Quoting Stupid

Congressman Mark Kirk, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois, is not the smartest tool in the shed – but he is definitely a tool.

Last I heard of this guy, he was telling Chinese government officials that the U.S. government could not be trusted to uphold trade deals and issues related to currency and bond markets.

Now, we hear him inexplicably shedding his moderate image as he seeks a Senate seat in a deep blue state. This includes a flip-flop on cap-and-trade, by the way. It’s almost as if he’s committing the political equivalent of suicide by cop.

But this particular quote caught my attention:

“We have no failure option in Afghanistan,” he said. “I think we have a unique concern representing Illinois, because we have the tallest building in North America.”

I know what he’s trying to say. He thinks our war in Afghanistan remains a counter-terrorist operation rather than a predominantly nation-building exercise to prop up an anti-Taliban democracy. (I could support either rationale, honestly.) And he is referring to concerns that the Sears Tower is a terrorist target.

But do you really want to get yourself quoted saying that you support a war in Asia because Chicago has a tall building? The soundbite just sounds stupid.

And when you put it next to his previous record, you have to wonder: Just how smart is Mark Kirk, really?