Kirk not fit to serve in Congress

It appears Illinois has its own Richard Blumenthal, and then some, in the form of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk.

Connecticut Senate contender Blumenthal, a Marine reservist in the Vietnam War era, falsely implied he had served in Vietnam, while never specifically suggesting he had ever been in combat. But that was enough for him to have met with, justifiably so, a barrage of criticism questioning his character.

Naval reservist Kirk has had a documented history spanning 10 years of repeatedly propagating the self-aggrandizing myth that he was the "Navy's Intelligence Officer of the Year." In fact, until finally exposed, Kirk had been taking full personal credit for an award that was given to his entire Navy intelligence support unit in the Balkans.

This sort of resume padding and credit hogging is really a scoundrelly thing to do to all those who served alongside him.

But even more outrageously, Kirk went where Blumenthal did not dare tread by falsely claiming on his congressional website that he had "combat service in Kosovo." The word "combat" was recently scrubbed, but it is too late now to try to jam the toothpaste back into the tube.

There is little doubt that Republican Fence Post contributors Nancy J. Thorner and Dave Schachner (who described Kirk as a "weasel") had it right when they attacked Kirk's character and fitness to serve in higher office.

Thorn Randall

Libertyville