I’ll leave this to someone much more objective in politics than I am: Carol Marin at the Sun-Times.
Carol was at a press conference this week where Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate was going to take questions about his several "misstatements" regarding his military service. Kirk did not satisfy Marin.
There are, by my count, approximately 10 misstatements or exaggerations of his military service. When, I asked, is a misstatement a mistake and when is it a willful untruth, a lie?
The congressman’s response: "I, I would say that some are quite small when you reach back 30 years. And with regard to the military award, that was my error. And I owned it and apologized for it. And like I said in the speech, [this] is to correct the record, to apologize, to release your official Navy record and then stand on that."
Kirk’s supporters in the audience voiced their disapproval with those of us who sought more candor, less carefully parsed responses.
That’s OK.
They’re partisans. We’re the press. And this is politics.
Unless there are new revelations to come, it’s time to move on.
One Kirk supporter told me the problem with these campaigns is that candidates have to be so careful about what they say and how they say it for fear someone like me will go over their claims with a fine-tooth comb.
Well, no kidding. That’s what happens during political campaigns.
And the public deserves to know.