IL-10: Kirk Has Second Thoughts About Palin

Progress Illinois has a pretty amusing take-down of faux-moderate GOP Rep. Mark Kirk’s recent backtracking on his enthusiasm for Sarah Palin.

Earlier in September, Kirk was gushing about how “encouraged” he was that McCain tapped Palin, and that he was excited that the GOP would be the ones to once again break through “key barriers” in politics by electing a female VP. In a radio interview the next day, describing her as a “fearless” maverick with a history of bucking the old GOP guard. He even went so far as to squawk about Palin’s deep “executive experience”:

   HOWELL: How can you convince me — a guy who is not a far-right social conservative Republican — to really consider her one heart beat away from the Presidency?

   KIRK: She’s obviously an unknown figure, but she has had a rocket sled of a career already in Alaska. I think as governor, obviously she does have more executive experience — ironically — than the three other guys on the ticket. Her big asset, though, will be on the campaign. We have seen Sen. Obama now standing forth as a recognized national figure, but his greatest achievement has been his own campaign, and being able to command and defeat the electorate and push Hillary Clinton to the side. We now will look at Sarah Palin. She did very well in her first time out when she was nominated by Sen. McCain. It was a risky strategy.

With the bloom obviously coming off the Republican ticket’s rose, Kirk is now singing a much different tune:

In an interview of two of the 10th Congressional District candidates conducted by the Tribune editorial board, Kirk would not say whether he believed Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had the qualifications to become president.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know,” said Kirk, 49, of Highland Park, when asked if Palin could step into the job. In answer to repeated inquiries about Palin’s experience, Kirk said, “I would have picked someone different.”

Of course you would have, Mark.

Update: Statement from the Seals campaign:

“It says a lot about Mark Kirk’s desperation that he will say one thing when he’s in front of an editorial board, and do another thing when he’s attending the Republican National Convention and bundling over a hundred thousand dollars for the McCain-Palin ticket. Despite his latest efforts to distance himself from the sinking McCain-Palin ship, he can’t run from his attacks against Dan for supporting the Obama agenda or praise of Palin’s now discredited ‘reformer’ credentials. Once again, Mark Kirk has shown that he is more interested in playing partisan political games than bringing the change we need to Washington.”