After two decades in Washington DC supporting all of the Bush economic policies that sunk our economy into recession, Congressman Mark Kirk today released another ad that lies about his fiscal record.

"In ad after ad, Congressman Kirk expects voters to throw truth to the wind and forget his record of doubling the national debt and voting against tax cuts for the middle class," said Alexi for Illinois campaign spokesman Scott Burnham. "The record is clear: Congressman Kirk's votes took the country from record surpluses to record deficits by handing out tax cuts to millionaires and large corporations, while leaving the middle class and small business to fend for themselves. That's not a record to be proud of, and it's not the type of leadership that Illinois families can trust."

Kirk lie: She's only a few weeks old but she already owes the federal government $43,000. Will she have a better life than us? Or worse? How will she afford college? Her first home?

The truth: Congressman Kirk calls himself a fiscal conservative, but that didn't stop him from voting for every one of George W. Bush's budgets that took the country from a $236 billion budget surplus in 2000 to record deficits over the next decade.  When Kirk took office, the CBO predicted that the surplus would reach $5.6 trillion over the next decade.  But Bush and Kirk's irresponsible spending turned a historic budget surplus into a record $458 billion deficit by 2008, and his new budget plan would add trillions more in debt to the U.S. balance sheet.  [HCR83, Vote 104, 5/9/01; HCR353, Vote 79, 3/20/02; HCR95, Vote 141, 4/11/03; SCR95, Vote 198, 5/19/04; HCR95, Vote 149, 4/28/05; HR4241, Vote 601, 11/18/05; HCR376, Vote 158, 5/18/06; SCR 21, Vote 377, 5/16/07; New York Times, 1/30/03; Office of Management and Budget; Congressional Budget Office]

Under the watch of President Bush and Mark Kirk, the national debt nearly doubled.  When Bush and Kirk took office, the national debt was $5.7 trillion, and when Bush left in January 2009, the national debt had reached $10.7 trillion. In fact, Bush and Kirk accumulated more debt than all of the previous administrations combined-from George Washington to Bill Clinton.  [U.S. Department of Treasury, Bureau of the National Debt; Congressional Budget Office]

Kirk tried to make it harder for students to afford college by voting to continue giving billions of dollars in subsidies to large financial firms that overcharge students rather than increasing Pell grants and voted twice against a $7,500 tax credit for new homebuyers.  [HR 3221, Vote 719, 9/17/2009; HR4872, Vote 167, 3/21/10; Vote 194, 3/25/10; HR3221, Vote 302, 5/08/08; Vote 519, 7/23/08]

Kirk lie:  If you're as worried as I am about our sky rocketing national debt, run away spending and lack of jobs, I need your vote. I will spend less, borrow less and tax less so our children can have a better future. I'm Mark Kirk and I approve this message.

The truth: Mark Kirk's tax and spend record is clear: cut taxes for the wealthiest two percent of Americans and place the cost on the shoulders of low- and middle-class Americans. He supported Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cut packages that added trillions of dollars to our national debt, and he wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent.  [HR3, Vote 45, 3/8/01; HR6, Vote 75, 3/29/01; HR8, Vote 84, 4/4/01; HR1836, Vote 118, 5/16/01; HR1836, Vote 149, 5/26/01; HR3090, Vote 404, 10/24/01; HR3529, Vote 509, 12/19/01; HR586, Vote 103, 4/18/02; HR2143, Vote 219, 6/6/02; HR4019, Vote 229, 6/13/2002; HR2, Vote 182, 5/9/03; HR2, Vote 225, 5/23/03; www.kirkforsenate.com]