Kirk, Giannoulias spar over new resume dispute

SPRINGFIELD - Just weeks after saying he misstated aspects of his military record, Republican suburban congressman Mark Kirk is facing new questions about whether he's embellished his experience as a schoolteacher.

A New York Times report this week says that Kirk has frequently referred to his time as a schoolteacher but not talked about the depth of that experience. Kirk worked for a year at a London private school and part-time in a nursery school while studying at Cornell University.

The Kirk campaign was quick to say Tuesday that the story only confirms what the congressman has said all along. A campaign spokeswoman said it was Kirk's Democratic rival in the U.S. Senate race - state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias - who is trying to convince reporters otherwise.

The Giannoulias campaign, however, said Kirk's statements are part of an overall pattern. "Apparently, they didn't read the story," Giannoulias campaign spokesman Matt McGrath said about the Kirk campaign. "I think that's an absurd rendering of the story, and it's obvious there is a pattern of embellishments and distortions of his professional life."

The Kirk campaign did take issue with a portion of The New York Times story that quotes a 2006 speech by Kirk on the House floor about school safety where he recalled "the kids who were the brightest lights of our country's future" and "those who bore scrutiny as people who might bring a gun to class."

The New York Times reported that a Kirk campaign spokeswoman said the congressman was referring to his nursery school students - not his students at the London private school. However, campaign spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said Tuesday, the clause "brightest lights of our country's future" referred to nursery school students while the "bore scrutiny" clause referred to a few students at the prep school in London.

McGrath countered, "That's even more absurd. They've gone from bizarre to absurd."

Recently, Kirk was criticized for inaccurate descriptions of his military service when a letter sent by his congressional district office portrayed him as a veteran of the first Persian Gulf war although he didn't serve in the conflict.

Kirk also said he came under enemy fire during reconnaissance flights over Iraq in 2000, but there are no records of such events occurring. Kirk also recently said he never won the Navy's award for intelligence officer of the year despite saying so several times. The award was actually an honor for his entire unit.