Kirk has best qualifications for Senate

I will proudly be voting for Mark Kirk on Nov. 2 to be our next U.S. senator. Congressman Kirk has ably represented the 10th District for five terms. He is conservative on fiscal issues but more moderate on social issues, such as supporting stem cell research. He votes on what he believes is in the best interest of his constituents, rather than just following party lines.

His most important credentials are his defense experience. He is a commander in the Naval Reserves. You don't make it to that high a rank without a good record of performance. As an intelligence officer, he understands deeply the threats the U.S. faces especially by Islamist terrorism and efforts by Iran to become a nuclear power. As a military veteran myself, I appreciate this experience. Issues have been made about Congressman Kirk's exaggerating his military record, such as that he wasn't actually in Iraq during the first Gulf War. If you are on active duty during a war, you have served during that conflict even if you weren't overseas on the front lines.

Compare that to Alexi Giannoulias, who never served in the military at all. He has no experience with and understanding of military issues. After listening to the debate last Sunday on NBC's Meet The Press, Giannoulias basically admitted he lent money to convicted mobsters by repeatedly answering David Gregory with “I didn't know the full extent of their activity.” This is a far more troubling issue of character.

Finally, I am voting for Mark Kirk because there is probably no member of Congress who is a better friend of Israel. He has led the effort to supply Israel with such weapon systems as early warning radar and as a military man, he understands the extreme threats Israel faces. He does so out of personal conviction, not political expediency.

Steven Peck

Riverwoods