IL-Sen: What’s It Gonna Be?

April 15, 2009:

“I’m going to be spending the next two weeks doing a very careful analysis of the issues presented in Illinois on both sides and then make a decision about whether I would run for Congress again or look to the Senate or governorship,” Kirk told reporters after a speech at the City Club of Chicago. “And so, I have set a deadline for myself of making a decision by the end of the month and we’ll stick to that.”

Well, look at that: it appears that the current stardate is already past Mark Kirk’s self-imposed decision-making “deadline”, with nary a peep out of his camp yet on the results of his deliberations. So what’s it gonna be, Captain?

12 thoughts on “IL-Sen: What’s It Gonna Be?”

  1. I wonder what Kirk is trying to figure out:

    Whether enough democrats run to give Burris a chance to win his primary?

    Whether Giannoulias is getting ahead financially?

    Whether polls show him winning?

    Whether Obama’s number fall down enough to help him?

    I just don’t see any of these things being any clearer in the short term.

  2. is on Kirk running, though I kinda wish he wouldnt. We will lose his seat, and Kirk will lose statewide, though I think he could certainly be a strong nominee and possibly make it withing 10 points.

  3. One is that the S stood for nothing.  Grant has a middle initial but not a middle name.  Wikipedia reports this theory.

    The other theory is that the middle initial stood for Simpson.  The Miller Center at the University of Virginia goes with this theory.  One of Grant’s children was named Ulysses Simpson.

    During the Mexican War, Grant was known as “Sam” as in Uncle Sam.  During the Civil War he earned the nickname “Unconditional Surrender” for an obvious reason.

    Grant’s life is filled with contradictions.  He showed great character during the Civil War but hardly distinguished himself outsdide of that 4 year stretch.

    He was known as the best rider in his class at West Point but was injured during the Civil War while riding a horse.

    He was a lousy President but wrote an admirable autobiography.  It was lucid, clearly written, and generous in tone and spirit.  The comparison with say Ike’s “Crusade in Europe” is clear.  Ike’s book was formulaic, avoided personalities, and boring.  Grant’s is considered the finest Presidential memoir ever written.

    My favorite Grant story involved a chance meeting of Grant and Sherman on the streets of St. Louis during the winter of 1860-61.  Grant had come in to town to sell wood from his farm.  Sherman had quit his job as the first President of what became LSU and headed north (turning down an offer to become an officer for the state of Louisiana).  The two grumbled about their lack of opportunity when many of their acquaintainces were becoming colonels and generals.

    Time and initial competence stood them well.  Sherman commanded the only northern militia at Bull Run to perform well.  Grant volunteered and organized the entire Illinois militia set up and was shocked to be rewarded with the rank of colonel (rather than captain).  (I’m going with his autobiography rather than wikipedia here).

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