U.S. Senate candidate Andy Martin (left) taped a commercial saying front-runner U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (right) is gay.

I’m sorry, this is just too funny.

Andy Martin, challenging Mark Kirk in the Republican U.S. Senate primary in Illinois, wants you to know about a rumor he’s heard about Mark Kirk from some other guy who claims to know lots.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, the front-runner in the Republican primary election for U.S. Senate, finds himself the object of an unusual attack ad from one of his lesser-known opponents.

Andy Martin, once known as Anthony Martin-Trigona, who has run for numerous elective offices over the last three decades in Illinois, Florida and Connecticut, taped a commercial saying Kirk is gay.

Martin’s source? Statements some conservative Republicans made on a radio show saying they have heard “rumors” that Kirk is gay.

“Illinois Republican leader Jack Roeser says there is a ‘solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual,'” Martin says in the ad. “Roeser suggests that Kirk is part of a Republican Party homosexual club. Lake County Illinois Republican leader Ray True says Kirk has surrounded himself with homosexuals. Mark Kirk should tell Republican voters the truth.”

Kirk, a U.S. Naval Intelligence officer, was unavailable for comment because he is on active duty over the holidays, said spokesman Eric Elk.

But Elk issued this statement on his behalf: “The ad is not true and is degrading to the political process. The people of Illinois deserve better.”

Just in case you were ever tempted to take Republicans seriously again, read all that garbage up there again. Ask yourself, why does this accusation mean anything to Republicans? Then, ask yourself why Mark Kirk didn’t make some statement, at least to say, “No, I’m not. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!”

The only response from that comes from  the campaign is an assurance that the ad is not true. If Kirk wants to garner any gay GOP voters, he’s got to do better than than.  The fact that a better response is so far an afterthought says more than any future response would.

As for Andy Martin? For some reason, I feel I must quote another queen, Shakespeare’s Queen Gertrude, ” The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”