Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) made his first set of decisions on Friday about how he will proceed in picking a replacement for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who will step down next month.

Durbin takes the lead because he is a Democratic senator with a Democratic president in the White House.

In Springfield on Friday, Durbin said a new U.S. Attorney would likely not be confirmed until after November. Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief Dave McKinney has the story HERE.

The ins and outs and politics of replacing Fitzgerald with President Obama facing a November election: Sun-Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet and Sun-Times Political Writer Abdon M. Pallasch have the story HERE.

Durbin will:

*launch an "open, transparent and nonpartisan" search.

*work with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) to establish the search process. Bringing in Kirk early in the process is more than a cordial move--it is needed because both senators from Illinois must agree before the Senate will take any steps towards confirmation.

below, from Sen. Dick Durbin....

DURBIN STATEMENT ON CHOOSING THE NEXT US ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement regarding the process for choosing the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois:

"I'm committed to conducting an open, transparent and nonpartisan search for the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District and, over the next few weeks, I will work with Senator Kirk to establish a formal search process to fill the vacancy left by Patrick Fitzgerald's resignation. We will announce that process once it is established."

"I've spoken to Attorney General Eric Holder and he assured me that, in consultation with Patrick Fitzgerald, he will name a strong and competent Acting U.S. Attorney to serve until an eventual nominee is confirmed by the Senate. I'm completely confident that the U.S. Attorney's office will continue its important work during this transition process."

"The Northern District of Illinois deserves a U.S. Attorney beholden only to the law of land. We will find a successor who will continue Patrick Fitzgerald's good work."

Traditionally, the senior Senator of the President's party, in consultation with the junior Senator, makes recommendations to the President for a nominee for the position of U.S. Attorney. In this case, Senator Durbin will submit recommendations to President Obama after consulting with Senator Kirk. The approval of both home state Senators is required for the Senate Judiciary Committee to take up and consider any U.S. Attorney nominee. On average, it takes between 2-4 months to confirm a U.S. Attorney once that nomination is sent to the Senate.

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By Lynn Sweet and Abdon M. Pallasch

Speculation about potential successors to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald started as soon as he announced Wednesday he was stepping down.

But an initial hurdle is for the Illinois senators -- one Democrat, one Republican -- to agree on a nominee or risk never getting a confirmation vote in the Senate.

Sen. Dick Durbin has the lead in making a recommendation to the White House because there is a Democratic president and Durbin is a Democrat. But because of how the Senate operates, Sen. Mark Kirk, the Republican, has the power to block a nomination.

When the job was last vacant, former Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald bucked pressure from his own party to select a Chicago lawyer and instead sent the name of a New Yorker -- Patrick Fitzgerald (no relation) -- to former President George W. Bush, insisting on an outsider to lessen the potential of conflicts of interest.

The choice "put the blindfolds back on justice in Chicago," the former senator told the Chicago Sun-Times.

"I would hope that Sen. Kirk and Sen. Durbin would recommend someone who is not connected to the political class in Chicago or Springfield. And that they also look for someone who could not be pressured or controlled," Peter Fitzgerald said Wednesday.

While many lawyers in Chicago are smart with "great experience," Peter Fitzgerald argued that the next federal prosecutor here should be someone who "the politicians in Chicago and Springfield don't have something on."

This is the first U.S. attorney opening that Durbin and Kirk -- who was elected in 2010 -- have been confronted with.

The last two U.S. attorneys in Illinois -- in the southern and central districts -- were confirmed earlier in 2010, when former Democratic Sen. Roland Burris affirmed Durbin's recommendations. Before that, Durbin worked with fellow Democrat Barack Obama -- then a senator -- who replaced Peter Fitzgerald.

The process of finding a replacement may get caught up in election year politics -- where control of the White House and the Senate could change after November.

Because U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president, Durbin and Kirk could just wait until after the election to forward a name.

Durbin's spokesman said the senator has yet to decide on how he will proceed.

After Durbin sends a name to the White House, it could take some time for the person to be vetted. Once the president taps a nominee, the name is sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Durbin is a member.

The nominee then is vetted again by both Republicans and Democrats on the committee, but only if both senators from the home state give a green light to proceed.

"It's very hard to find somebody that you would really have confidence has no connections with the political class. I would hope the press would thoroughly scrutinize the names that are floated for U.S. attorney," Peter Fitzgerald said.

