Sunday, May 30, 2010

Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois Pulls a Blumenthal

Republican Congressman Mark Kirk of Illinois was as favored to win President Obama’s former Senate seat as was Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in Connecticut for Chris Dodd’s Senate seat.

The Illinois Democratic Party is shattering. The Democratic primary winner for Lieutenant Governor, Scott Lee Cohen, had to withdraw because of a 2005 arrest for domestic abuse as well as failure to pay back taxes and child support.

The Democratic Senatorial nominee, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, had his family bank, Broadway bank, recently closed by the FDIC at a cost of $394.3 million to the feds. That’s hardly a qualification for office this year when Illinois is actually in worse financial shape than California.

And yet Congressman Kirk has lied about his military record, claiming to have received the prestigious U.S. Navy’s Intelligence Officer of the Year Award. He did not receive the individual reward. Instead, a unit citation was presented to his unit for their achievements in Kosovo. He was a member of the unit.

The disclosure came right before Memorial Day. We should be honoring the memory of our fallen soldiers, not trading on their valor through stupid misrepresentations by politicians. He claims it was simply a case of misidentification.

Congressman Kirk may snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

As with Blumenthal, no need existed for him to make this public claim. He has served honorably in the military. He received four Navy and Marine Corps commendations. He continues to serve as a Commander in the Navy reserves. All very honorable.

What are Blumenthal and Kirk thinking? Do they really believe that in today’s world these lies will not come out?

As I earlier asked with Blumenthal, is it arrogance? Is it a character flaw? Is it hubris? Or is it simple stupidity? Or perhaps it was an overzealous aide or political puffery?

After all, Al Gore took credit for the internet.

We expect puffery from politicians, but not when it comes to military service. That is too sacred!

George H. W. Bush, Robert Dole, John McCain, Robert Kerry, Daniel Inoye, John Kerry and others shed their blood for this country. We honor them.

Let’s just vacate the Illinois Senate seat. Leave it vacant. Neither candidate should serve if elected.

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