For the last week, Kirk has been sought after by reporters seeking his expertise and perspective. Kirk's phenomenal opportunity to be on the national stage comes as he hits his 100th day in office Friday. His profile is being raised just as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington is painting a bull's-eye on his back. He won his 10th District seat last November by 51 percent of the vote. The military of today is different from what it was for the vast numbers of members who served in World War II, Korea or Vietnam.
Intelligence is critical . . .
I felt I had a role to play in being the voice of the crew, as someone who had been there. I am not used to seeing this through the eyes of a Washington policymaker. Kirk's landing in Washington has been smooth. He's on the Transportation, Budget and Armed Services committees. Kirk's legislative focus has been on Metra funding and getting guaranteed federal money to pay the North Shore school districts that take in students from the Navy's Great Lakes training base in North Chicago.