After twelve months out of the public eye, Senator Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) has returned to Congress.
Kirk's win in 2010 was another stunning rebuke to the Obama juggernaut. Like Massachusetts' senator Scott Brown, his success in a blue state can help resurrect the GOP in urban, liberal regions where limited government has turned off voters only because of its connection with states' rights at the expense of the citizen.
"I'm here, where's the beer?" Kirk shouted at his well-received return to Washington.
Other reports: "Let's get back to work."
A sense of humor and a sense of duty are two essential characteristics for any public servant. The brief show of bipartisanship, with Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) helping Kirk up the steps was a good-will gesture that the American people want to see more of.
The Republican Party Establishment must outline the proper set of policies which will allow the Party to maintain a big tent without tearing down the country with debts, deficits, and spending which are not just creating conflicts within the GOP, but could tear the very fabric of this country. Mark Kirk may not make all the votes which every Republican supporter likes, but his presence in the Senate is crucial, now more than ever.Limited government and fiscal discipline is a value which Democrats and Republican alike must embrace, and US Senator Kirk can help bridge that gap.
