Call It A Comeback
Even more disturbing from Progress Illinois
KIRK: I think that the decision to raise taxes by 50 percent in Illinois is political suicide. It’s sort of like, in the Navy, when you see a guy charge a machine gun nest, you say he’s the bravest guy in the world right until he got shot. And I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Better Know a District - Illinois' 18th - Aaron Schock | ||||
| colbertnation.com | ||||
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The unfortunate part? Schock did a pretty good job. A little stiff, but that’s probably a good thing when are 26.
CHICAGO – Congressman Mark Kirk is standing by his earlier comments that Illinois residents “are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes” as much as Gov. Pat Quinn is proposing.
Kirk says the many people facing unemployment don’t need a tax increase. Quinn has proposed a graduated income tax increase to help fill an $11.5 billion deficit.
Kirk appeared in Chicago on Thursday to introduce legislation increasing funds to target illegal arms smuggling. The Republican also says an increase in suburban heroin overdose deaths is linked to the underground drug and arms trade with Mexico.
Kirk says he’ll decide by early May whether to run for governor against Quinn.
As I said earlier, I’ve made the initial mistake before. Hyperbole doesn’t sound that crazy because in your mind it’s just a joke or exaggeration for effect, but when it suggests violence, it’s not okay to stand by the statement. It really wasn’t a big deal until he stood by it. Now, it’s a real problem.
Rich points out the essential problem:
As I’ve been telling people in comments, if Kirk believes this sort of language is perfectly acceptable and not irresponsible, then he ought to go ahead and make it a part of his campaign routine and see how that works for him.
Hint: It won’t.
…Adding… A commenter notes…
Can he imagine how quickly a student at school would be hauled down to the office if a student announced at school “Students are ready to shoot anyone increasing the homework load by that extent”?
Now do you get it?
And if you still don’t, substitute “student at school” with “employee at work” or some such thing.
There are thousands of ways of expressing very real anger at taxes in Illinios and not bring up violence. Kirk just refuses to do that.
From yesterday are right here
“I think that the decision to raise taxes by 50 percent in Illinois is political suicide,” Kirk said of Quinn’s proposal to raise the tax rate to 4.5 percent from 3 percent, coupled with an increase in the personal deduction. “I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree.”
Rich:
Perhaps someone who hasn’t yet lost his or her mind in the Illinois GOP could advise this distinguished gentleman to turn it down a notch or two?
Seriously. What the heck? I mean, I’ve heard of dogwhistling the base, but that was like a foghorn in a library. I thought Kirk was supposed to be a moderate? He sounds a bit like Alan Keyes on meth. Or maybe Rod Blagojevich before he was hampered by federal bail restrictions.
People say stupid things. I do it. However, I apologize for it. The kind of rhetoric is going way over the top right now and someone who is supposedly a moderate doesn’t say that people are ready to shoot somebody. Why not? Because some loon might take you up on it.
Then again, he also seems to think McHenry and DuPage are downstate:
* Congressman Mark Kirk says he will make a decision about running for statewide office “by the end of next month.” He told NBC5 that he wants to read the Blagojevich indictment before making a final decision.
Asked if he’d made any downstate trips to learn more about the state, Kirk said he’s so far been to McHenry, DuPage and Champaign counties. [Hat tip: Team America]
As a person from downstate these drive me batty.
A fundraising scandal in a Governor’s office
Costa Rica
All we need now are $2 hookers and dope.
But it gets better–Nancy Kerrigan used to be represented by Lon Monk and was even at his wedding which Blagojevich was at also (and late as usual) so he probably has at least met her.
It’s all just too weird.
So we have our first set of reports for the US Senate race in 2010:
| From CQMoneyline | ||||
| PAC Contributions by industry classification | ||||
| Industry | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | Total |
| Agriculture | $42,647 | $20,500 | $1,000 | $64,147 |
| Business – Retail, Services | $82,500 | $76,500 | $2,500 | $161,500 |
| Communication, Technology | $43,750 | $33,260 | $3,000 | $80,010 |
| Defense | $3,000 | $8,000 | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| Energy, Natural Resources | $67,000 | $47,000 | $3,500 | $117,500 |
| Finance, Insurance | $143,000 | $317,522 | $18,000 | $478,522 |
| Health Care | $98,500 | $80,299 | $4,500 | $183,299 |
| Law | $14,500 | $23,905 | $0 | $38,405 |
| Manufacturing | $34,252 | $39,574 | $0 | $73,826 |
| Miscellaneous | $1,000 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 |
| Organized Labor | $17,000 | $50,500 | $11,000 | $78,500 |
| Public Employees | $500 | $0 | $0 | $500 |
| Real Estate/Construction | $48,950 | $62,000 | $2,000 | $112,950 |
| Single-Issue Groups | $388,956 | $174,877 | $1,418 | $565,251 |
| Transportation | $51,000 | $51,238 | $1,000 | $103,238 |
| Lobbyists Money (Opensecrets) | missing | $38,610 | missing | $38,610 |
| PAC Contributions by industry classification | |||||||
| Industry | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | Total |
| Agriculture | $28,600 | $8,048 | $7,500 | $25,395 | $31,500 | $8,000 | $109,043 |
| Business – Retail, Services | $65,001 | $34,251 | $19,250 | $50,500 | $62,774 | $4,000 | $235,776 |
| City/County | $0 | $500 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $500 |
| Communication, Technology | $37,500 | $21,000 | $22,000 | $22,000 | $55,500 | $9,500 | $167,500 |
| Defense | $6,500 | $14,000 | $19,000 | $14,000 | $29,500 | $3,000 | $86,000 |
| Energy, Natural Resources | $27,422 | $31,000 | $13,500 | $20,000 | $24,500 | $1,000 | $117,422 |
| Finance, Insurance | $89,899 | $74,100 | $38,250 | $62,000 | $118,000 | $6,000 | $388,249 |
| Health Care | $56,500 | $67,360 | $98,894 | $119,000 | $239,250 | $14,000 | $595,004 |
| Law | $4,000 | $4,750 | $8,875 | $15,493 | $28,750 | $2,000 | $63,868 |
| Manufacturing | $28,350 | $7,000 | $13,500 | $25,000 | $48,500 | $1,000 | $123,350 |
| Miscellaneous | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $0 | $1,300 | $2,500 | $4,800 |
| Organized Labor | $12,500 | $21,500 | $17,500 | $44,000 | $58,500 | $12,000 | $166,000 |
| Public Employees | $0 | $500 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $8,000 |
| Real Estate/Construction | $42,000 | $45,000 | $26,500 | $36,500 | $62,000 | $1,000 | $213,000 |
| Single-Issue Groups | $148,913 | $128,554 | $36,760 | $155,839 | $298,786 | $16,000 | $784,852 |
| Transportation | $38,483 | $41,372 | $27,950 | $42,054 | $73,499 | $3,000 | $226,358 |
| Lobbyist Contributions (opensecrets) | missing | Missing | $25,164 | $27,356 | $50,804 | missing | $134,924 |
Rod is trying to extend his 15 minutes for a reality show on NBC.
However, he’d have to get judicial approval and I doubt he can. The United States has an extradition treaty with Costa Rica, where the show will take place, but Costa Rican extradition practices are often fairly protective of the subject.
One of the conditions for extradition is that the violation would be against the law in both places. The charges against Blagojevich are racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements.
While in some form all of these are illegal in Costa Rica, the specific violations might not be–especially conspiracy charges. Thus, there is some risk in letting him go to Costa Rica and taking flight.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i-OWDjOQfI[/youtube]
Good news all around
ArchPundit