness in his eyes sometimes. ;-d

Seriously combine their “best” positions and delete the bad and you’d be left with a squishy-moderate, no “solid conservative”.

Kirk better get ready to kiss his boyfriend goodbye cause WVConservatives plan to remove him. I’m sure it won’t be long before he makes a new friend. Patty Murray would be a great fag hag for him.


15 posted on 06/12/2011 4:53:15 AM PDT by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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