Kirk, Giannoulias Hold Local Beer Summit
By Kevin Robinson in News on Nov 4, 2010 1:00PM
In a show of collegiality strikingly missing in this election cycle, Senator-elect Mark Kirk and defeated Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias met at the Billy Goat Tavern last night for a beer. “Alexi and I, during this campaign, we discussed having a beer when this is all over,” Kirk told CBS2. “The first round is on me.”
The 20-minute meeting was held at a small table, where the two men held a whispered conversation in front of a press corps that outnumbered patrons at the establishment made famous in a sketch on Saturday Night Live. Giannoulias gave Kirk a worn copy of "The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln," and the two exchanged email addresses and phone numbers. “We had some private moments. I told him I want him to be a good senator,” Giannoulias told the Tribune. “I hope he succeeds, I really genuinely do from the bottom of my heart.”
Kirk said he was touched by the gift, adding that “through the campaign and the TV ads, it was tough,” Kirk said. “But off camera, he's a very likable guy.”