Thursday, January 14, 2010

Kirk Nears $5 Million Mark for 2010 Election, Raises $1.86 Million since October as Accelerating Fundraising Pace Continues

This just in from the Kirk for Senate campaign:

Kirk Nears $5 Million Mark for 2010 Election, Raises $1.86 Million since October as Accelerating Fundraising Pace Continues

With more than $3 million in the bank, thousands of volunteers and a growing list of newspaper endorsements, five-term GOP congressman poised for strong victory


Northbrook, Ill. – Five-term GOP Congressman and Navy veteran Mark Kirk, the leading Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois, today reported his campaign raised more than $1.86 million since October and is closing in on the $5 million total fundraising mark for the 2010 campaign with nearly $3.2 million in the bank.

In the third quarter of 2009 – his first as a Senate candidate – Kirk raised $1.6 million. As of Wednesday, the end of the pre-primary federal election reporting period, the campaign received contributions from more than 6,500 individual contributors – roughly 85% of total contributions. More than 3,000 people (90% of contributions) donated to the campaign in the last three months alone.

“The people of Illinois are looking for a proven fiscal conservative who will fight for lower taxes, cut wasteful spending and stand up to corruption,” Congressman Kirk said. “I am humbled by the outpouring of support from grassroots leaders around Illinois who share our vision for reform, fiscal discipline and a strong national defense.”

Kirk is endorsed by 110 Illinois Republican leaders and party organizations – 10 times the number of local grassroots endorsements than any other primary opponent. Earlier this week, the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times and Daily Herald all endorsed Kirk for Senate citing his proven commitment to fiscal responsibility, unparalleled national security expertise and record of reform.

The Kirk campaign launched its first television spot this week, highlighting Kirk’s military service and proven fiscal conservative record, including his votes to cut taxes more than 40 times and help stop the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska. Last week, Kirk returned from two weeks in Afghanistan where he served as a Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer over the holidays.

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23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kirk blew Hughes away

Anonymous said...

You have to go back to dyche stadium in the days before gary barnett when northwestern football used to get blown out 77-3 to remember seeing first hand the kind of humiliation Pat Hughes is about to receive. As they say in animal house, assume the position, Pat.

I also think that cussing you are hearing right now is the white house political shop-hey patrick gaspard! venting at queen lisa madigan. She has just cost them the humiliation of losing Obama's senate seat and made him look horribly weak. Coming on the heels of democrat defeats in new jersey where we haven't been viable since cat lady was getting rejected from very major law school 400 years ago, and taxassachusettes where they are struggling to hold a senate seat we haven't won since the nixon administration, you see their machine faltering and America waking up from the koolaid.

happy times.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

I share your enthusiastically positive post, Foklaeps HOWEVER let's not be lulled into a false sense of security. If you think that Rahm, Valerie, Axelrod OR the guy who lives at 1600 Penn. Ave will not throw everything they have, import hundreds of SEIU workers and everything with 2 legs to work every block in every part of this State to defeat and destroy Mark Kirk, then YOU will be drinking Kool Aid. And I somehow think you're not a fan of anything remotely close to Kool Aid. Yes, let's rejoice today. Tomorrow, every day leading up to Nov. 2, let's get out there and raise 25 million more to keep this momentum going. No kidding, Foklaeps, this campaign requires that kind of cash. Absurd, obscene, but real.
Now this is getting fun, isn't it.

Anonymous said...

The problem for the white house is that they have EVERYTHING to lose with this seat. If they win, it's no big deal, if they cut alexi loose and he loses, they lose because the president got beat in his home state, if they come in hard for Alexi and he loses, they suffer a major major defeat because they couldn't use their muscle to work in their own yard.

I am unconvinced they come in for Alexi very very hard. I also think that because of the blago they are playing russian roulette, there's nothing that guy wants more right now that to screw obama and the democratic party and I think he will do everything in his power at trial to help Mark win this seat. If you read blago's book, it's clear how much he hates and resents obama and axelrod and rahm and he will wage war on them.

can't wait for catlady to purr that one off on us.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

Speaking of SEIU, COulson is in bed with them. A republican endorsed by SEIU, I don't think so.

McGrats said...

