Mark Kirk For Senate

The current issue of the Weekly Standard presents a deservedly highly favorable piece on Illinois' Mark Kirk. But there is something strangely apologetic about the piece's title: "In Praise of a GOP Moderate: Mark Kirk is the party's best hope in Illinois." Kirk has been a strong fiscal conservative in the House of Representatives, fiercely criticizing the Obama stimulus bill. His record on national security is impeccable: As an officer in the Naval Reserve, he has done active service in Afghanistan. He is intelligent, well-spoken, ethically clean, and the best Republican vote-getter in Illinois. But then there's this:

The 10th district is one of the most socially liberal areas in America, and Kirk is a moderate on issues like abortion, the environment, and homosexual rights.

Here's a thought. You'll know the GOP is on the road to recovery when it is considered a plus that somebody who represents a socially moderate district or state offers socially moderate views.