Among the names surfacing Wednesday:

† Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Collins, who convicted former Gov. George Ryan and headed up Gov. Pat Quinn's Reform Committee. Collins would not comment Wednesday on his interest in the position. However, when he left the U.S. attorney's office in 2006, Collins' going-away gift was a jacket embroidered with the words "Assistant U.S. Attorney." Even then, Collins put his finger over the word "Assistant," then smiled wide.

† Former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hoffman, who occasionally butted heads with Mayor Richard J. Daley as his inspector general. Hoffman's 2010 Illinois Senate Democratic primary bid may taint him as too partisan.

† Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Tarun.

† Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar, who convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich

† City of Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson.

† Former U.S. Attorney Dan Reidy, who convicted Cook County Circuit Court judges in the Operation Greylord investigation.

† Attorney Ann Tighe, wife of former Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan, was a finalist in consideration for the post back when former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar was chosen for the job.

† The names of three highly regarded African-American attorneys -- former Assistant U.S. attorneys Z. Scott and Andrea Zopp and Cook County Circuit Court Judge William Hooks -- were floated by Ald. Howard Brookins, chair of the Chicago City Council's Black Caucus. Brookins urged consideration of minority candidates for the post.

† Attorney Ronald Safer, who is among the rare defense lawyers to have won cases in the federal courthouse over the last several years, including for clients in the Conrad Black case.

† Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez or Sheriff Tom Dart.

Or it could just be a player not on the radar. Said Rep. Mike Quigley, "My assumption is we don't know who this person is. If they're smart, they'll be like the current one."

Contributing: Natasha Korecki

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski meeting with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)Tuesday at his Chicago office. (photo courtesy Embassy of Poland)

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) returned to his office Tuesday for the first time since his stroke in January to meet with Poland's President, Bronislaw Komorowski. Chicago has the largest population of residents with Polish roots outside of Warsaw, and Komorowski had an active schedule before and after the Chicago NATO Summit--also meeting with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) on Tuesday. Poland's president gave Kirk a "Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland," the same honor he handed to Gov. Pat Quinn on Sunday to mark the Illinois National Guard partnership with the Polish army in Afghanistan and Iraq. Kirk, Emanuel when he was a House member and Kirk have all backed measures to make allow Polish citizens into the U.S. without a visa.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)--not heard from himself since his stroke in January--speaks out for the first time in a video released Tuesday by his office. The video features scenes of Kirk at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago learning to walk and direct shot of Kirk talking about how anxious he is to get back to work in the Senate--and his goal of being able to walk those 45 steps to his office.

Sun-Times political reporter Abdon M. Pallasch has the story HERE.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is being discharged from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago three months after suffering a stroke. Chicago Sun-Times political writer Abdon M. Pallasch has the story HERE.

Sen. Mark Kirk (photo credit: The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago)

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), in the first photo released since his stroke last year, is sitting up and dressed.

Chicago Sun-Times political reporter Abdon M. Pallasch has the story about how Kirk is continuing to improve HERE. Kirk is being treated at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Kirk is taking part in a federal funded rehabilitation study; the research grant is is aimed at helping stroke victims improve their walking skills. Link to the study Kirk is part of is HERE.

Mitt Romney at Vernon Hills town hall. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, (l) of Romney; Rep. Bob Dold (R-Ill.) (r). (Sun-Times photo by Tom Cruze)

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum tangled over who was the "economic heavyweight" on Sunday as they blitz Illinois Monday, the day before the primary here.

Romney won the primary in Puerto Rico on Sunday, and, with his wife, Ann, thanked the commonwealth at the top of a packed town hall at the Sullivan Community Center in northwest suburban Vernon Hills, arriving after stops in Moline and Rockford.

Santorum spent the day in Louisiana, sending to Chicago as surrogates The Duggar family, the reality TV stars. Perhaps foreshadowing his expectations for the Illinois primary, Santorum sent out a tweet he will be in Gettysburg, Pa., Tuesday night.

The Romney campaign will headquarter in suburban Schaumburg for the primary returns in a state where -- if Romney has a commanding win in delegates and in the popular vote -- he can tamp down talk of a brokered or contested GOP nominating convention at Tampa.

On Monday, Romney delivers an economic speech at the University of Chicago and campaigns in Springfield while Santorum will focus on Downstate stops.