After Kirk's disastrous vote on Cap & Trade, a vote that MORE than riled most of the Republican base (especially the Conservatives), I find it difficult to believe he can ever win anything again! As Chair of a LARGE independent grassroots organization, I know for a fact that a sizable number of our base will NOT vote for Kirk... in the Primary or in the General (should he survive the Primary). As far as the 10th CD race is concerned, Dold seems to be the man to watch.

Jack Koenig
Impact Voters of America

Team America said...

Thanks for your input, Jack.

So tell me - once Kirk wins the nomination, but yet you refuse to support him, what's your organization's plan to save us from the Dem agenda since any Republican's failure to support Kirk in the general is essentially a vote for Obama's darling, Alexi Giannoulias?

Or haven't you figured that out yet?

You think you don't like Kirk, wait till you get a load of Sexi Lexi.

And don't tell me how you'd rather deal with Alexi for six years and then unseat him with a 'real conservative'. Ask the folks in IL-8 why they can't knock out Dem Melissa Bean in a GOP-leaning district after years of trying.

Anonymous said...

Ya gotta LOVE Jack Koenig and his organization most don't know exists. Kirk explained that vote, you want to beat a dead horse and hand this seat to a Democrat, that would be the craziest idea heard today. Move on, Jack, or explain how your way is the right way. It's NOT.

Gold Fish said...

Jack:

I am assuming you are a republican by your post. If you are then YOU are what's wrong with the Republican party. Take my ball and go home cry babies. If you want to have your next senator be a guy named sexi alexi then do not vote in the General.

Just dumb.

Blue Wind said...

Just from curiosity. Why is Kirk afraid to debate his opponents in the republican primary? Cant he stand up to them? I expected that he would be more courageous than that. Seriously....I was shocked to find out that he will not show up in the debates. Wow.

Team America said...

Oh, come on, Blue Wind, spare us your faux incredulity. You don't give a rat's ass whether Mark Kirk shows up to a debate or not, you're just trying to raise any issue that you think might possibly detract from him because you and your comrades know he's going to open up a can of whoop ass on Alexi come November.

Where's your outrage that Don Lowery didn't go to the debate either. Who's Lowery, you ask? Exactly.

Blue Wind said...

Team,
I have made clear that I am a democrat and, yes, I will vote for Alexi.

My point is still valid though. Why is Kirk skipping the republican debates? My interpretation? He is simply afraid of his opponents. He is afraid he will be attacked and he does not have the courage to stand up to them. How can you dispute the obvious?

Team America said...

Blue, I assume even an Alexi-phile like yourself couldn't possibly be that naive, so I guess you are just trying to bait me. But I'll bite anyway.

Put simply, you must be able to see that there is no advantage for a candidate in Kirk's position with such an overwhelming lead for him to share the stage and elevate the other primary candidates to an equal standing, even for one event. Especially if a yo-yo like Andy Martin is for some misguided reason actually invited as a legitimate candidate. I haven't seen the debate video yet, but I will guess that the debate sponsors will have reason to rue that decision.

As I said, I haven't seen the video, but I suspect a good chance that Pat Hughes actually ends up defending Kirk against some of the more scurilious allegations thrown around by Martin so Hughes distances himself, and tries to addess the issues as he sees them, against Kirk. That will be amusing to watch.

And don't try to tell me how Kirk not showing is somehow disenfranschising the voters. Kirk is out on the campaign trail talking directly to the voters, as he has done for 10 years now, and has appeared before numerous editorial boards, at which Hughes, et al., have also appeared and addressed the issues. All of the major papers have chosen Kirk.

I do look forward, however, to Kirk debating Giannoulias on foreign policy come next fall. Maybe Alexi will cite his trip to Greece to carry Dick Durbin's briefcase as a stellar example of his deep knowledge and experience.

Blue Wind said...

Hey Team,
Kirk and foreign policy? lol. Just in case your memory is short, Kirk was a staunch supporter of the disastrous Iraq war. Kirk actively supported and contributed to the biggest mistake in US foreign policy EVER. Giannoulias will win easily over Kirk in a debate on foreign policy issues, just by reminding voters Kirk's positions on the Iraq war.

