Jeff Wartman

Let me start with a simple statement:

We need more Republicans like Mark Kirk in Washington.

While many fringe conservatives seem to delight in being “know-nothing” and opposing ideas while bringing nothing to the table, Representative Kirk has been at the forefront of creating solutions for his constituents.  His Congressional website states, “Congressman Kirk works to advance a Suburban Agenda that is pro-defense, pro-personal responsibility, pro-environment, and pro-science.”

That was a powerful line the first time I read it.  As a Republican who believes in solutions before obstruction, I feel proud that we have a Senate candidate in Illinois that will put solutions and ideas above all else.  Even stating support for science seems few and far between at times, especially considering the know-nothingness of certain Republican Presidential candidates who deny such simple and basic science as evolution.

Here’s the bottom line:

Mark Kirk is a fiscal conservative.  From his website:

Mark Kirk opposed Speaker Pelosi’s trillion-dollar stimulus plan. Congressman Kirk offered two amendments to the bill. The first Kirk Amendment successfully cut a $200 million set aside to re-sod the National Mall. The second Kirk Amendment, which would have created a bipartisan oversight panel, was rejected by the Democratic Leadership.

Mark Kirk opposed the $407 billion Omnibus Appropriations bill filled with 9,000 secret earmarks – including a dozen earmarks totaling $8.7 million secured by clients of Paul Magliochetti and Associates (PMA), a firm raided by the FBI and facing criminal prosecution by the Justice Department.

and…

Mark Kirk voted for the 2001 and 2003 tax relief packages and supports making this tax relief permanent.

Last year, Congressman Kirk voted against a budget plan to raise taxes by $1.5 trillion and triple the debt over the next 10 years (S.Con.Res 13).

The year before, Congressman Kirk voted against a plan to raise taxes by at least $683 billion over the next five years (S.Con.Res. 70) and a proposal to raise the 10-percent tax rate bracket to 15 percent, re-impose the marriage penalty, cut the child tax credit in half, and raise taxes on seniors, working families and small businesses (H.Con.Res. 312).

Mark Kirk believes we should permanently repeal the death tax and marriage penalty, double the child tax credit and cut the capital gains tax.

Furthermore, like most reasonable people, Mark Kirk is a social moderate.  Regulating and criminalizing private behavior in the bedroom is not something that Republicans should support.  Social moderation, led by many Republican stalwarts — people like Barry Goldwater, Everett Dirksen, Jack Kemp and Rudy Giuliani have expressed moderation and toleration for different groups, and the Republican Party should take notice.

To learn more about Mark Kirk, please view his website and read the Issues page of the Kirk for Senate website to learn some more about specific policy proposals.

Ronald Reagan, 1977:

“And just to set the record straight, let me say this about our friends who are now Republicans but who do not identify themselves as conservatives: I want the record to show that I do not view the new revitalized Republican Party as one based on a principle of exclusion. After all, you do not get to be a majority party by searching for groups you won’t associate or work with. If we truly believe in our principles, we should sit down and talk. Talk with anyone, anywhere, at any time if it means talking about the principles for the Republican Party. Conservatism is not a narrow ideology, nor is it the exclusive property of conservative activists.”

Some of us understand the concept that in order to govern effectively, you need a reasonable, forward-thinking, middle of the road mindset to solve real problems encountered by real people.  Rigid, regressive ideology will only cause greater problems.  Reagan understood that, let’s hope the rest of us come to that realization also.

Over the last two days, both the Daily Herald and Chicago Sun-Times have written important endorsements of Congressman Mark Kirk in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

From the Daily Herald:

Not only is Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park by far the most qualified in the GOP field, he would be the most formidable candidate Republicans could offer in the November general election. Put simply: Kirk could win; it is debatable whether any of the other five candidates could.

I don’t think it’s debatable at all – no other candidate in the Republican primary can win the general election.  Period.

The Herald continues…

He’s an intelligent, hardworking independent who strives to model bipartisan ethics in a system that is choking on its partisanship. In 10 years, he’s become a leader among Republican moderates in the House, chairing their Tuesday Group get-togethers. Morton Kondracke, executive editor of Roll Call, described him well as “one of Congress’ most effective moderates.”

He has been a leader on Capitol Hill in rejecting the outrageous congressional practice of earmark spending and has fought for fiscal sanity in government spending.

As a Naval Reserve intelligence officer, Kirk has keen insights into the stakes in Afghanistan and the war on terror and an ability to articulate them that few other politicians can match.

As for those political assailants who ignore the record and try to smear Kirk as a Democrat in Republican clothing, consider this: If that were true, why have Democratic national officials worked so hard to try time and again to unseat him in the 10th Congressional District?

While it’s true that many reactionary Republicans will oppose Congressman Kirk based on a small amount of fringe issues, the fact of the matter remains that Congresman Kirk has been helping to lead the fight to oppose the Democrats national takeover of health care, reduce the deficit, cut taxes, and keep our country safe.

The choice is simple:  do we want to elect a legislator with proven results in Washington, or do we want to lose?  Most of the other candidates for U.S. Senate here in Illinois are good people, and good Republicans.  However, Mark Kirk is the only Republican in Illinois that can win.  His Republican values will serve us well in the United States Senate.

Furthermore, there is another reason that the election of Mark Kirk to the U.S. Senate would be positive — it would push back on the Democrats national talking points.  For the last decade, Democrats have been trying to portray the Republican Party as moving far to the extreme conservative right wing.  However, electing a responsible moderate Republican like Mark Kirk should prove to the media and the rest of the county that those of us active in the Republican Party believe in a big tent party and reject small minded purity tests.

Adam Kinzinger, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in Illinois 11th Congressional, is getting some good press in CQ….Adam’s website is here and you can click here to donate.

Kinzinger, an Iraq War veteran, filed a campaign report with the Federal Election Commission Tuesday that said he raised $112,000 in this year’s second quarter, including $20,000 from political committees.

Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia gave $5,000 to Kinzinger from his leadership PAC, Every Republican Is Crucial (ERIC) PAC. Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, the representative from the Peoria-based 18th District, gave $5,000 from his leadership organization, Generation Y Fund.

Republican Rep. John M. Shimkus, who represents southern Illinois’ 19th District, gave $1,000 to Kinzinger’s campaign. Former Rep. Thomas W. Ewing gave $250 from his campaign committee, which is still open even though Ewing retired from the 15th District at the end of 2000. That district, adjacent to the 11th, is now represented by Republican Timothy V. Johnson.

Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus gave to Kinzinger from both his campaign committee and his leadership PAC.

Notable individual donors to Kinzinger include Marty Ozinga, a construction company owner who lost overwhelmingly to Halvorson in 2008, and Jim Oberweis, a dairy company owner who has waged multiple losing bids for Congress or governor.

Most of you know that I will be helping to coordinate Will County for Adam Kinzinger, a candidate for Congress in Illinois 11th Congressional district.  He is a former McLean County Commissioner and a member of the Air National Guard.  He is seeking the Republican nomination to take on incumbent Democrat Debbie Halvorson.

The website should be up soon — check www.electadam.com for updates.