Romney and Santorum both appeared on Sunday talk shows. Romney repeated what he said in Rosemont on Friday -- and in a commercial the campaign is running in Illinois -- that both President Barack Obama and Santorum were "economic lightweights."

He also ramped up his attack on Obama over rising gas prices -- picking up on an issue Newt Gingrich has made the centerpiece of his bid. Gingrich is not a factor in the Illinois primary.

On the stump and on Fox News, Romney called on Obama to fire his Energy and Interior secretaries and the Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Santorum and David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, both took on Romney over the "economic lightweight" taunt.

On ABC's "This Week," Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, said of the former Massaschusetts governor, "If Mitt Romney's an economic heavyweight, we're in trouble."

Axelrod on CBS' "Face the Nation said of Romney, "If he thinks he's an economic heavyweight, he must be looking in a funhouse mirror, because that is not the record of an economic heavyweight."

In Vernon Hills, Romney sidestepped a question of how he would make good on his vow to, if president, repeal Obama's health-care law if Democrats continued to control the Senate.

Romney offered no clues to how he would deal with the political reality Obama is confronted with -- a divided Congress. Instead, he urged the election of Republicans to Congress.

At the Vernon Hills event, Romney said his "thoughts and prayers" were with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) who is recovering from a stroke, with the mention coming to an audience who knew Kirk well from when he represented the area as a House member.

Santorum starts Tuesday with a delegate deficit, filing for only 44 of 54 slots for elected delegates. On CNN, Santorum was asked how he could tout his record as a manager if he could not run a full slate in Illinois. The campaigns of Romney, Gingrich and Ron Paul all are running full slates.

"We didn't have any of the resources that any of these other candidates had," Santorum said, though Gingrich and Paul were running shoestring campaigns in Illinois at the time.

Illinois is Obama's home state and Romney was urged at the Vernon Hills town hall by one man not to concede it to Obama if he wins the nomination. Another man fine-tuned the request, asking him not to concede Chicago.

Quipped Romney about the Chicago mayor, "I am sure Rahm Emanuel will be there helping me."

WASHINGTON--Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has recovered so much from his stroke that Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.)--who visited him on Sunday night --said he is mentally sharp enough to cast "knowledgeable" votes.

"Senator Mark Kirk is coming back," Shimkus said in a column he wrote after seeing Kirk.

When Shimkus visited with Kirk at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, "Mark was sitting up with a smile on his face. His short hair reminded me of Sgt. Carter from the TV show Gomer Pyle, USMC," Shimkus wrote.

Shimkus' report is the first to give a sense of Kirk's condition--and his progress towards returning to the Senate-- following his January stroke.

Kirk, a Navy reserve officer, told Shimkus about his "tough" physical therapy sessions and how prayer has helped him through this ordeal.

Shimkus said Kirk told him "that nothing he has done has been as difficult as this road to recovery. Every day, Mark pushes himself through tough physical therapy sessions, on a treadmill and walking the hallways. Some days are better than others but his progress is consistent, and he knows we are cheering him on.

"Mentally he is sharp. I believe he could cast knowledgeable votes today. But he is in a critical time to continue to focus on improvement and strengthening his body and soul for the important work he looks forward to resuming.

"We did talk about faith and he pointed again to the window ledge where his Bible sits. He mentioned the daily visit of the rehab center chaplain and time spent in prayer. How quickly I and many others have dropped Mark off our prayer lists. I would ask that we all continue to pray for his speedy recovery," Shimkus wrote.

The two talked about the main Illinois issues of the day: the refusal of the federal government to grant emergency assistance to five counties in tornado ravaged southern Illinois, the transportation bill and Tuesday's Illinois primary.

And when Shimkus said goodbye, Kirk gave him a "strong handshake."

Click below for full Shimkus column on Sen. Mark Kirk's road to recovery....

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the ailing Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), recovering from a stroke, and the Illinois congressional have urged President Barack Obama to come through for his adopted home state and provide disaster assistance to five southern Illinois counties.

Durbin and representatives from Kirk's office said in a statement they "will meet with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator (FEMA) Craig Fugate and, TOMORROW, March 14, 2012 at 11:15 AM EDT. The meeting will take place in room S-321 of the Capitol. Durbin called for the meeting following FEMA's announcement on Sunday that aid would be denied in order to discuss the State of Illinois' appeal of this decision. Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn are expected to join the meeting by phone."

