Free Republic

Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk hasn't endorsed a GOP candidate for president, but it's looking more and more like he's on Mitt Romney's team. Kirk said Monday the field is getting down to "Romney and the anti-Romney," listing all of the GOP darlings -- Palin, Bachman, Trump et al -- that have fallen by the wayside. "The underlying story is the rise and rise of Mitt Romney," Kirk said. In regards to the Herman Cain sexual harassment controversy, Kirk said Cain "needs to respond and respond completely." "I do think his story is largely ending," Kirk said. "The critical thing is...

Sen. Susan Collins is part of a renewed bid to pass a bipartisan bill protecting against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Maine Republican is a lead co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA, along with Democrats Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Tom Harkin of Iowa and Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois.

(AP) Republican Mark Kirk broke with his majority of his party Saturday to support repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military, casting one of the first high-profile votes he’s faced as Illinois’ junior senator. The Senate voted 65-31 to let gays serve openly in the military. President Barack Obama was expected to sign the legislation next week, although the change wouldn’t take immediate effect. The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-175, on Wednesday. Kirk was one of six Republicans to break ranks. The move was a reversal for him after...

Here we go again.  The same vicious cycle seems to repeat itself ad nauseum.  We become all excited about the prospects of picking up Senate seats during the election.  Then, within a few days these RINOs return to their old ways.  The Hill is reporting that Mark Kirk is considering whether to vote with the Democrats and support the unconstitutional Disclose Act.  Even though he voted against this particular bill while he was in the House, he is showing willingness to sell himself out to liberal special interest groups that are pressuring RINOs to support this legislation.  Here is what...

Centrist Senate Republicans are likely to get a new ally in Sen.-elect Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), according to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 Kirk can't wait to join U.S. Senate GOP's "Mod Squad" Leftist Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine is all excited about a new ally - Mark Kirk. Collins told the Kennebec Journal that Kirk joked that he wanted to be a part of the Senate GOP's "Mod Squad." Columnist David B. Offer wrote:The day after the election, Collins told me she had received a post-election telephone call from Mark Kirk, the Illinois Republican elected to fill the Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama. “I can’t wait to join your Mod Squad,” Kirk told her. So, from the...

Sen.-elect Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) could buck his Republican leadership in his first two weeks on the job and vote in favor of a campaign-finance transparency bill that the GOP’s top brass ardently oppose.

 Watchdogs are pushing for a vote on a stripped-down version of a campaign finance bill during the upcoming lame-duck session. That version of the legislation would force groups bankrolled by anonymous donors to disclose the sources of their funding, as well as their political spending. Advocates for greater limits on campaign finance have been eyeing Kirk, as well as Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), as two possible votes...

Saturday, October 30, 2010 Abortion rights groups play both sides in IL U.S. Senate race Abortion rights groups far surpass pro-life groups in campaign contributions to political candidates, OpenSecrets.org writes today.  It's pretty troubling and discouraging for pro-lifers in Illinois that both of their U.S. Senate candidates are on the list of the nation's top 20 biggest abortion dollar recipients in 2010.  So, no matter who's elected November 2 -- Mark Kirk or Alexi Giannoulias -- the abortion industry will be happy.  OpenSecrets.org also lists the top 20 candidates getting prolife group backing, of which three from Illinois are included: former U.S. Senate candidate...

Kirk siphons away black minister By DAVID CATANESE | 10/25/10 2:10 PM EDT Updated: 10/26/10 12:46 PM EDT The Rev. Willie Wilson, a nationally prominent black pastor, announced his backing of Rep. Mark Kirk in the Illinois Senate race Monday, bucking his long tradition of supporting Democrats and splitting his endorsements at the top of the state ballot. Willie Wilson, a nationally prominent black pastor, announced his backing of Rep. Mark Kirk (shown) in the Illinois Senate race Monday. Wilson’s blessing is meant to signal to black voters that the Republican candidate is an acceptable option in one of...

<p>CHICAGO (AP) - Republican Mark Kirk says the Bush administration lied to him about the evidence for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.</p> <p>Kirk voted to invade Iraq and said he was morally certain Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.</p>

What does Illinois Tea Party candidate Michael Labno have to do to get some attention around here? Does he have to be more like Christine O’Donnell: should he make some bizarre comment about meatballs, get caught buying vibrators and boil some frogs? Or does he have to be more like Illinois Republican candidate Mark Kirk: shall he create an imaginary life story where he single-handedly killed Osama bin Laden with his .50 caliber sniper rifle, was awarded a medal of honor and then devoted his life to reading fairytales to nursery school students? On October 5, 2010, Rasmussen Reports announced...

