Republican Mark Kirk gets past Alexi Giannoulias in Illinois Senate matchup (Obama's Senate Seat)

[onehandle]

Source: LA Times

A Republican will soon hold the Senate seat once held by President Obama, with Mark Kirk earning a hard-fought victory in a result that perhaps best symbolizes the rejection of one-party rule in Washington.

Kirk, a congressman representing the collar counties around Chicago, defeated state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias after a decidedly negative contest centering around the Republican's reported misstatements about teaching experience and military honors and the Democrat's role in his family's failed bank.

The fate of Obama's Senate seat was a source of embarrassment for Democrats from the moment he resigned his office after being elected president in November 2008. Then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich was already under federal investigation for allegedly attempting to benefit personally from his power to appoint a replacement.

Blagojevich ultimately chose Roland Burris, the former state attorney general, but Democrats delayed seating him in the new Congress. For this year's campaign, the White House tried in vain to recruit other Democrats, such as state Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, but eventually threw its support to Giannoulias when he won the Democratic primary in February.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-pn-illinois-races-final,0,7614978.story

[JI7]

1. i blame Blago for this one

[prolesunited]

2. I blame the Greens

Their votes would have made the difference.

[rayofreason]

3. Kirk...

...gets seated now. That means filibuster until January.

[Rincewind]

4. I'm still waiting for

the "late" votes. I can't believe that lying son of a bitch is going to win.

[alp227]

5. Just checked CNN and find that Kirk's leading by 80k votes. Overnight surprise maybe?

As far as I've heard, Giannoulias has been somehow weakened because his family had a failed bank. With a mere 80k vote lead I smell either an overnight surprise or a recount. Right now, Wikipedia entry about Giannoulias doesn't declare him the loser. Similarly, the Toomey/Sestak race in PA (with 91% reporting) has Toomey up by 77k.

[bajamary]

6. Kirk's Secret Life

I wonder how long it will take before information on Mark Kirk's secret gay life comes out of the shadows?

I personally don't care who the heck Kirk sleeps or slept, with...but I bet that many of the people who voted for him would not be happy. But maybe I'm wrong about this and this wouldn't upset his right-wing supporters.

Several Gay Chicagoans have said that Mark Kirk is well known to have slept with guys in the Chicago Gay community.