Giannoulias

Kirk

In the red corner, we have Mark Kirk, RINO extraordinaire, momentarily doing battle with Patrick Hughes, underfunded tea partyer.  In the blue corner, we have Alexi Giannoulias, Democratic Doogie, holding off Cheryle Jackson, Blago fan and Urban League exec.  After much research into the candidates, I can only sum up the findings with this statement: at least the new Senator won’t be worse or more embarrassing than Roland Burris.  That’s the best I can do, and it’s a sad state of affairs.

Realistically, it’s going to end up being Kirk vs. Giannoulias.  When you vote on the basis of being pro limited government, pro small business, pro-life, and anti-tax, this becomes the typical lesser-of-two-evils vote.  (I also instantly downgrade a candidate if they say they support hate-crime legislation.  Assault is assault and murder is murder regardless of motivation.)  The only candidate fitting that description is Hughes, and he’s not going to make it.  (Mind you, he only fits if you take him at his word- since he’s never held public office before.)  Alexi sounds good on the issues of reducing taxes on small businesses and the middle class and increasing government transparency, but he goes off the tracks quickly.  He simultaneously talks about cutting taxes while increasing funding for just about everything under the sun.  (Psst… it’s the Obama playbook.)  Almost everything is underfunded according to him.  Most annoyingly, Mr. Giannoulias talks as if he is running for president instead of one of 100 Senate seats.  In reading through his web site, you will be stunned and amazed by all the things he has plans and agendas for- almost as if he can single-handedly implement everything.  He acts as though he doesn’t have 40-99 other Senators who might have something to say about it.

Then there’s Mark Kirk, Mr. Big R himself.  In researching his voting record and the statements he has made, it is clear that he exemplifies all things moderate- with a capital “M.”  Many times he has voted along party lines, but there are times when he has not.  Most notably, he voted for cap-and-trade legislation, for the extension of unemployment compensation, and against “the surge” in Iraq.  Oh, and he also voted to increase the federal minimum wage.   He is so moderate, in fact, that themiddleclass.org gave him the highest grade of any Illinois Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In addition to grading high with liberal web sites and voting questionably on some key issues, he appears vulnerable to attacks regarding flip-flopping.  Click here for a sampling offered by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).

Personally, I am going to vote for Hughes in the primary.  Once he’s out of the running, I will vote for Kirk… because I’ll have to for lack of real options.

Kirk’s key voting record

Kirk’s Senate campaign site

Giannoulias’ Senate campaign site

Hughes’ Senate campaign site

Jackson’s Senate campaign site