Voters have starkly negative views of both candidates, each of whom has struggled in the campaign with stories that have hurt them. (Giannoulias had to spend time dealing with questions about the dealings of his family's bank, which ultimately failed, and Kirk had to acknowledge embellishing on his military service record). Forty-seven percent see Kirk unfavorably compared to 33 percent who regard him favorably, with 20 percent undecided. Giannoulias is seen unfavorably by a 48 percent to 33 percent margin, with 20 percent undecided. In mid-August, 34 percent had seen Kirk unfavorably and 42 percent saw Giannoulias unfavorably which suggests...

September 18, 2010 (HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.) (WLS) -- Thousands of conservatives and Tea Party supporters gathered for a rally in the suburbs Saturday. The Sears Center in Hoffman Estates was host to "Right Nation 2010." The headline speaker was cable news commentator Glenn Beck. Also on the speakers list was Republican nominee for Illinois governor and State Sen. Bill Brady. There had originally been reports that Brady would skip the event. Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk was not attending. Saturday's gathering comes just days after Tea Party-supported candidates won primary elections in several states. Approximately 5,500 people purchased tickets for...

The political resiliency of the climate eight has convinced some observers that the next Congress might even offer a kinder landscape for passing climate legislation. If Castle and Kirk ascend to the Senate, the chamber might have more moderate Republicans willing to join Democrats on cap and trade, says Rob Sisson, president of Republicans for Environmental Protection.

Andy Martin analyses the undisputed “facts” of Mark Kirk’s alleged “drowning” and suggests that no sensible person could believe Kirk’s own version of the facts. “We are drowning in Mark Kirk’s lies,” Martin says. Read Andy’s analysis of Kirk’s undisputed “facts” and decide for yourself. Andy Martin takes a closer look at Mark Kirk’s “drowning” episode and finds more questions than the Chicago Tribune Martin suggests Kirk’s own version of the story displays a “Tarzan” complex or, worse, a teenage suicide attempt “No rational person can believe Kirk’s own ‘undisputed’ facts Martin says “Factually Correct, Not Politically Correct” FOR IMMEDIATE...

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk called for new measures Thursday to limit federal spending, including giving the president the power to veto specific programs. The Illinois Republican also said he would back a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget and a “super-majority” vote before Congress could approve excess spending.

Republican Mark Kirk will receive a major money boost for his Senate bid, thanks to a recent special election ruling in Illinois that ups fundraising limits for the race. POLITICO has learned the National Republican Senatorial Committee has dedicated $3.4 million in coordinated funds to Kirk’s campaign against Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), the GOP's nominee for the Illinois Senate seat formerly held by President Obama, has now stated his support for the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan, and that he would vote to confirm her if he were in the Senate right now. The move is seemingly a part of Kirk's effort to appeal to voters in the center, having worked hard to present himself as a moderate and independent-minded Republican. "With regard to Solicitor General Kagan, I would support her nomination. Ms. Kagan appears to be modest and thoughtful not because she expected this nomination but...

The following open letter from Laurie Higgins to Illinois Republican Party leadership is posted below by RFFM.org with Mrs. Higgins permission. Higgins appeals to GOP leaders, urging Mark Kirk to bow out of the Senate race "for the good of the party." Higgins joins a growing chorus of conservatives who believe Kirk should be encouraged to do what's best for not only Illinois Republicans, but the integrity of the political process as well. Laurie Higgins is an influential pro-family activist and a widely read columnist. Higgins has a background as an educator. Her articles and columns have been published across...

In a move that could burnish his credentials as a “moderate” Republican, Senate candidate Mark Kirk announced Friday that he supports President Obama’s choice of Elena Kagan for the U.S. Supreme Court. "Under the Constitution, only the President can make this nomination and Solicitor General Kagan is one of the more careful nominees he could have picked,” Kirk said. Only two Republican senators have publicly declared so far that they are voting for Kagan. The vote will be over by the time Kirk would take his senate seat. But his announcement that he would support her makes it harder for...