tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194608964536238003.post8205596731113446248..comments2023-10-31T10:50:53.740-05:00Comments on Team America's 10th District Blog: Will Democrats Play Games In Seating Senator-Elect Mark Kirk for Lame-Duck Session?Team Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15035504738668036802noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194608964536238003.post-19789202523125380842010-11-06T20:59:45.435-05:002010-11-06T20:59:45.435-05:00the congressman's life is going to be unpleasa...the congressman's life is going to be unpleasant for the next several months so if you are close to him or the staff, give them a hug. they have to be out of their house office by end of next week. they lose their blackberries the same week and as of thanksgiving the kirk congressional operation will be a phone and a desk in the basement of the us capitol. The house evacuates members very very quickly, and be happy he isn't team bean or foster because they're unemployed as of next friday-along with pup and alexi. <br /><br />the senate is another matter. burris while no longer in office will not lose his office space for another few months. First they have to move all of his teams stuff out. Then the incoming senators have to do the office shuffle-senators are in for 6 years so there's not a lot of urgency. Then they have to repaint offices, move stuff in, ect. the kirk senate office will probably exist in the basement of dirksen which is disgusting for the next few months. On the plus side if you are going to dc, as of a month from election day, the congressman will now hold weekly coffees on thursday mornings where I'm sure disgusting vermin like lee goodman, moveon.org, codepink and catwoman if she's not retired from politics will show up to ask nasty questions but where the congressman will hold forth with senator durbin. <br /><br />I think the congressman would benefit greatly by putting youtube tapes of these things online as a free and easy way of reaching out to the state he now represents since they are on the record and usually covered by the chicago dc press corps. <br /><br />The other issue is which committee assignments he'll get. Durbin is already on appropriations so that's off the table. He won't get judiciary because that's a social conservative only committee. My guess is we'll see him with something like what he had during his first term in the house:<br /><br />senate foreign relations or armed services (I see the ceo of boeing weighing in on this as the pentagon budget is a fat target for cuts and boeing could be in the crosshairs)<br /><br />veterans affairs-makes sense given his background. It's a backwater (they put burris on it), but it's a good way to solidify the base of the party. <br /><br />agriculture-he needs to build ties downstate and show he's the senator from illinois not just chicago and the north shore.<br /><br />the budget-shows his fiscal credentials.<br /><br />intel-if he doesn't get veterans affairs.<br /><br />There are other possibilities like education/health-porter was big on these issues and it would play well with suburban and women voters, but the committees he gets will give you a good idea of what his priorities will be as a senator, the legacy he wants to build and what areas of his reputation and political coalition he wants to solidify (i.e. ag helping downstate). <br /><br />for those with long memories-chuck percy-also a new trier us senator was foreign relations chairman. small world.<br /><br />FOKLAEAPSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194608964536238003.post-46792636768419458082010-11-06T17:09:24.801-05:002010-11-06T17:09:24.801-05:00Gosh... Senator Mark Kirk. That is so fun to type...Gosh... Senator Mark Kirk. That is so fun to type. I don't begrudge the new junior Senator from IL a few days vacation after that campaign, but I do hope that Kirk's staff and Mitchell McConnell, etc. highlight the IL Dems' little games and demand that IL voters get the representative that they voted for in the special session.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194608964536238003.post-61634162033523064982010-11-06T14:27:07.341-05:002010-11-06T14:27:07.341-05:00Is anyone surprised? I'm not. The democratic...Is anyone surprised? I'm not. The democratic leadership in this state is only interested in power and their agenda. But then again the people of this state re-elected them. Thank God the majority had the sense to elect Senator Mark Kirk (boy, that feels good to type)!<br /><br />Baxter and Beau's MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5194608964536238003.post-54096382641829863242010-11-06T13:18:43.293-05:002010-11-06T13:18:43.293-05:00I think we can safely say that Durbin and his budd...I think we can safely say that Durbin and his buddies in the Senate want to drag their collective feet before seating SENATOR MARK KIRK. What would the reasons be for waiting until December 3? I think our country has had enough of the games these Democrats are playing with our nation. Alexi congratulated SENATOR KIRK, they shared a beer and a burger, so what's with Durbin? The people of IL have spoken. It's sad that Durbin and the IL Democrats are deaf.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com