Posted on 02/02/2010 8:11:31 PM PST by Maelstorm
Newser) – Moderate Mark Kirk has won Illinois’ Republican Senate primary, blowing away two conservative opponents backed by tea-party contingents. The congressman has 56% of the vote with more than 82% of precincts reporting—giving him a 37% lead over Patrick Hughes. Analysts predicted that a clear Kirk victory would take much of the steam out of the tea-party movement.
On the Democratic side, the Chicago Tribune reports, state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias looks close to clinching the nomination, setting up a fight with Kirk for the Senate seat vacated by President Obama.
(Excerpt) Read more at newser.com ...
I guess the lesson is, Unite around one tea party..
Whoever wins the general wins, I’m not sending a dime.
Hes not winning anything.
Chicago, IL — A political advertisement run by Republican U. S. Senate candidate Andy Martin suggests that Mark Kirk (R-IL), currently Illinois 10th district Congressman and also a Senate candidate, is gay.
In a transcript of his advertisement published on www.WBBM780.com, Martin says: “Today, I am fighting for the facts about Mark Kirk. Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser says there is a, “solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual.” Roeser suggests that Kirk is part of a Republican Party homosexual club. Lake County Illinois Republican leader Ray True says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals.”
The ad was paid for by Illinois Republicans for Andy Martin.
Roeser is the founder and President of the Family Taxpayers Foundation and an Illinois political activist and business entrepreneur.
“The ad is not true and is degrading to the political process. The people of Illinois deserve better.” stated Eric Elk, campaign manager for Kirk, in a written statement.
Particularly damning to Kirk is the possibility of a Navy investigation as to his sexual orientation. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) allows for a military inquiry to begin with no substantive evidence being offered. Were the allegations determined to be true, Kirk, an intelligence officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, could be discharged if charges are substantiated. He is current under deployment and unavailable for comment.
Kirk’s campaign website, www.kirkforsenate.com, makes no reference to any LGBT issues. He is seen as a political moderate.
Kirk was divorced this past summer. His ex-wife, Kimberly, has endorsed his campaign.
Pat Brady, the head of the Illinois Republican Party, has said the party will no longer recognize Andy Martin as a legitimate Republican candidate.
Senate Democratic candidate Jacob Meister spoke with ChicagoPride.com this afternoon. In a statement, Meister calls the ad an “insidious attack” on the sexuality of Mark Kirk. “The use of sexual orientation in this race, whether overt or by innuendo can no longer be tolerated,” said Meister. “Mr. Martin’s statements are clear attempts to use sexual orientation as a political weapon and are criminal in their perpetuation of ignorance and prejudice.”
Meister added “perhaps if one of their own (a sitting congressman) were to become the subject of a military tribunal and discharge Congress will look at DADT differently.”
A call made this afternoon to Kirk’s campaign office for further comment was not returned.
Everytime some homosexual com symp baby killer runs on the GOP country club ticket, it is the conservatives duty to stop them cold.
This SOB is going down, Hughes must ensure Kirks defeat by running as an independent.
Dream on!
So is Barney Frank, and he is the chairman of a very powerful House committee.
That’s a shame. I was really hoping for Hughes to win. This RINO is no different than a Rat.
I actually think it would be better if the Rat wins too. If Kirk wins, the Republicans will use this as a reason to move farther to the left. They need to know that running RINOs will ultimately end in failure.
That of the MSM.
Illinois is a mess!! It is going to take a loooong time to turn the tide. I have no desire to move back there! As for Kirk, should he beat Obama’s boy, it would be a step in a different direction. In Kirk’s case, I cannot say “right’ direction!”
HA! Are these analysts a bunch of idiots, or is this simply propaganda to demoralize the Tea Party Movement, 912-ers, etc.?
Oh, well. If Kirk had lost to Hughes or Lowry, he would've just endorsed the Democrat, anyhow...
Sorta like the Illinois version of Connie Morella.
Another problem was the early date for the Primary (according to what had to be the Hughes campaign on Sean Hannity). Illinois moved the primary date up big time in 2007/2008 for the Presidential primary, and then simply did not move it back to normal. This circumstance favored Mark Gurk.
Mark Kirk is not a GOP Moderate. He is a liberal Democrat with an (R) behind his name.
“There are just some places a true conservative can’t win. Illinois is one of them.”
That’s not true. A real conservative can win local races and occasionally a race for the US House of Representatives. But a real conservative will not win the governorship or either of the US Senate seats.
“I lived in Cook County for 32 years. If you could take it off the map, Illinois would be the most conservative state in the country.”
Well, you’d also have to remove Springfield and Champaign-Urbana. Do that and you’re partially right: Illinois would be a conservative state, but not the most conservative.
I voted for Pat Hughes yesterday. He had zero name recognition, and, let’s be candid: The average voter is pretty clueless, and politically lazy, and will quickly pull the lever for a name he or she recognizes, no matter that person’s agenda.
One would have to go south of I-80 to even begin seeing some conservative areas of Illinois, but they are out there, just the same.
“Cook County is Chicago. The 2nd most populous county in the US - and very liberal, even Republicans.”
The six of them who live there.
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