Progress Illinois

I had heard that Mark Kirk was considering a run for state-wide office such as Senator.... well he just lost my potential vote, and hopefully every other conservative. In fact might I suggest that the republicans "primary" him should he decide to run for re-election.

Thanks for the great coverage on this bill as it moved through the House--especially for breaking down the false statements made about the MIT study and costs. PI is a great resource for those of us that care about environmental / progressive issues. Keep up the good job.

I do not live in Kirk's district but I will work for any conservative primary opponent if he choose the run for re-election; if he choose statewide office he will not get my vote and I am actively campaign against him. Kirk, you disappoint us.

I wish Mr. Kirk explain his yea vote on the carbon TAX bill to his would be supporters; if he decided to run for a statewide office in Illinois. I am soooo disappointed!

Thanks Mark Kirk, you vote let a Blue Dog vote no. Your not getting my vote anymore. Your another worthless GOP sellout

Mr. Kirk, I assume you're not running for the senate. I can only guess you've polled your district; whose financially comfortable with this regressive tax bill. 

Any aspirations Mark Kirk may have had to run as governor of the State of Illinois, as a Republican just went down the drain with his vote on the energy bill. I too will be interested in reading Kirk's rationale for this shambles of a bill. He may have been voting to appeal to the progressives/independents/liberals in his 10th Congressional District, which is fine if being a representative for the remainder of his political life is all he's interested in. I hope when we hear his explanation he will be able to articulate the high points he read in the original 1200 page bill plus the 300 page addendum that was added at 3:00 A.M. the day the bill was to be voted on. Representative Kirk enjoy your 10th Congressional seat because you just buried yourself in it.

I am furious and stunned that Mark Kirk voted on this travesdy of a bill to raise money to give to special interest and I would bet that not one of these members of Congress believe or care about the new Capitalist Equalizer bill for the Global Warming Scam, this is just a way to get more money for this monstrous Government that is slowly swallowing up America. There are still a few of us out here still who want to provide for ourselves and be left alone. I tried several times to email Kirk and I can't get through, my guess, apparently he is flooded with emails from conservatives. To make matters worse Foster voted NO!!! Kirk is done.

We live in the Mark Kirk's 10th district and we are appauld by his vote for the sham climate bill. Obsiously, Kirk's vote was based on his aspirations for the senate seat. Hmm. wonder what he was promised to sell out.

I am proud to have on of our State reps stand up against this bill for it's great cost and relative ineffectiveness. So much more could have been done without having to raise energy prices so much.

Bill Foster, you have my vote if you decide to ever run for Senate.

Mr Kirk, this bill you voted for will further erode the middle class in America. With this administrations policy agenda, wealth accumulation for poor and middle class Americans is impossible. Why worry about America's security, if the only future is a subsistance life style.

Kirk, I am in your district and will support an alternative candidate in the next primary. If you are still chosen as the Republican candidate (regardless of office) than I will work tirelessly for the Democrat candidate that opposes you. Better the enemy I know than the one from within.

Wow, what right wing site linked to this post? Or do all the above comments come from the same IP address?

This is a vote Kirk had to take if he wants re-election in his moderate district or to run statewide. Talk radio fringe candidates can't even win a statewide GOP primary in Illinois, much less the general election.

I heard the talk radio demagogues were telling their listeners to threaten Republicans by telling them they'll work against anyone who votes for the ACES bill. It really cracks me up that someone would rail about "special interests" while they take their marching orders from a radio host who's nothing but a tool for polluting special interests. More projection from the right wing.

I do not live in Mark Kirk's district but I will gaurantee him that I will not vote for him if he runs for a statewide office where I would be elegible to vote for him. I called Bill Foster, a Democrat, not in my district, and he voted nay. Roscam you better distance yourself from Kirk.

It was sad to see another of our representatives fall into the category of non-representing representative. If only they were this eager and defiant at defending our liberties.

My God our state has a real thinking and walking and chewing gum congressman in Bill Foster. Just getting a bill through was not enough for him if the bill was so flawed that something better should emerge. Cap and trade is a joke. It is an artificial market system controlled by politicians and insiders and it will be gamed to screw the consumer and gain untold riches for the few. To hell with the environment.
The key problem with the use and consumption of carbon based fuels is the externalities of polution and global warming which are not costed in the fuels. The best approach is to tax the fuels so their prices accurately reflect their true cost and value. Cap and trade will lead to many many many Enron like companies and scams.

Maybe someone could explain to me what Foster actually said.
What does
mitigated significantly more greenhouse gas per dollar of expenditure
mean exactly?
Did he oppose because he thinks it will hurt the industry?
Doesn't sound like a scientist, much less an environmentalist,
more like he's just straddling the fence for no reason.
Not unlike his (non)-stance on health care.
Trying to dodge controversy is not leadership.

The Waxman/Markey bill isn't as bad as some say it is and if Foster voted against it on principle because it wasn't strong enough I'll accept that.

But after it comes out of conference and it turns out this is the best bill we can get this year and it gives us something to build on and we need his vote he'd better get on board. Sometimes you have to prove the halfway measures don't work before you can get the whole enchilada. Please don't make the perfect the enemy of the good Bill, we don't have time to wait. If the good isn't good enough to save us then let us know. We'll spread the word.

Great. Another stupid Illinois politician. Did you read Kirk's blog about "reading the entire bill?" What nonsense. We need more energy, not less. There is no shrtage of oil or coal. Or nuclear energy, for that matter, if they'd only build more plants. Wind and solar energy sources could never match our needs. George Bush doubled the energy output of both and what did that amount to? About 1% of the grid. If only 10% of our automobiles were electric, our power grid could never handle it. Great forward thinking.