You're being too squeamish. It should be a little bit of a "watch what you say" moment.

After all, were he to make remarks like this about the president, he would get a visit from the Secret Service, who would remind him that it is very much something that law enforcement agencies take an active interest in. And while a Governor is not the president, s/he is still a senior executive within the government, subject to threats and real risks of violence, and so I would say subject to the same types of protection and interest by law enforcement as the president, albeit perhaps at a lower level.

Free speech is protected, but the protection is not absolute. Incitement to imminent violence is, IIRC, not fully protected, any more than, say "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater."

IOKIYAR

Actually, he is calling for violence, Steve.

Responsible leaders don't behave this way. Decent leaders don't behave this way

But this is a Republican we're discussing here, and recent events suggest that the the quote, when applied to Kirk, constitutes an oxymoron of the highest degree!

Steve: "Mark Kirk didn't call for violence.."

Kirk said that people "are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes," and insists that he meant what he said, but Steve has to spend most of his post telling us that Kirk couldn't mean it literally, not really.

I don't know what I despise more: insane conservatives who want to shoot anyone who disagrees with them, or the milquetoast liberals who apologize for them on every available opportunity.
____________________________________________

The Right-wingers are ever more unstable, and show what miserable sore losers (in every sense of the term) they are. And since we are (as they were so quick to point out during the Bush misadministration) "at war with Terror" (and really still are as in Afghanistan) their provocative gamesmanship is anti-American and compromises us in the face of our enemies. They are traitors.

This is the outfit that used to call itself "the Daddy Party". Now they're throwing tantrums just like spoiled two-year-olds. Dangerous, stupid, two-year-olds.

Why should people who are UNEMPLOYED be worried about an INCOME tax?

These people are so delusional it's utterly maddening.

If I went on the radio to comment on Kirk's comment, and said "There are people ready to shoot people who say there are people who would shoot people for raising taxes", would that get me arrested? I imagine so. Or fired.

IOKIYAR

Kirk's comments are disturbing due to his background. He is not some typical RepuG politico with limited education and no military experience. He has been well educated and has served in three military conflicts as a Navy Reservist in the capacity of an Intelligence Officer. In fact, he received an honor in being named Intelligence Reservist Officer of the Year. From his background, he appears to know the English language very well. This was no slip of the tongue.

"I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree," Kirk said.

Saying that Kirk didn't call for violence is wrongheaded, Steve. That he didn't come out and request it, or name a likely suspect to do it, he clearly is suggesting that if lots of Illionoisians are ready to shoot, someone will get the impression that they might as well be the one to do it. Didn't someone once cut John the Baptist's head off on overhearing a "figure of speech"?

This country has become FUBAR.

Lastly, Obama has now officially been downgraded (in my voter's book) as one who is clealy becoming just like the rest. First it was my 4th ammendment right's , now it's OK to have tortured, as long as you don't do it again. If you take his quotes on letting the creeps who tortured "under orders to do so" and fill in a few references to the defenses put up at Neuremburg by Nazis or Japaneese soldiers , instead of references to Bush's handimen where is the difference?

Would anyone, anyone, other than the perps themselves, let those sadistic torturers off the hook following WW2? Obama is an enabeler in this one. Turning a blind eye to torturers places him squarly into their camp. I'm sorry but politcal expedience doesn't trump moral outrage. Too bad for him that this would make the GOP crazy. Come on, they haven't supported him on anything he's tried to do anywhy so what's the diference?

I'm bowing out of my support for him. In four years maybe we can get a Dem who doesn't think torture done by americans is OK as long as it wasn't done on his watch to run against him in a primary. Nauseating...

Remember, political reporters generally refer to Kirk, who has acknowledged his interest in running for governor, as a "moderate."

In Illinois, a "moderate" Republican is one who believes in a life sentence instead of death for any woman who seeks an abortion. The state GOP here is waaaaaaaaay to the right, which is why they've lost all the statewide audience.

Kirk's comments played well in his district and throughout all the gun-toting rural Illinois areas. Trust me.

Why all the uproar? It is not like Kirk is calling upon people to kill good, god loving Americans; just democrats!

The Republicans are nothing but money grubbing assholes. They don't give a rat's ass about anyone except very rich white people. The are the perfect definition of traitors.

What stevio said.

I suspect Kirk voted against the stimulus, and helped remove funds from the bill that would have helped states avoid having to raise taxes.

Disgusting, Immature, Irresponsible.

Today's Republican Pary.