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) who suffered over the weekend--and surgery Tuesday--had another procedure performed on Wednesday. Here is a Thursday morning update from his doctor, Richard Fessler:

"Senator Kirk continues to progress as expected and remains in serious but stable condition this morning with no change in his neurological or physical prognosis. Late yesterday, we performed a common surgical procedure to create more space around the Senator's brain in order to accommodate the expected peaking of swelling. The procedure, which removed two small pieces of tissue previously destroyed and rendered non-functional by the Senator's stroke, was completed successfully and without complication. The procedure is unlikely to have any impact on his physical or neurological prognosis. Upon examination this morning, the Senator was alert, responsive and gave us the thumbs up on request," said Richard Fessler, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago held a briefing Tuesday on Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) operated on for a stroke on Monday. He asked for Blackberry, doctors said. The Sun-Times report is HERE.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) was at the famed Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago the night before he suffered a stroke on Saturday. On Monday, Kirk underwent surgery; his recovery is expected to take months. Sun-Times political writer Abdon M. Pallasch was there and has the story.

WASHINGTON--Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is recovering from a stroke at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after surgery on Monday. He was stricken on Saturday.

On Saturday, Kirk, 52, drove himself to Lake Forest Hospital and was transferred to Northwestern for tests that revealed he suffered an ischemeic stroke, his office said in a statement.

His Monday surgery was to relieve swelling around his brain.

At Lake Forest, "doctors discovered a carotid artery dissection in the right side of his neck. He was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where further tests revealed that he had suffered an ischemic stroke. Early this morning the Senator underwent surgery to relieve swelling around his brain stemming from the stroke. The surgery was successful. Due to his young age, good health and the nature of the stroke, doctors are very confident in the Senator's recovery over the weeks ahead," the statement said.

Doctors discussed his condition at an 11:30 a.m. cst press conference at Northwestern.

Kirk was sworn in as senator on Nov. 29, 2010, to fill the weeks remaining in President Barack Obama's Illinois senate term. Kirk moved to the Senate after an election battle with then Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Kirk, a Highland Park resident, served five terms in the House--first elected in 2000--before moving to the Senate. Kirk is also a Navy Reserve officer.

According to the National Institute of Health, "Ischemic strokes may be caused by clogged arteries. Fat, cholesterol, and other substances collect on the artery walls, forming a sticky substance called plaque."

Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) said in a statement, "Senator Kirk is one of Illinois' most dedicated and hard-working champions, and it's hard to imagine that anything could slow him down for long. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, staff, and friends right now. All of us in the delegation are pulling for his full and speedy recovery. Senator Kirk is a fighter, and I am confident he will battle through this."

GOP White House hopeful Mitt Romney said in a statement, ""I am extremely distressed by the news that my friend Mark Kirk is hospitalized for emergency medical treatment. I wish him a speedy recovery and a swift return to the U.S. Senate chamber, so he can continue his important work for the people of Illinois and all the people of the United States." Kirk endorsed Romney

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a statement, "I was stunned to learn that Mark suffered a stroke. He is young and in good physical condition and I have no doubt he will make a speedy recovery. I have reached out to his staff and offered to do anything I can to help with his Senate duties. Loretta and I will keep Mark and his family in our prayers."

Rep. Bob Dold (R-Ill.) said in a statement, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Senator Kirk and his family today. I would like to thank the medical professionals for their excellent work and their immediate actions to care for the Senator. Danielle and I join with all the people of the 10th district and across the country in wishing the Senator a full and speedy recovery."

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said on her Twitter, "Sending all of our best wishes to HP resident US Senator Mark Kirk for a speedy recovery."

Also on Twitter, Sen. John McCain said that his "thoughts and prayers" are with his colleague and wished him "a speedy recovery."

Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said in a statement, "Like anyone who knows Senator Kirk, I am stunned and saddened to hear about his recent stroke. But if there is one thing I have learned about Mark over the years, it's that he is a fighter and relentless in his efforts to accomplish a goal. Those attributes will serve him well in working toward a rapid recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with him."

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) said in a statement, ""Like anyone who knows Senator Kirk, I am stunned and saddened to hear about his recent stroke. But if there is one thing I have learned about Mark over the years, it's that he is a fighter and relentless in his efforts to accomplish a goal. Those attributes will serve him well in working toward a rapid recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with him."

