State Republicans Angry With Kirk Over Cap-And-Trade

Human Events notes some of the fallout from Rep. Mark Kirk's vote in favor of cap-and-trade, which angered Illinois Republicans:

Even liberal Republican Rep. Judy Bigert (R.-Ill.), who shares Kirk’s non-conservative social issues, was reportedly angry with her colleague for a vote in favor of what she said would lead to a “war on the middle class,” according to my Illinois GOP source.

...

On Thursday (July 9th), amid mounting rumors that the 71-year-old Burris would soon announce his retirement, the Illinois GOP Members and McKenna held a closed-door meeting at the offices of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). According to one account, “It was obvious a lot had changed from the past six months, when Kirk was being cheered on to run. Most of his colleagues now made it clear to him that they would not guarantee him the nomination in the primary [in March of next year] or support him in a contested primary.”

After a bit of back-and-forth, McKenna -- the chair of the IL Republican party -- has agreed to clear the field for Kirk. Still, it will be interesting to see if this spat affects Kirk's fundraising over the next quarter. Kirk also has strayed from the Republican orthodoxy on abortion and guns, so it's worth keeping an eye on how he votes over the next few months.