Mark Kirk has claimed to be a moderate Republican who has represented himself as champion of the environment (did you know that all by himself “”Mark Kirk stood up to Big Oil when he stopped BP from polluting Lake Michigan?”), women’s right to choose and gay rights. These views have endeared him to the voters of the district, but it’s time to see beyond the smoke and mirrors. It’s no surprise the voters have bought Kirk’s stated agenda. So have various organizations including Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Human Rights Campaign. An impressive list to be sure, with one quality in common; in the last year each of them has pulled their endorsement in favor of Alexi Giannoulias. The loss of the backing of these organizations highlights the illusions of his campaign claims.

Planned Parenthood, after years of granting Kirk their endorsement, pulled their support in part of because of his vote for the Stupack-Pitts amendment which restricted a women’s ability to get an abortion under the recently passed healthcare bill. In awarding the endorsement to Giannoulias, Steve Trombley, President and CEO of Planned Illinois Action said, “We stand behind candidates who stand up for the women and families of Illinois,” and therefore selected Alexi Giannoulias over Mark Kirk. Things don’t look much better for him on his crucial environmental platform. He’s lost the endorsement of the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation voters. After several faux-pas including reversing his stance on cap and trade he’s lost much of his pro-environmental credibility. “One thing that has long troubled us about Mark Kirk is his long support for big oil companies,” Jack Darin, president of the Sierra Club Illinois said, “He sided with Dick Cheney and President Bush in renewing tax subsidies for big oil”. Kirk’s participation in the ‘Drill, Baby, Drill!’ chant in August, 2008 on the Senate floor, also lead to the decision, says Darin. If that weren’t enough he’s also had a crown jewel of his campaign damaged when the gay rights group the Human Rights Campaign pulled its endorsement of Kirk after he voted against repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell despite his claim of being pro-LGBT rights. Joe Solomonese, president of HRC said, “While many lawmakers stood on the right side of history in voting to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Rep. Kirk voted to maintain discrimination that hurts our national security.”

As he loses endorsements left and right from the organizations that support that issues he claims are an integral part of his identity, votes against the things he claims he backs, and employs creative resume edits one has to wonder, who is Mark Kirk?

http://www.alexiforillinois.com/blog/planned-parenthood-endorses-giannoulias

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5798&MediaType=1&Category=26

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/11/mark_kirk_kicked_by_abortions.html

Who Is Mark Kirk? is a post from Illinois Tenth Congressional District Democrats

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