Lies vs Mark Kirk untrue Senate illinois

Dear Friend:

You may have read an article in this morning’s Chicago Sun-Times containing another desperate attempt by an Alexi Giannoulias surrogate, Howard Berman, to smear Mark Kirk’s record – since Alexi has none of his own to tout. I hope you will urge your friends and family to contribute to our campaign to help us fight these dirty campaign smears.

As someone who follows Congressman Kirk’s work closely – especially on the issue of Iran – you already know the truth.

This morning, the Jewish Telegraph Agency debunked the story:

Kirk gets this one, I think, on points -- as the Sun Times notes, Berman thanked Andrews for his work, a hint that the bill he and Kirk shaped played a role in the final bill. So did AIPAC when the bill passed. And, the sanctions are pretty much identical.

Yesterday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (the lead GOP sponsor of the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act) issued the following statement:

“Mark Kirk has been a leader in the bi-partisan effort to impose sanctions against the Iranian regime for years. Mark introduced legislation in 2007 and 2009 to place targeted sanctions against entities helping to develop Iran’s petroleum resources. Those bills provided some of the early impetus for targeted gasoline sanctions against Iran, which are a central component of the Iran sanctions bill which Congress passed this summer with strong support from Mark, who was an original co-sponsor of the legislation. Any allegation that Mark hasn’t played a key role in the implementation of gasoline sanctions against the Iranian regime is inaccurate and misrepresents the reality of Mark’s work.”

Here’s a timeline of events:

June 14, 2005: Reps. Kirk and Andrews introduce first resolution calling for a restriction of gasoline to Iran (H.Con.Res.177)

June 8, 2006: Reps. Kirk and Andrews introduce a second resolution calling for a restriction of gasoline to Iran (H.Con.Res.425)

June 27, 2007: Reps. Kirk and Andrews introduce the Iran Sanctions Enhancement Act, to amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to enhance United States diplomatic efforts with respect to Iran by expanding economic sanctions against Iran to include the importation of refined petroleum. (H.R. 2880)

March 25, 2009: The Wall Street Journal references the Kirk-Andrews legislation.

April 21, 2009: Reps. Kirk and Sherman introduce the Iran Diplomatic Enhancement Act, to amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to enhance United States diplomatic efforts with respect to Iran by expanding economic sanctions against Iran to include refined petroleum, and for other purposes. (H.R. 1985)

April 30, 2009: Reps. Berman, Ros-Lehtinen, Kirk, Andrews, Sherman, Burton, Ackerman and Royce introduce the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, to amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to enhance United States diplomatic efforts with respect to Iran by expanding economic sanctions against Iran. (H.R. 2194)

December 15, 2009: Speaking on the House floor, Rep. Berman credits the Kirk-Andrews legislation as the first gasoline sanctions bill and says he worked closely with Kirk’s Democratic partner, Rep. Andrews. (Congressional Record)

And the official statement by Kirk Spokesperson Richard Goldberg:

"Congressman Berman apparently wants to disavow his own statements crediting the Kirk-Andrews gasoline sanctions bill as the predecessor to the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act in order to score cheap political points two weeks before an election.

"Chairman Berman's new assertions are contradicted by his previous words and the documented record, which clearly show Congressmen Kirk and Andrews introduced the first gasoline sanctions legislation in 2007. It is now clear that Alexi Giannoulias and his surrogates are so desperate they will say and do anything to get elected."