Illinois GOP heavy hitter Ron Gidwitz (right) told Sen. Mark Kirk to scram until he "retracted" his statement.
A top fundraiser for Illinois Republicans called on incumbent Republican Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk to abandon his re-election bid, saying he wasn't a viable candidate. Of course, the same fundraiser was forced to reverse himself just hours later.
This is definitely not the best way to build confidence in a re-election effort.
Here's from a piece by Greg Hinz in Crain's Chicago Business:
"In a development that could help determine which party will control the U.S. Senate after the 2016 elections, veteran GOP fundraiser Ron Gidwitz said in an interview today that though Kirk is 'a patriot and an accomplished public servant,' he will be hobbled by a series of recent verbal gaffes that have undermined public confidence in his ability to serve.
" 'His misstatements put him and the Illinois Republican Party in too much of a defensive position' in what remains a predominantly Democratic state, Gidwitz told me in a phone interview. 'I do not believe he will be a U.S. senator in 2017 and, as top of the ticket, he could cause collateral damage (to other Republican candidates). I call on him to step aside and allow other Republicans to seek his seat.'
"After I called Kirk's office for a response, Gidwitz called me back and said he'd like to 'retract' the statement. 'I'm having second thoughts.' But he confirmed that, 'I said it. I said it thoughtfully,' and acknowledged he'd received 'quite a number' of high-level phone calls in just an hour. 'I don't want to take the heat I'll get.' "
So an Illinois GOP moneybags and supporter of GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, figuring that Kirk is toast, makes an honest statement, then is forced to backtrack under pressure.
Let's recall what some of Kirk's recent "misstatements" were:
First he said he wanted to change South Side black neighborhoods "so that the black community is not the one we drive faster through."
Then he referred to fellow Sen. Lindsey Graham as a "bro with no ho."
More recently, when discussing the Iran nuclear agreement, he claimed that President Obama wanted "to get nukes to Iran." (Kirk lamely tried to walk that one back.)
The story says that Gidwitz merely said out loud what other Illinois Republicans have been saying in private. " 'Kirk has always had a big mouth,' said one major party backer in Illinois who asked to remain anonymous, referring to an episode six years ago when Kirk exaggerated his service as a military intelligence officer. 'But it's gotten worse.' "
The Associated Press is reporting that Kirk's office has no comment. (Ya think?)
Hey, Joe Walsh, it's still not too late to challenge Kirk in a primary.