Kirk apologizes for questioning Duckworth’s heritage

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) on Friday took to Twitter to apologize to his Democratic challenger for questioning her American heritage at a debate the night before.

“Sincere apologies to an American hero, Tammy Duckworth, and gratitude for her family's service,” Kirk wrote.

Mark Kirk ✔
@MarkKirk

Sincere apologies to an American hero, Tammy Duckworth, and gratitude for her family's service. #ilsen

12:20 PM - 28 Oct 2016
129 Retweets 137 likes

During a debate between the Senate candidates on Thursday, Kirk drew criticism for his reply to Duckworth’s remarks about her family history.

Answering a question on Middle East policy, Duckworth — an Iraq War veteran — detailed her family's military service going back to the American Revolution.


-snip-

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/303288-kirk-apologizes-for-questioning-duckworths-heritage

[calimary]

2. Too late, pal.

Might as well start packing your Senate office NOW. You were always a bad bet, but now, you're screwed. WAY too late to come back from this one.

As noted in another thread here - Hey Dems! You could consider diverting some of the Illinois money over to Florida now. I think that's a pretty safe statement as of now.

[WinkyDink]

3. I never believe an apology without the subject/verb "I apologize....." Sorry. (Heh.)

[niyad]

4. "I apologize if anyone was offended" is always one of my favourite non-apologies

[MurrayDelph]

22. I dropped a long-term (44 years) friend

who had long gone over the Red Fringe after he said something very untoward, and when called on it, responded with:

"I regret my actions."

Even our right-wing-but-not-totally-nutso college buddy thought that was weak tea.

No, pal, I regret your actions! You need to scrote up and make a real apology!

(That was almost six years ago. It's not forthcoming)

[yellowcanine]

5. Twitter apology for a statement made in a televised debate......

Not nearly good enough, Senator. You should be calling Ms. Duckworth AND making a public statement in front of news cameras.

[LakeArenal]

8. Isn't she Lt. Colonel Duckworth?

[No Vested Interest]

13. I don't know. Does "Congresswoman" outrank "Lt. Col"? nt

[Botany]

17. Rep. Lt. Col. Duckworth PhD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_Duckworth

Soon to be Sen. Lt. Col. Duckworth PhD

[LakeArenal]

18. Yes, she's Rep. Lt. Col. Duckworth PhD. It bears repeating.

[Paladin]

6. That's nice, Rep. Kirk.

Now go fuck yourself.

[dalton99]

9. because there was an outrage.

[jberryhill]

10. A verb, and its subject, is notably absent from this "apology"

[bullwinkle428]

11. He thought he could win back the Trump-lovers he may have alienated,

but when it completely blew up in his face, he decided to grovel.

[Neema]

12. I think Kirk tries to come off as Mr. Moderate, but this was an off-the-cuff response

at a debate. It shows his true colors like no written statement ever could.

[Separation]

14. One good thing about Trump

I think that one of the best things to come out of Trump running for office is that people now feel safe being openly racist. Whereas before it was always backroom talk or innuendo. Now certain politicians cough, cough, (Republicans) cough, feel like if he can get away with being an open racist. Hey, why the hell cant they? It sure as hell makes it a helluva lot easier to prove what I always thought before.

[3catwoman3]

16. "Off-the-cuff" statements are typically...

...EXACTLY what the speaker of those words meant to say.

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. He may have lost his filter when he had that stroke

I have no doubt he means what he says. He used to be considered a moderate Republican, but after the stroke he seemed more RWNB.

[3catwoman3]

24. As I have commented elsewhere, he was recently...

...declared, by his doctor, to not have any cognitive deficits from the stroke. If true, then he is saying this mean-spirited shit because it IS what he intends to say.

Here is a link to a Sept 14th 2016 Chicao Trib article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-mark-kirk-medical-records-met-20160914-story.html

[murielm99]

19. What kind of people is he

appealing to if he is trying to make it look like there is something wrong with being half Thai? That is the real question, not her family's service. He is trying to taint her for not being white enough.

I am so tired of this racist crap.

[kskiska]

20. So why did he say it?

[GopherGal]

27. I think he thought he was pouncing upon a lie...

Although it shouldn't take a deep thinker to realize she'd be a complete idiot to lie about something as verifiable as being a member of the DAR.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. Here is the irony from the OP article

Donald Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, also weighed in on Twitter.

"The same Mark Kirk that unendorsed his party's presidential nominee and called him out in paid ads? Gotcha. Good luck," Conway wrote.

Kirk withdrew his endorsement of Trump for president in June after the billionaire's inflammatory comments about a federal judge’s Mexican heritage. Earlier this week, Kirk refused to say whom he will vote for on Nov. 8.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/303288-kirk-apologizes-for-questioning-duckworths-heritage

And what did he do? The same fucking thing that Trump did - insult a non-white individual like a good little white privileged asshole might do. It must be some unknown scientific law - conservation of the insult. Complain about someone who insulted a POC and then turn around and do it yourself.

[Monk06]

28. Too late dick smack We have it on video with your shit eating grin like you said something clever

Vicious racist to the core

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

29. Took him almost 16 hours to realize it

Fuck him

[smirkymonkey]

30. Sorry you racist asshat. That's a bit like putting toothpaste back in the tube.

You have pretty much shown your true colors.