SPRINGFIELD, IL - For the second day in a row, and ten days after promising such misstatements would never happen again, Congressman Mark Kirk continues evasive maneuvers to avoid directly answering questions about his newest lie about his military service. When challenged to account for his apparently false claim to have been shot at while traveling in an armored convoy in Kandahar, which he told the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board, Kirk refused to answer, pointing reporters to his fitnes reports. These reports in no way validate Kirk's story and make no mention of any such incident.

* Senate hopeful Kirk defends his record - Belleville News Democrat, 7/8

Kirk, however, declined to talk about allegations he exaggerated his accomplishments and the risks he took overseas during his 21 years as a Navy Reserve officer. Kirk earlier this year told a Chicago newspaper that he came under fire with a Dutch armor unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Kirk refused to answer a reporter's questions about whether his recollection of coming under fire in Kandahar was accurate. Instead, Kirk told the reporter to refer to his officer fitness reports -- which by press deadline Wednesday night had not arrived in the reporter's e-mail box.

* Kirk "continues to dodge questions about himself" - The Capitol Fax Blog, 7/8

Meanwhile, Kirk is on a statewide campaign swing and was in the Metro East yesterday, where he once again dodged questions about his military service record. [...] He can't continue this line without suffering the consequences.

* Keep your promises and answer the questions, Congressman - The Capitol Fax Blog, 7/7

It looks like Kirk is back to his old stonewalling, dodgy ways [...] [His] claim is absolutely untenable. He's no longer going to answer questions about his service record? And all he will do is point to his fitness reports? Not enough [...] You cannot on the one hand promise never to let these things happen again, and then refuse to clear up your record a week later. You cannot say media scrutiny is just fine and dandy with you because you're campaigning for a "high office" and then a week later refuse to answer any and all questions on a specific topic. [...] Officer fitness reports do not represent Kirk's full military record and he knows it.

Congressman Kirk was criticized after reacting testily with reporters and refusing to answer similar questions after a Tuesday press conference in Chicago.

VIDEO: Mark Kirk caught in another lie

REPORTER: You once told the Sun-Times, this was your quote: "Last year, I was with a Dutch armor unit in Kandahar, getting shot at." Can you tell me a little bit more about it- when did it happen, what were the circumstances?

KIRK: Well as I went through my speech last week, I've made mistakes in my military record. I apologize for them and going forward will make sure that never happens again. But the way I'll answer that is I released my fitness reports...The way I will go forward is I released my officer fitness reports for all 21 years of service in the Navy and will let the official record stand.

REPORTER: But you're not saying this was a mistake then are you?

KIRK: No but I would refer you all to the officer fitness reports.

REPORTER: They might not have that detail...

KIRK: For me, going forward I will speak through the voices of the commanding officers in the field that assessed my performance, and you will be able to have that if you don't already.

REPORTER: So that kind of goes as a non-response response?

KIRK: No, for me the officer fitness reports are the official record.

REPORTER: So anything you've said in the past, we should just disregard?

KIRK: No I'm saying that let's stand on my official record to the United States Navy.

REPORTER: So anything you've said before, if you've said it just forget about it?

KIRK: As I stated before in the speech...

REPORTER: Do you have a record that will show where the question came up?

KIRK: So the record talks about the...just go through the detail...and especially my officer fitness report from my Afghan service...

REPORTER: Do you think your campaign- are you going to stop using photos that imply you're a pilot?  There are pictures of you sitting in a plane with pilot gear on. Are you guys going to stop using those or...

KIRK: They don't...there is no issue because there...on many aircraft you have aircrew, and often times, in fact most of the people on the squad- in my squadron that I served in are not pilots. There are three other people on the aircraft who flew along.

From the Chicago Tribune, 7/6

Also during Kirk's news conference, the congressman would not discuss the latest question about his military career, this time from a statement he made in a Sun-Times questionnaire that he was "shot at" while serving with a Dutch armor unit in Kandahar. Kirk did not answer directly whether that statement was accurate. Instead, he referred any questions about his career as a Navy reservist to his military fitness reports that he has made available. There is no mention in those reports of Kirk coming under fire during that time period. The Kandahar assertion echoes a similar problem Kirk has had regarding comments he's made about his military career. Last month, he said assertions he came under enemy fire while flying reconnaissance missions over Iraq in 2000 may not be true because there is no record of whether his aircraft was being fired upon.

From the Chicago Sun-Times, 7/6

Kirk declined to discuss another claim he made of getting shot at while on active duty in the Naval reserves. Earlier this year Kirk told the Sun-Times, "Last year, I was with a Dutch armor unit in Kandahar, getting shot at and being calm, cool and collected. We each had this kind of Dutch candy called 'drop.' I went through about 3000 calories getting what they call 'nervous in the service.'" But Tuesday, when asked several times at his news conference if he stood by that assertion, Kirk would only repeat that from now on he would say nothing beyond what's in his fitness reports when it comes to his war record. This follows Kirk getting national notoriety for having to admit he did not actually know if he was shot at flying over Kosovo and Iraq.