The White House launched a messaging drive this week that $40 dollars a week buys a heck of a lot for a lot of people--and that's what is at stake for a lot of wage earners if the Social Security payroll tax cut was not extended. A small break adds up, that's the message of "Seven and a Half Cents" from the musical "Pajama Game." That's Doris Day (above) in the 1957 movie version. Lyrics below.

WASHINGTON -- President Obama, bothered by comparisons to Star Trek's unemotional Mr. Spock, pushed back on that narrative -- as he scored a win Thursday over Republicans who botched handling one of their core issues -- tax breaks.

Obama told ABC News' Barbara Walters -- in an interview to be broadcast on Friday's "20/20" show -- that the biggest misconception about him is that he is "detached, or Spock-like, or very analytical."

"People who know me know that I am a softie. I mean, stuff can choke me up very easily. The challenge for me is that in this job I think a lot of times the press or how you come off on TV people want you to be very demonstrative in your emotions. And if you're not sort of showing it in a very theatrical way, then somehow it doesn't translate over the screen," Obama said in the interview taped Dec. 15.

So it was something to see Obama lose his Spock on Thursday as he vented at a White House event whipped up to pressure House Republicans over the Social Security payroll tax cuts, due to expire Dec. 31. A few hours later, there was a deal.

Obama wanted House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to persuade his hard-line GOP colleagues to go along with a Senate stopgap measure to extend the Social Security payroll tax cut another two months. This latest episode of Washington gridlock was remarkable because Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were in rare agreement.

Said a frustrated, unusually emotive Obama, "This is an issue where an overwhelming number of people in both parties agree. How can we not get that done? I mean, has this place become so dysfunctional that even when people agree to things we can't do it? It doesn't make any sense."

The Senate on Saturday -- in an 89-10 bipartisan roll call -- passed a compromise bill to extend payroll tax breaks and unemployment benefits and advance the controversial Canada/U.S. Keystone pipeline.

(Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) voted yes on extending the tax break. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) voted no.)

The problem was getting the House Republicans to go along. The White House cranked up a publicity and messaging campaign coordinated with the Democratic National Committee and Democratic lawmakers.

Anyone who receives a paycheck got a break in 2011 by paying less Social Security tax. For someone who earns $106,000, the cut was worth about $2,000; for a $50,000 earner, about $1,000.

In order to make the argument more populist, the White House calculated that the break was worth $40 "for a typical American family." And in doing what they do best, the White House collected stories from thousands of people these past days about what $40 meant to them.

The what-does-$40-buy gambit was evocative of lyrics in a famous song from the 1950s Broadway musical "The Pajama Game," where workers in a pajama factory were seeking a 7.5-cents-an-hour raise:

I figured it out

I figured it out

Backed in a corner, the House Republicans finally figured it out.

WASHINGTON--House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wants Congress to pass a one-year renewal on the Social Security payroll tax hike and was critical of the Senate bill that punted with just a two month extension.

What will likely happen is the House will pass its version Monday night then go to conference with the Senate to try to hammer out the differences. Time is an issue; the Senators have gone home for winter break and the tax break expires on Dec. 31.

The Senate two-month fixed passed on an 89-10 vote Saturday. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) voted against extending the tax cut and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) voted for it. (post on Kirk vote is HERE)

At a Monday morning press conference, Boehner said, "Americans are tired of Washington's short-term fixes and gimmicks, which are creating uncertainty for job creators at a time when millions of Americans are out of work. Democrats and Republicans agree that the payroll tax cut needs to be extended for a full year. And to provide the kind of relief that Americans need in this struggling economy, the House last week passed a bill to do just that.

"But instead of passing the House bill or another bill which extended the payroll tax credit for a year, the Senate Democratic leaders passed a two-month extension of punting the problem into next year. We opposed the Senate bill because doing a two-month extension instead of a full-year extension causes uncertainty for job creators.

"I used to run a small business. I met a payroll. I hired workers. A two-month extension creates uncertainty, and will cause problems for people who are trying to create jobs in the private sector.

"The idea that tax policy can be done two months at a time is the kind of activity we see here in Washington that's really put our economy off of its tracks. Last week both chambers worked together to pass a full-year bill to fund our government, and I don't think this issue is any different. It's time to -- for Congress to do its work. No more kicking the can down the road.