Republicans are crazy. You can't expect reasonable behavior from them. If they weren't rich white people they'd be on the corner shouting at the voices in their heads or in a shed somewhere sharpening their axes and loading their guns.

Lifelong Dem is correct. Kirk's remarks are designed to get him through the GOP primary for next year's gubernatorial race.

We'll see whether Illinois Dems will be smart enough to use this, Kirk's vote against the stimulus bill, his backing of Michele Bachmann's paranoid currency bill and other recent exhibits of him mugging for the right against him in the general election. Freaky far rightists do not get elected to statewide office in Illinois any more. They have to at least fake moderation.

It is just unbelievable that with the shellacking the GOP took in the last election, acting like a fringe psycho -- and now, jumping on on the incite-violence bandwagon -- remains the best way to secure a Republican place on any ticket. These people are so far down the rabbit hole it's hard to know what to say.

Governor Quinn has proposed raising Illinois's regressive income tax rate from 3% to 4.5% while tripling the personal exemption from $2000 to $6000. Anyone in Illinois making under $57,000 will have no income tax increase. Anyone making $100,000 will have about a $200 tax increase I think it is. After decades of Republican governors in the late 20th century Illinois has a $11.5 billion dollar debt and pension funds that are way underfunded.

Kirk has said he'll decide whether he's running for governor or senate or neither in May. He's not much of a politician but he's about the only successful Republican left in the state after beating back Dan Seals twice. With their weak bench, he'll most likely be looking to move up. Unless of course we discourage him.

You can write him through his House website but you have to plug in a local area code in his district to do so. I used a Highland Park zip 60035 yesterday to write him and let him know what I think of his rhetoric and aspirations for higher office.

http://www.house.gov/kirk/zipauth.shtml

I'll agree with other commenters. Kirk as good as said, if Gov. Quinn raises taxes, an Illinois resident would be justified in shooting him. It's about as subtle as "Bring 'em on."

Thank you Markg8 for posting the specifics on the tax "increase" in question. Steve, please post such facts whenever possible, it really matters and it makes knocking down these retarded "over taxed" memes MUCH easier.

I always ask the anti-tax morons how much it's worth to live in "the greatest country on earth" (thus using their own meme against them) Is it worth 10%? Why the hell not? People all over the world would love to take your slot here, ya know. There's plenty of Mexicans who would trade ya, and they've got really low taxes down there.

I also have to agree with the others in saying that Steve is wrong, this was definitely a call to violence. Mark Kirk should be forced to recant after being thrown in jail, because unfortunately there are PLENTY of idiots who will see his call to "shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes" as a call to violence. And of course many of the idiots are armed to the teeth with assault rifles and huge ammo clips. Worse yet, their heads are FILLED WITH CRAP that would, IF it was true, actually be a real reason to take up arms. So the problem isn't so much the guns, it's the nonsense these people believe. If I believed half of the paranoid BS these people believe, I'd be thinking about shooting people too.

So the best thing to do is use the facts to dispel the crap as much as possible, and to AT LEAST embarrass the criminals like Kirk who seem to think reckless endangerment is fun. Better yet, throw him in jail and tell everyone exactly what he is in there for doing. Raising some people's taxes by 1.5% isn't a justification for violence, letting Kirk get away with it will surely lead others to do likewise.

If an air traveller says something about "bombing" an airplane, he/she can count on spending some quality time enjoying a body cavity search, complements of the TSA. A Republican politician makes a comment about shooting an elected official and "well, it's obvious that he was speaking figuratively" and nothing happens.

I disagree. I believe it is totally fair to blame politicians who rouse the rabble by encouraging violence. That rabble will always include at least one severely disturbed individual who is capable of acting on his or her impulses.

But it's nice that Kirk is looking after the taxes of unemployed people. That must mean they're getting paid by someone and aren't going hungry.

Damn Liberal media! If inciting to riot or murder is being 'moderate', then what does it take to be a 'radical'?

I guess the Right has to keep trying harder to take those Radical views. They seem to be having trouble coming up with views that the press will even consider labeling Radical.

Hey, maybe it's the media which is truly Radical and they think everyone to their Left is moderate or Liberal. Damn Liberal press!

I think the violent rhetoric is designed to achieve two goals. First, they'd like their competition eliminated, literally. Second, if the Obama Administration does anything in response to this, the Republican gets to play the victim card and whine about his free speech being violated.

What was it I just read Steve Schmidt said? Oh yeah, that Republicans know what responsibilities come with their rights. What a crock.