Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,May/June 2006, page 31

Election Watch

The Meteoric Rise of Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), The New Darling of Pro-Israel PACS

By Janet McMahon

To paraphrase author Ayn Rand: Who is Mark Kirk? Pro-Israel PACs know the answer, that’s for sure: since he first ran for office in 2000, their contributions to Kirk have increased from a measly $7,006 to $66,064 in 2005—with 10 months yet to go until the Nov. 7 election. (Shelley Berkley, look out!) We’re not sure if the dramatically increasing sums mean his successive re-election campaigns have been correspondingly difficult, or if they represent a reward for Kirk’s being a self-described “acknowledged leader of bipartisan efforts to enhance the security of Israel.” No doubt AIPAC and its minions are most appreciative of the fact that Kirk, a Naval Reserve intelligence officer, “secured U.S. agreement to shared satellite surveillance information with Israel.” That must make his constituents at home—wherever that is—feel a lot safer.

Janet McMahon is managing editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.