The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Why Kirk May Have Quit

Text Size

Why Kirk May Have Quit

By W. James Antle, III on 7.10.09 @ 5:42PM

There are two major reasons for Mark Kirk's flip-flopping on the Illinois Senate race: the national energy tax and Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna's decision to run anyway. Kirk apparently hoped the party would clear the field for him. Instead Republicans were steamed by his vote for cap and trade. Kirk supposedly rethought his candidacy after Republican members of the Illinois delegation said they might not support him over McKenna due to the national energy tax. Now we'll see if national GOP bigwigs can muscle McKenna out of the race to bring back Kirk.

View all comments (6) | Leave a comment

S.C.| 7.10.09 @ 6:25PM

Is Kirk out? The last news I saw this afternoon says that he's still considering a run, and that earlier stories that he'd dropped out were incorrect.

Siegfried X| 7.10.09 @ 7:08PM

Kirk said that he and McKenna would discuss it over the weekend. No final decision made. As stated above, "Now we'll see if national GOP bigwigs can muscle McKenna out of the race to bring back Kirk".

Siegfried X| 7.10.09 @ 7:50PM

If true, this seems to show a tremendous weakness in Mark Kirk, and it also shows how primaries are rigged by Republican leaders in favor of liberal Republicans. As a reward for voting in favor of Obama's cap & trade legislation, "GOP bigwigs" will force all other Republicans to drop out of the primary against Mark Kirk, according to the above.

Red Phillips| 7.10.09 @ 8:05PM

I said in one of the other threads that given the current climate, the conservative base might not just set idly by and accept whatever RINO the Establishment offers up. It seems I was right, at least so far. The base is really steamed about the cap and trade eight.

chicago| 7.11.09 @ 6:44AM

the Illinois Republican Party should revisit their effort in urging former Gov Jim Edgar in running for the Senate. if Jim Edgar still doesn't want to, then former State Treasurer Judy Bar Topinka should be asked to run. Topinka lost to Blagojevich for the gubernatorial election but given the bad reputation of Illinois democrats right now, Topinka might have a shot at either the Senatorial race or another Gubernatorial run.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) knows that Illinoians are currently up in arms about state democrats right now that she chose not to run for the Senate or Governor and opted to run for a third term as Attorney General.

The Illinois Republican party has been given a victory at various levels of the 2010 elections but it remains to be seen if they can capitalize on it.

4thsos| 7.12.09 @ 10:17AM

what normal halfliterate person would vote for a hidden tax that will double the price almost every consumable and at the same time make the usa uncompetative in would trade within 10yrs