Giannoulias campaign challenges Kirk to answer, ‘yes or no, were you shot at?’

Chicago, IL  - As a New Prosperity Foundation ad hits the airwaves repeating a lie that Congressman Mark Kirk served in Iraq, the Alexi for Illinois campaign demanded that Congressman Kirk come clean and answer yes or no on whether or not he was shot at while flying over Iraq and that he stop hiding behind his military fitness reports as an answer.

“Another ad, another lie about Congressman Kirk’s military record and another day that he refuses to come clean and answer yes or no on whether he was shot at while flying over Iraq. That fact is he won’t answer the question because he doesn’t want to admit to another lie about his service,” said Alexi for Illinois campaign spokesman Scott Burnham.” Let’s be clear  you don’t forget getting fired upon. If Congressman Kirk can’t be honest about his service, then how can he be trusted to serve the people of Illinois in the United States Senate?”

FACT CHECK:

New Prosperity Foundation Claim: “When Mark Kirk was serving his country in Iraq…”

The truth: Mark Kirk never served in Iraq.  On June 2, 2010, in a radio interview Kirk admitted: “I have never served in Iraq as a military man, I have been Iraq as a congressman, and then as part of operation Northern Watch, I deployed to Incirlik Airbase, Turkey, where we supported the no fly zones, so we were flying over Iraq, but we didn’t set boots in Iraq.” [AP, 6/4/10]

While speaking on the floor of the House in 2003, Kirk claimed “The last time I was in Iraq, I was in uniform flying at 20,000 feet and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us.”  But during an appearance before the Chicago Tribune editorial board, Kirk admitted that this claim “may not be correct.”  [House Session, 10/1/03, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeFf4JNx3tc; Chicago Tribune, 6/3/10]

CHICAGO – As a New Prosperity Foundation ad hits the airwaves repeating a lie that Congressman Mark Kirk served in Iraq, the Alexi for Illinois campaign demanded that Congressman Kirk come clean and answer yes or no on whether or not he was shot at while flying over Iraq and that he stop hiding behind his military fitness reports as an answer.

“Another ad, another lie about Congressman Kirk’s military record and another day that he refuses to come clean and answer yes or no on whether he was shot at while flying over Iraq. That fact is he won’t answer the question because he doesn’t want to admit to another lie about his service,” said Alexi for Illinois campaign spokesman Scott Burnham.” Let’s be clear  you don’t forget getting fired upon. If Congressman Kirk can’t be honest about his service, then how can he be trusted to serve the people of Illinois in the United States Senate?”

FACT CHECK:

New Prosperity Foundation Claim: “When Mark Kirk was serving his country in Iraq…”

The truth: Mark Kirk never served in Iraq.  On June 2, 2010, in a radio interview Kirk admitted: “I have never served in Iraq as a military man, I have been Iraq as a congressman, and then as part of operation Northern Watch, I deployed to Incirlik Airbase, Turkey, where we supported the no fly zones, so we were flying over Iraq, but we didn’t set boots in Iraq.” [AP, 6/4/10]

While speaking on the floor of the House in 2003, Kirk claimed “The last time I was in Iraq, I was in uniform flying at 20,000 feet and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us.”  But during an appearance before the Chicago Tribune editorial board, Kirk admitted that this claim “may not be correct.”  [House Session, 10/1/03, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeFf4JNx3tc; Chicago Tribune, 6/3/10]