May 25, 2004

Kirk Abandons “Moderate” Label

In a reversal of his longstanding claim to be a moderate on social issues and a fiscal conservative, Mark Kirk (R – 10th Dist. IL) announced that he now sees himself differently. The admission came as Kirk tried to explain why he had buckled under pressure and voted for the Bush administration’s budget after having publicly announced he was going to back more responsible policies. “I’ve taken on this role to be inside the tent, to be the midway point between the moderates and the conservatives on this issue,” Kirk told the Washington Post.

Lee Goodman, Kirk’s Democratic opponent in the November election, said Kirk’s statement illustrates the narrow range of Kirk’s viewpoint. “It’s like saying that the mid-point between one and ten is eight. What happened to the progressive side? There is more to public policy than just extremely conservative and somewhat conservative.”

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