Being a native of the "Land of Lincoln", I really hope Rep. Kirk does have Palin endorse him. She may have some capital in the downstate regions, but if you were looking for a way to fire up the Chicago machine, this would be it.

Illinois has a history of electing moderate republicans to state wide offices. Getting the Palin nod is probably a sure fire way to not get elected.

I'd like to significantly hedge my earlier statement that Kirk might well be able to pull this off against Giannoulias. Had Kirk continued his semi-ersatz moderate routine, he'd have been in good shape -- he's a likable guy who enjoyed a decent reputation among statewide voters, including Democrats -- but what he's now apparently going to have to do to get through the primary will almost certainly kill him in an Illinois general election. I'm not sure you can convincingly tack back to the center after having danced with La Palin and Dick's Army.

I am, needless to say, delighted that doubtful's original prediction will likely be right and mine wrong. (But I still roll my eyes at Giannoulias.)

I think you meant "109th" congress, not 190th.

The Palin/Beck axis serves to radicalize the GOP even if their actual electoral leverage isn't always evident. Mark Kirk is one obvious example but all other Republican congress critters are as well. To get to the point of utter nihilism that their caucus now represents you'd need a combination of culture-war madness and plain old fear. That's what the primary challenges and/or threats do. They probably won't win that many but if can make Charlie Crist sound like Michele Bachmann, you've accomplished what you set out to do.

I think you meant "109th" congress, not 190th.

Anyone could make that mistake -- the current one feels like it's been going on for decades.

The assumption of this entry is that appealing to the fringe right is unnecessary to win a primary in Illinois. That could very well be wrong. The national party apparently dances to Glenn Beck's tune and as a moderate back-stabber, the party already hates his guts...

It's primary season. I think we're going to be seeing a lot of this. Usually politicians run far in their party's directions... it's not Kirk's fault his party has gone off a cliff. He still needs to win a primary, and get conservative funding.

Kirk goes on to write that he is hoping for something "quick and decisive" from Palin about the race...

Like a tweet, maybe? Or a ghost-written facebook entry? Because that's all anyone can get out of this Alaskan moron. Why do people give a crap what this brain-dead barbie thinks (sic)?

She's a loser.
She's a quitter.
She's stoopid beyond the pale.

All it shows is that he has given up any hope of significant votes in the Chicagoland area, which happens to include the district he is representing.

He is hoping that the downstaters can carry him, fat chance.

An endorsement from Palin? Wow, politics really is just like watching sausage being made.

The best strategy for 2010 is to encourage third party teabaggers to run for office. I hope there is a cynical, rich Dem somewhere willing to make an investment to put some tea partiers on the ballot in contested races. We could generate a bunch of conservative Ralph Naders siphoning votes for pennies on the dollar.

Maybe he should pose for Playgirl.

Shortstop...what Dems are you referring to as liking Kirk?

This jerk is my rep and I worked for two elections to get Seals elected.

Kirk can kiss my BFA. He is a Bush lockstepper. I hope Palin does endorse him. We might finally get rid of him!

Isn't Kirk the moron who went to China and told them not to listen to the US government's budget statementa? That the US government (which was where he got his paycheck) wasn't a good bet anymore financially?

Fuck him. "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies." The sooner we plant him in the bottom of the Chicago River (politically), the better.

Glenn Beck says next year is going to be "bigger than 1994" - let's show him he's right, bury the
right wing, then drive a cedar stake through the heart of "movement" conservatism.

All Kirk is seeking is for Palin to blow her whistle and call off the far-right dogs. As long as he doesn't have Palin actually campaign for him, this shouldn't adversely effect him with the independents. In any case, he can still easily win the general against Giannoulias, assuming the Dems are stupid enough to elect him in the primary, by playing in constant rotation Durbin's rant about how bankers own the Senate and are destroying the country.

Also, the 109th Congress did not end last year, it was the Congress that served in 2005-2006. the Congress that ended last year (or technically, the very beginning of this year) was the 110th, and we are currently in the 111th.

inkadu, I don't think Steve is arguing that Kirk doesn't need to do this; he's pointing out that even formerly moderate Repubs like Kirk are really in a pickle as they face threats from the teabag brigade.

This is going to be a fascinating race. Banking is not on most people's lists of most admired professions right now, and Giannoulias has some other baggage with D'Arco, etc. There's a certain amount of general anti-Dem feeling after the Blago fiasco. But despite the state GOP being as whacked as it is in many other states, independent and moderate Republican voters in Illinois aren't generally big on the Palin-Beck-Armey brand of Republicanism. Going to be interesting.

MsJoanne: Kirk has pulled decent approval ratings across party lines in the past. I think that ended after he went rogue in China and verified that he'd be heading rightward from now on.

I'll also add about Kirk that he sends me letters all the time with nothing but lies in them. I get emails and letters from him every time I call his office. I also get updates via email.

He is nothing but a major league liar. That he sends out this crap, often in conjunction with Melissa Bean, the other rep in this area, a Dem, INFURIATES me. There is just enough truthiness in his bullshit that the uninformed will believe it.

This guy HAS TO GO. That he is finally showing his true colors completely works for me.

He has needed to be voted off the island for too long now.

An endorsement from Palin? Wow, politics really is just like watching sausage being made.

Or turkeys being beheaded. :-)

I didn't realize that the odious anti-semetic Nixon-buddy Fred Malek was still a Republican Party poobah. Whenever he guest hosts on CNBC he's always described innocuously as just some sort of private sector fund manager.

Hey, maybe they can talk Alan Keyes into running again!

The base of the IL GOP would love nothing better than to have Alan Keyes to rally around again. He was definitely their kind of guy.

And they've forgotten that he rolled up a whopping 27% of the vote.

Kirk is probably making a mistake. Anybody with an R next to their name faces long odds in a deep-blue state like Illinois: Rod Freaking Blagojevich beat a moderate Republican by double digits in 2006 despite his miserable approval rating. It's hard enough for a GOP moderate to compete there, and if Kirk is perceived to be a conservative he has no chance at all.

Kirk is probably making a mistake. Anybody with an R next to their name faces long odds in a deep-blue state like Illinois: Rod Freaking Blagojevich beat a moderate Republican by double digits in 2006 despite his miserable approval rating. It's hard enough for a GOP moderate to compete there, and if Kirk is perceived to be a conservative he has no chance at all.

When you combine this story with that of what Charlie Crist is doing in trying to win the Florida nomination, aren't they both setting themselves up to characterized as 100% weasels?

When you combine this story with that of what Charlie Crist is doing in trying to win the Florida nomination, aren't they both setting themselves up to characterized as 100% weasels?

They are weasels. No setup required. That seems to be the trademark of the modern GOP.

As we head into 2010 and House elections, I wonder how far right the R's are going to tack because I keep hoping that Eric Cantor won't be so smug about keeping his seat and his minority whip position.

MsJoanne, I lived in Il-10 for years and was active in 10thDems and NewTrier Democratic Organisation. I also worked and supported Seals in his last two campaigns, and am working "long distance" to get him nominated again this year.

Mark Kirk is and has been a hemmoroid on the collective ass of IL-10th since 2000. He's a liar and a fake "liberal Republican" who made it easy for the Democratic voters to show their political sophistication and independence by being their "token Republican" in every election. I hate him with a passion. I so hope he fucks himself over this year and is out of politics forever.

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