Illinois Dems Launch Ant-Kirk "$#*% My Senator Says" Tumblr
By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 9, 2016 4:42PM
The Democratic Party of Illinois has had a lot of fun highlighting the gaffe-prone nature of Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) in the recent past. (See Trump or Kirk: Who Said It?.) As the race for Kirk’s Senate seat heats up against Democratic challenger and US Representative Tammy Duckworh (D-IL 8th District), the party on Tuesday announced the launch of another site that emphasizes Kirk’s struggles with foot-in-mouth disease: $#*% My Senator Says.
The Tumblr is essentially a greatest-hits roll call of Kirk’s most infamous, smh-worthy lines, paired up with those pop-culture GIFs the kids love. As you’d probably expect, the site’s debut quotes include all-timers like “It will just bounce off their turbans,” said in reference to letter delivered to the Iranian government, and “He’s a bro with no ho. That is what we’d say on the South Side,” which no one has ever said on any Side.
"Republican Mark Kirk's Trump-like tendency to make offensive comments isn't just embarrassing—his frequent gaffes belittle the office he holds. They are a good reminder of why it's hard to take anything he says seriously," said Democratic Party of Illinois spokesperson Sean Savett in a press release.
The attempt to portray Kirk as cut from Trump’s cloth makes sense considering the Senator has spent months running screaming from the Republican presidential nominee. He’s worked hard to cast himself as a moderate, from arguing for a Merrick Garland hearing to, most recently, embracing steps to immigration reform. (Kirk retracted a previous Trump endorsement in June.)
The race remains close, with Duckworth leading by seven points according to a poll released on Tuesday. And it’s clear that November is just around the corner, as the campaign gets nastier: Duckworth’s recent takedown of Kirk’s tough-on-crime/easy-on-extrajudicial arrests, while on point, was criticized in media corners for taking the Senator’s words out of context. Consider $#*% My Senator Says the latest attack. At least it’s a fun one.