Thursday, January 21, 2010

Congressman Mark Kirk Joins Senator John McCain in Washington to Welcome Senator-Elect Scott Brown

I thought you'd all enjoy seeing some pictures of this morning's meeting between Senator John McCain, Congressman Mark Kirk, and Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown:


Here's Brown and Kirk together at the meeting:


Politico has a story up about Brown's first day in D.C.:

Moments before Brown walked into McCain's second floor Russell office, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) — the GOP front-runner for President Barack Obama's old Senate seat — came through the crowd of reporters booming, "Illinois is next!" and entered the Arizona senator's reception room.

Kirk's presence in Brown's first official meeting on the Hill is yet another sign of the Republican's excitement over Tuesday's results, which they hope they can parlay into larger gains in 2010.

ALSO- Larry Sabato at the Center for Politics lists Illinois as a pick-up for the Republicans.

AND MORE KIRK/BROWN NEWS - From Blake Dvorak at The Voting Booth: "Who Benefits From Brown Victory? Rep. Kirk"

So now let's look at Republican Senate race. There is not an insignificant number of conservative voters who will not vote for Kirk in the primary, due to things like cap-and-trade. If Kirk wins anyway, as he probably will, the news will be full of commentary on how Kirk needs to win over these voters while at the same time appeal to the independent base. If the base stays home, they'll write, then Kirk's shot of winning Obama's old seat will be over.

Not to rain on the parade, but nothing of the sort will happen. Those conservatives who loath Kirk now will come home, precisely because of what happened last night in Massachusetts. Winning brings its own momentum, and, whatever their disagreements with Kirk, conservatives will want Obama's old seat. Massachusetts has shown that it is indeed up for grabs.

10 comments:

Adam Smith said...

Spot on! I hope that all the ultra-conservatives realize that by flocking to support a moderate Republican, they moved the country in the right direction and they weren't struck by lightning.

If only every state and congressional district was made up of people who would elect Peter Roskam or Marco Rubio. But they aren't, so we have to build the center-right coalition that can win everywhere. Some places that will require more moderate candidates than in others.

Anyone who cannot see the huge differences between Mark Kirk and Alexi Giannoulias is not being honest with themself.

Anonymous said...

I think I can hear Pat Hughes grinding his teeth all the way out in Hinsdale!

Team America said...

Can I remind everyone once more that CONSERVATIVES LOVE SCOTT BROWN!!!. They made him, ya know.

Anonymous said...

Keep on saying it, TA, keep on remnding everyone on our side of the aisle that we're standing on the threshold of a victory IF the labels come off and the idea that, at the end of the day, it takes ALL of us to help propel Mark Kirk into the US Senate next November. It all begins on Primary Day. Voting for Mark Kirk is the way to get this going. I just early voted today. It felt amazing.

Anonymous said...

Scott Brown is a fiscal conservative, social moderate and national security hawk.

Sounds like Kirk. It will be great to repeat the Mass. Miracle in Illinois.

Anonymous said...

Great post TA!

Anonymous said...

Great Post! Can I interest any of you in visiting the Ace of Spades blog and making a few comments about Pat Hughes vs Mark Kirk?

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/297289.php

Ace's commenters are trying to make the case FOR PAT HUGHES because of Kirk's cap & trade vote. It's a good blog and fun to read usually, but the posters there don't know Illinois like we know Illinois.

They are currently trying to get a money bomb going for Pat. We have enough trouble here in the 10th without fighting people on our side who don't know who the players are out here.

Help!

Andy Martin said...

Kirk will be the first casualty of Brown's victory.

Andy Martin
Republican for U. S. Senator

Anonymous said...

A certain candidate in this race isn't a lunatic. He is a de facto lunatic.

Jzyehoshua said...

This is one conservative who will not be voting Mark Kirk regardless of whether he takes the primary or not. My vote will go for Lowery in the primary and never for Kirk.

Voting for the lesser of 2 evils is never right. If more people in this country voted their conscience we'd not have had Obama and Bush in office - neither of whom I voted for, thank you very much.

I will vote for the best candidate, regardless of their chances of winning. Kirk might as well be a Democrat. Indeed, if a pro-life Democrat were to somehow win the primary, e.g. Will Boyd, I would vote for them over Kirk.

Kirk is just another prototypical Republican running a prototypical Republican platform who's never thought through the issues and will just use the office for monetary gain and political power. The issues are just talking points for him not convictions as shown by a lack of original thought from these anti-immigration, pro-Iraq War, big-business Republicans. I'll take a Don Lowery any day of the week.