WASHINGTON – Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket will be insignificant to the incumbent Republican's bid to return to the U.S. Senate next November, U.S. Senator Mark Kirk told CNN this week.
Why? Because Kirk has consistently supported gay rights, Planned Parenthood and opposed gun rights, he said. His Democrat opponent Tammy Duckworth and he agree on all those issues.
CNN writes:
"These days I'm probably the best-positioned Republican to weather the institution of Trumpism because I have been voting pro-gay rights and against the gun lobby and solidly pro-choice," Kirk said, despite the fact he will support a Trump nomination.Kirk has been endorsed by the pro-gay rights Human Rights Campaign and is also the rare Senate Republican to embrace President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. GOP leaders have refused to hold a hearing or vote on the nominee, but Kirk is using the issue to show his independence from his party.
Like businessman Donald Trump, Kirk boasts of how independent he is of the conservative Republican leadership. That anti-establishment campaign rhetoric is likely to appeal to Trump voters, but it isn't crucial to victory, Kirk told CNN.
And although polling has consistently shown him lagging behind Duckworth, Kirk says Illinois voters like him…
"Often times, just to upset (Sen.) John McCain, I remind him in the last election where we shared the ballot together, I ran 16 points ahead of him," Kirk said in an interview, referring to the 2008 presidential race and his congressional campaign. "I've always run way ahead of the Republican ballot."
Or will 2016 be the "Year of the Women" in Illinois? More at CNN.com
So, knowing all this, why is Kirk any different than Tammy Duckworth?
I hear Kirk will not attend the GOP Convention.
Is he booked for the Democrat one?
And the Republican “establishment” wonders why many of us support Trump!!!
Kirk may well be to the right of Trump. And I doubt if we’d know as much as we do about HRC had the Senate been in the hands of Democrats the past few years.
The GOPe is the party of stupid. Why would anyone vote “Dem Lite” when they can have the real thing? Having constantly scorned conservatives, Kirk evidently thinks he’s going to somehow appeal to Democrat voters by running on a “Me Too!!!!” platform.
Nope, Kirk, you’re part of the problem. People want someone who isn’t afraid to stand for principles, not a chameleon who changes every time he turns around and tries to blend in with the Dems at every opportunity. It’s politicians like you who have helped destroy what’s left of the Republican party ~
Delusional
But he should win the Latino vote according to the establishment.
That’s what the Illinois GOP pushed on us and they had the nerve to call me and ask for money! I told them I don’t donate to traitors…
You are aware the hearings they had were in the house, not the senate, aren’t you?
On what issue is Kirk to the right of Trump? Looking forward to specifics.
No one can really know where Trump is on most issues.
Since Sen. Kirk, Rep. Duckworth, and Scott Summers (of the Green Party) are liberal, that should split the liberal vote, helping a conservative win.
Curious, how can someone who attacks Trump for NOT being right and has pledged NeverTrump vote for Kirk. NeverKirk is pretty appropriate.
Granted but he couldn’t be to the left of Kirk on anything.
I voted Sen. Kirk the first time around, but I will not make that mistake this time around. I don’t vote Democrat lite or otherwise.
Trumps taken the Democrat’s line on NAFTA for starters… listen to him lately. He sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders at times.
https://www.congress.gov/113/crpt/srpt134/CRPT-113srpt134.pdf
We wouldn’t have had a Senate Committee looking at Benghazi either had Democrats been in control
Seeing RINO Democrat Mark Kirk’s arrogance and ego go down to a humiliating, crushing defeat will be one of the few bright spots in the November election. And when Tammy Duckworth takes his place in the U.S. Senate, I promise you we won’t even notice the difference…
It’s more the Buchanan patriotic line than the Chamber of Commerce traitor line on NAFTA.
You are aware that the house looked into Benghazi, aren’t you? And you are aware that the house, not the senate, brought Clinton in for questioning, aren’t you?
In what world would taking a stance on NAFTA be a left wing stance when the party of Lincoln was protectionist from Lincoln to Reagan? You don’t seem to have a strong grasp of issues outside your Neo-con magazines. There’s a much prouder conservative history than the magazine of Bill Kristol and the writings of Charles Krauthammer.
How can you possibly vote for Kirk???!
You’ve never heard of Trey Goudy, have you?