Is Kirk Backpedaling On Cap-And-Trade?
Rep. Mark Kirk constantly paints himself as someone above the political fray. In a congressional district he describes
as "fiercely independent," the North Shore Republican has campaigned as a moderate
unwilling to compromise on his core principles. In launching his Senate ...
Rep. Mark Kirk constantly paints himself as someone above the political fray. In a congressional district he describes as "fiercely independent," the North Shore Republican has campaigned as a moderate unwilling to compromise on his core principles. In launching his Senate bid yesterday, Kirk attempted to erect the same image when asked to respond to a protest staged by progressive health care reform activists:
"Those are the left wing guys I think. We'll have the right next," Kirk joked shortly after the chanters began.
But it's clear that Kirk may be bending to the pressure from his right. After making the controversial vote in favor of President Obama's cap-and-trade proposal earlier this session, he received what he describes as "a stronger reaction than I've ever seen before" from opponents of the climate change legislation. And on WIND's Big John & Cisco In The Morning yesterday, he hinted that he would consider switching his stance on the bill if it comes back to the House for a conference committee vote. Listen (full audio here):
KIRK: If this comes back -- and I don’t think it will, I think this bill has died in the Senate -- I will be going through every detail and thinking about all of my constituents who got a hold of me on this issue. Because there has been an issue that I’ve heard nothing else about in the last couple of weeks.
Kirk was obviously rattled by the blowback from the conservative base. Now he is attempting to compensate by tacking right, despite his environmental record and regardless of the fact that efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and factories are still broadly popular with the American public. In a state that leans left, this might be a poor choice in the long run.
Comments
I've said it for years, Kirk stands for absolutely nothing but his own career. Now that he's running for Senate, he will do what his pollsters say it will take to win. When he gets in front of an environmental audience, he'll tout his vote for cap and trade. When he gets in front of his wingnut base, he'll say he's against it.
Mark Kirk’s voting record speaks for itself.
Republican Positions and Votes by Congressman Mark Kirk in the 111th Congress:
Obama Budget-Republican
Card Check-Republican
$787B Stimulus-Republican
$410B Omnibus-Republican
Earmarks-Republican
Cap & Trade-Democratic
Gov't Health Care-Republican
Illegal Amnesty-Republican
Border Wall-Republican
Keep Gitmo-Republican
Afghan timetable-Republican
Balanced Budget-Republican
Missile Defense-Republican
Ledbetter Act-Republican
If Mark Kirk was just looking out for his career, he would have taken the easy way and just voted against cap and trade like most of the other Republicans. He voted for what he thought was right, and has taken a lot of heat for that. Let his voting record show his true moderate colors.
Ellen, this attack doesn't seem warrented. Mark has stood firm for his support of Isreal since the day he took office. He also hasn't wavered on his strong stance against earmarks and excessive government spending. Also, he has been endorsed by the Sierra club in the past several elections, so this vote wasn't just to please pollsters.
As a former democrat, I am incredibly upset by the direction the party has taken in Illinois. Our democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich was a disgrace to our state. He then appointed Sen. Burris who has made a fool of Illinois on the national stage. Rep. Kirk will help restore Illinois' reputation as a credible state filled with thoughtful politicians. Over the years, he has taken a strong stance to support Israel, protect our national security and protect our environment. Even during the Bush years, Rep. Kirk was voting for pro-environment and pro-alternative energy legislation. He does not try to appeal to the "wingnut base," and that is why his district elected him five times. It is also why the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee thinks he can win this state.
I'm a former union man who supports labor on many issues, though not all.
Mark Kirk is a train wreck about to collide with reality. Thank you Andy McKenna for supporting Kirk.
For the first time Kirk has an experienced opponent who is going to attack and expose Kirk’s shenanigans. And “Kirkie” is already losing it, with inflated “endorsements,” questionable contributors and blatant lies about his military record.
Since I am his opponent, what’s not to like about Kirk? He is a world-class jerk to run against.
Hasta la vista, Kirkie.
Andy Martin
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Repuke Kirk is a typical self serving politician, he needs to be voted out of office and banned from this point forward.
I'm fed up with the partisan bickering about Cap and Trade. The GOP needs to take a look at its own platform in the 2008 Presidential Campaign, specifically under the heading "Environment". They'll see a "John McCain supports a Cap and Trade system in order to regulate Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Emissions." The GOP needs to take a look back to George HW Bush and the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (P.L. 101-549), when they supported a Cap and Trade system. That Cap and Trade system worked beautifully, if you would care to take a look. Now that Obama has signed on to the idea THE GOP ORIGINALLY HAD, the Republicans are against it. The hypocritical stances of the GOP have stopped being about small government, fiscal conservatism, free trade and family values and have moved towards being defined by being simply anti-Obama. Kirk's gutsy vote on Cap and Trade represents the values the original Republican Party stood for, the values that today's GOP should hearken back to. The environment needs protection, whether from global warming, carcinogenic pollutants, or the misuse that today's lifestyles inflict on it, regardless of it's effect on the free market. Preserving the beauty of our natural world was of the utmost importance to the founders of the Republican Party, but the polarized politicians of today's world seem to have forgotten those values. I applaud Kirk for his vote, and I hope that the GOP can remember the values they once stood for and become great again.
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