Kirk attacks Giannoulias after ad in Senate race
Republican Mark Kirk said Monday that he wanted to elevate the debate in the race for President Barack Obama's old Senate seat, then went on to again attack his Democratic rival, who had released a tough new TV ad.
Kirk, a congressman from Chicago's northern suburbs, also weighed in against a judge's decision that California's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional and said he was inclined to support a $26 billion jobs bills the Democrats are pushing.
But first, Kirk seized on the chance to again rap Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias for business practices at his family's now-failed Chicago bank, where Giannoulias was a vice president before he ran for Illinois treasurer.
Kirk again harped on a nearly $23 million loan recently reported by the Chicago Sun-Times that went to a development company with ties to convicted Illinois political insider Tony Rezko and Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born billionaire who was embroiled in a fraud scandal of his own.
"It just seems to be an awful lot of convicted felons, mobsters, etc. that are part of the business portfolio," Kirk said.
Kirk's comments to reporters followed a foreign policy speech. He said he would hold a series of policy speeches in an effort to elevate the debate in a race that has grown increasingly nasty.
Kirk said the loan and other practices at Broadway Bank raised questions about Giannoulias' judgment. Giannoulias' campaign has said he had already left the bank when the loan was made in 2006.
Auchi was convicted of receiving illegal commissions as part of France's giant Elf-Aquitaine oil scandal that sent top executives to jail. In 2003, Auchi got a suspended sentence and was fined. He has denied any role in the scandal.
Kirk and Giannoulias are locked in a tight race for the high-profile seat that Obama gave up when he was elected president. The Green Party's LeAlan Jones is also running.
Monday's back-and-forth between the two camps started when Giannoulias released a new TV ad accusing Kirk of lying and blasted him for supporting Bush administration policies that hurt the economy.
Kirk has acknowledged embellishing details of his service in the Navy Reserve, including claiming a prestigious award he did not receive.
"Congressman Kirk is a typical Washington politician who can't be trusted to tell the truth and still supports the same reckless Bush economic policies that got us into the worst economic recession in a generation," Giannoulias campaign manager Michael Rendina said in a statement.
Kirk again apologized Monday for "mischaracterizing" parts of his record and promised to be more precise in the future.
On other matters, Kirk said he was inclined to vote for a $26 billion jobs bill that Democrats are pushing.
Kirk headed back to Washington for Tuesday's vote on the bill, which was touted as a way to keep teachers as well as state and local government workers from losing their jobs.
Other Republicans have said it's a way for Democrats to reward labor unions in an election year.
Kirk said the measure was deficit neutral and would keep teachers in the classroom.
He also spoke against the ruling striking down California's ban on same-sex marriage that had been approved by voters.
"I do not support gay marriage," Kirk said. Giannoulias supports gay marriage.