Progress Illinois

After voting for Barack Obama and a Democratic majority in 2008, most of the electorate is clearly ready to see a liberal Congress fix some of America's enduring problems. Health reform is one of those top priorities. Both Obama and congressional hopefuls emphasized the issue throughout their campaigns, promising to tackle health care accessibility quickly when they got to Washington. And voters approve of the broad approach they have taken. An August Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that when the interviewer read an "accurate, neutrally phrased description of the main features of the plan that Obama supports," 56 percent of people approved and 38 percent opposed. Just this week, a majority of respondents told the Washington Post that they favor a Democratic-only bill rather than a bipartisan one if the Dem version includes a public insurance option (arguably the most contentious issue in the health care debate) and the bipartisan one doesn’t.

That being said, health care reform as structured by congressional Democrats and the White House is viewed by some as a risky proposition for Democrats representing moderate districts.  And according to congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk -- master political opportunist that he is -- the Democratic leaders should kill the entire reform push as a result. From Politico this morning:

“If they pass this bill, I wouldn’t want to be a Democrat standing for reelection in 2010,” said Arizona Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.).

Added Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.): “Several dozen House Democrats risk losing their jobs if they vote for reform.”

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and all three major Democratic Senate candidates here in Illinois blasted Kirk for his comment this afternoon.

Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman said that the North Shore Republican was "aiding and abetting the insurance companies who are trying to stop health care reform." State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias followed up, claiming that Kirk is "politics ahead of our families." Cheryle Jackson sounded a similar tone, suggesting that Kirk "think more about policy and what's good for his constituents and less about maneuvering for political gain." And DSCC senior adviser Kathleen Strand said Kirk "is only concerned about covering his political bases and looking out for himself."

But for our money, Mechanics' Ramsin Canon makes the most salient point. "By changing only a couple words -- 'reform' to 'that bill' -- Kirk could have saved himself from this obvious hit," he writes. "Instead, he casts himself as just another Republican obstructionist."

That's a role he's been filling all year.

Full Disclosure: The SEIU Illinois State Council, which sponsors this website, has endorsed Alexi Giannoulias in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.