"Tonight the House will vote on the Senate-passed bill. This is a vote on whether Congress will stay and do its work or go on vacation. I expect that the House will disagree with the Senate amendment and instead vote to formally go to conference, the formal process in which the House and Senate can resolve differences between the two chambers and between our two bills. And I expect the House to take up legislation that reinforces the need to extend the payroll tax relief for a full year rather than just two months, again to provide certainty for job creators.

"And I think the best way to resolve the difference between the two-month extension and a full-year bill is to follow the regular order here in Congress. When there's a disagreement between the two chambers, we sit down at a conference and resolve those differences. And that's exactly what I believe the House will do.

"The president has said repeatedly that no one should be going on vacation until the work is done. Democrat leaders in the House and Senate have said exactly the same thing. So I think it's time for the Senate Democrat leaders to follow the president's example, put their vacations on hold and work in a bipartisan manner to finish the nation's business."

WASHINGTON--The House this week takes up a measure to extend for two months a Social Security payroll tax break that had been set to expire on Dec. 31. The Senate passed the bill on Saturday, with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) one of ten senators to vote against the break that everyone who receives a paycheck gets.

In 2011, for someone who earns $106,000 a year the tax cut was about $2,000; for a $50,000 earner, the break is about $1,000.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) voted for the temporary extension, which passed on an 89-10 roll call on Friday. Kirk backed the tax cut in 2010--proposed as a one-year deal. .

Taxpayers got to keep more of their own money in 2011 because the contribution to Social Security was trimmed. Kirk has a problem with how the Social Security tax break will be paid for.

"It is the right policy because one of the lessons of Europe is that you can't run retirement security programs without contributions to retirement security," Kirk told C-SPAN. "Seniors have enough to worry about as it is without the Congress voting on a bipartisan basis to undermine contributions to Social Security."

NAYs ---10
Corker (R-TN)
DeMint (R-SC)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kirk (R-IL)
Leahy (D-VT)
Manchin (D-WV)
Moran (R-KS)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)

WASHINGTON--Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) will endorse GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in Chicago on Monday morning, a move that had been expected. Kirk will be joined at a Loop press conference with Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, who has been organizing Illinois for Romney.

Romney has the deepest Illinois operation of any of the 2012 Republican rivals. People have already been recruited to run for delegates and major Illinois endorsements have been out for months. In backing Romney, Kirk follows a string of Illinois Republicans: former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Rep. Judy Biggert and Rep. Aaron Schock.

Newt Gingrich is just starting to get an Illinois organization. Delegate slates are due next month for the March Illinois primary. Crain's Chicago Business Greg Hinz is reporting that Gingrich has has conversations with state Sen. Bill Brady.

The White House makes the case for the tax break.

WASHINGTON--Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are at odds over whether a temporary paycheck tax cut due to expire at the end of the year -a break on Social Security payroll taxes--should be extended: Durbin is for continuing the break and Kirk is against it.

Congress is headed to a showdown on the issue. President Barack Obama is pushing for what was originally a one-year break to be continued.

The House, with GOP votes on Tuesday passed a measure to continue the Social Security payroll tax cuts--but only by packaging it with a mandate to build the controversial Keystone Canada-to-Texas pipeline. Senate Democrats are likely to reject the House linkage and Obama has threatened a veto.

Kirk, during a C-SPAN interview on Sunday said he is against using "Social Security as a cash cow for an economic stimulus." He is prepared to let the cuts expire because he does not want the U.S. to issue more debt to replace cash in the Social Security Trust Fund that was lost when folks in 2011 were able to pay less into it.

KEYSTONE: Kirk and Durbin are also potentially split over Keystone. Kirk is for construction of the pipeline because it will produce jobs. Durbin is against Keystone being included in a Social Security payroll tax bill. He backs Obama's position that a review of the pipeline is necessary--and will wait to see what that review concludes.

Everyone who gets a paycheck got to keep more of their own money in 2011 due to Social Security payroll tax cuts Obama pushed through. Those breaks expire at the end of December. Obama earlier this year proposed continuing the paycheck tax cuts and giving a break to employers who have to pay taxes for each employee. Now he has a battle just getting Congress to let the breaks live for another year.

Under a bipartisan deal Obama made with Congress in 2010 and starting in 2011, the deduction on your paycheck for Social Security -- often called a payroll tax -- was cut by 2 percent for a year. The rate workers kicked in dropped to 4.2 percent from 6.2 percent. The employers' contribution stayed the same -- 6.2 percent.