Believe it or not, Kirk will be a very weak candidate in the general election. His lack of principles is so transparent that the republican base will not go out of their way to support him and, of course, he will not attract democratic voters. Or do you believe that Kirk will pick democratic votes because he is socially liberal?

Team America said...

Blue, I know this may come as a shock, but not everyone shares your opinion on the Iraq war. More importantly, though, your contentions are belied by the polling, all of which seems to indicate Kirk neck and neck with Alexi. So the notion that Alexi is going to walk away with this election because the entire state of Illinois wants to retailiate against someone because they still can't get over the Iraq war is just ... silly. Today, people are worried about jobs, healthcare and security. End of story. Even your buddy Obama has embraced war, because he realizes that sometimes you just have to stop taking it up the butt and go kick ass.

You tell us which category fits you better personally.

By the way, I started watching the ABC-7 debate videos, but I could get only through the first few segments as a complete waste of time. Thank God Kirk had the brains to take a pass. But if you want to kill an hour amd watch, you can see it here. Nighty-night.

Blue Wind said...

Here is a link to the republican senatorial debate.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video#global

Anonymous said...

the debate was a net benefit for mark. arrington and martin went after pat hughes the entire time on his voting record.

pat hughes should save his money for reconstructive facial surgery, that nose is a problem and with the glasses he resembles one of screech powers buddies that got stuffed in trash cans.

by the way the democrats just lost massachusettes senate seat which means that evanston and the north side of chicago are in play for republicans next year because there's not much difference between those places and the rest of the bay state.

this will kill health care reform and leave cat lady sitting shiva and shouting epithets for the death of her senate filibuster proof majority.

FOKLAEAPS

Anonymous said...

I am a glutton for punishment at times. Just finished watching the "debate" on Channel 7 on their internet page. Like nails on a chalkboard brutal.

Or shall I say "The Andy Martin Show." Poor Hughes at one point complained as to why all the questions seemed to be about Martin. He should have thought about that one before going on stage with him.

Like a backdraft of a fire, Martin sucked the air out of the debate, leaving well intentioned Arrington and Hughes sputtering at times.

Debate winner? Mark Kirk. None of the three on stage made a case why they were better than him. The three came across as three extremely off center candidates who have self-marginalized themselves, one through his own behavior, the other two, through rigidity in their issues to the point where it could be simply summarized as "I am not Mark Kirk."

Louis G. Atsaves

Anonymous said...

TA and others, what was billed as a debate was closer to a debacle. I applaud the Kirk campaign leadership in opting out of what proved to be a disgusting and disgraceful waste of time. None of the three presented anything anyone could, should or would support. Losers all. Quite obvious that the guy in the middle belongs in a locked ward under close medical supervision. To assert that Mark Kirk was not in Afghanistan in 08 and again just a few weeks ago is an insult and bald face lie and the accuser knows it. I beat you, Lou, since I watched it twice. I think that I will need some medical attention first thing in the morning. Now I know what the 3 Stooges actually look and sound like.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone catch the look on Pat Hughes' face when Arrington challenged him on his voting record? He looked like a deer in the headlights. Hilarious!

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:29: TWICE?

Wow! I thought I needed some serious help after watching it once! :-)

Louis G. Atsaves

8th District Committeeman said...

Team America Said:
"Thanks for your input, Jack.

So tell me - once Kirk wins the nomination, but yet you refuse to support him, what's your organization's plan to save us from the Dem agenda since any Republican's failure to support Kirk in the general is essentially a vote for Obama's darling, Alexi Giannoulias?

Or haven't you figured that out yet?

You think you don't like Kirk, wait till you get a load of Sexi Lexi.

And don't tell me how you'd rather deal with Alexi for six years and then unseat him with a 'real conservative'. Ask the folks in IL-8 why they can't knock out Dem Melissa Bean in a GOP-leaning district after years of trying.

January 14, 2010 4:03 PM"

THANK YOU! I couldn't have said it better myself, as one who has had to live under bean. I never truly understood the phrase "cut off your nose to spite your face" until I got involved in Republican politics.

Anonymous said...

I for one, and a Dold supporter for Kirk. These two gentlemen are the best bet for Republicans to win in November.

I, however, will support our Republican candidates whomever, to defeat Hamos/Pup/Alexi...