Craziest Republican of the Day: Mark Kirk

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Rep. Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican, is, apparently, a rabble-rousing nut:

"I think that the decision to raise taxes by 50 percent in Illinois is political suicide," Kirk said of Quinn's proposal to raise the tax rate to 4.5 percent from 3 percent, coupled with an increase in the personal deduction. "I think the people of Illinois are ready to shoot anyone who is going to raise taxes by that degree."

In other words, the people of Illinois are ready to -- and should? -- shoot Gov. Quinn. I get that Kirk may have been exaggerating, that his rhetoric may have gotten the better of him, but it's awfully irresponsible of a politician, of anyone, to say such a thing. Regardless of whether he meant it, and he probably didn't, there are far too many wackos on the right who do take such rhetorical incitements to violence seriously, and who may very well resort to violence, perhaps even to homicide.

But this is what the Republican Party has become: an anti-American, anti-democratic party of fear, loathing, and hatred, all with a violent core. That was on full display yesterday, at the Fox-hyped "tea tantrums," and Kirk is a fine example of its manifestation in Washington.