What does this mean to you? If you make $106,800 a year, the maximum saving is $2,136. (Social Security taxes are applied to only the first $106,800 of earnings.)

Let's look at it another way: If you make $500 a week, you get a $10 weekly tax cut. If you make $1,000 each week, your break is $20; a $1,500 weekly salary earner pays $30 less in payroll taxes.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) spent 14 minutes on the Senate floor on Nov. 29 reviewing his first Senate year.

WASHINGTON--Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) urged President Obama to spend "some quality alone time" with House Speaker John Boehner as Congress takes up job creation proposals from Obama and other lawmakers.

A closer relationship between the two could be crucial during upcoming deliberations, Kirk told me when we talked Friday morning.

"Time one on one is critical," Kirk said, even suggesting Obama invite Boehner to Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains or to another round of golf.

Democrat Obama and Republican Boehner last week tangled over Obama's request to address a joint session of Congress. In a flap that illustrated how hard it is for opponents to have a working relationship, Boehner turned down Obama's original Wednesday night request but agreed to Thursday. Obama invited Boehner to play golf with him last June--meaningful because Obama usually prefers to draw his golfing companions from a small circle of regulars.

Obama in his Thursday night speech unveiled a package of long and short term plans he argues will create jobs. The White House told me Friday morning the speech will be translated into a bill and sent to Congress next week.

Most likely the new 12-member bi-partisan, bi-cameral "Super Committee," created out of the summer wrangling will deal with the Obama package, a move Kirk said would be productive. That's because the panel faces a late November deadline to make massive cuts--or raise revenue, or do both--or else face automatic cuts neither Democrats nor Republicans would want, an incentive for the dozen lawmakers to make a deal.

WASHINGTON--Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), a Navy reserve officer, served a two week stint in Afghanistan during the summer congressional break.

"Back from a 2 week Navy reserve assignment in #Afghanistan. Admire what young Americans in uniform are doing there," Kirk said in a Sept. 3 Twitter posting.

WASHINGTON---In the wake of the Standard & Poor's downgrade--the first in U.S. history, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) called for Congress to return from its five-week vacation to deal with escalating borrowing. S & P cited the political wrangling over raising the debt ceiling as a part of its reason for lowering the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA+

Kirk tweeted, "President should recall Congress to reduce borrowing."

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who has been leading bi-partisan compromise efforts said in a statement the downgrade was partly the result of "political gamesmanship."

White House Press Secretary James Carney in a statement noted that the path to the deal to raise the debt ceiling took too long and at times was "too divisive."

READ THE STANDARD & POOR'S REPORT ON WHY THEY LOWERED THE U.S. RATING HERE

Statements below...

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Statement from the Press Secretary

The President believes it is important that our elected leaders come together to strengthen our economy and put our nation on a stronger fiscal footing.
 
The bipartisan compromise on deficit reduction was an important step in the right direction. Yet, the path to getting there took too long and was at times too divisive. We must do better to make clear our nation's will, capacity and commitment to work together to tackle our major fiscal and economic challenges.
 
Over the past weeks and months the President repeatedly called for substantial deficit reduction through both long-term entitlement changes and revenues through tax reform, with additional measures to spark jobs and strengthen our recovery. That is why the President pushed for a grand bargain that would include all of these elements and require compromise and cooperation from all sides.
 
Over the coming weeks the President will strongly encourage the bipartisan fiscal committee as well as all members of Congress to put our common commitment to a stronger recovery and a sounder long-term fiscal path above our political and ideological differences.


DURBIN STATEMENT ON S&P DOWNGRADE OF US CREDIT RATING
[SPRINGFIELD, IL] - US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the S&P downgraded the US credit rating from AAA to AA+:
"S&P's decision to downgrade the US credit rating due to our ongoing debt crisis is unfortunate and underscores the need for a balanced, bipartisan and comprehensive solution to the problem. In the coming weeks, a Joint Committee of Congress will begin its work to reach just such an agreement. Their work will be incredibly important and must balance spending cuts with revenue increases."

"Last night's downgrade is also a political one. Partisan gamesmanship over the debt has left global markets, rating agencies and the American public searching for stability. Until we agree that bipartisan leadership is the only path forward, our economy and America's faith in its leaders will continue to be at risk of downgrade."
Last year, Senator Durbin served on the President's Bipartisan Fiscal Commission and voted to support its debt reduction proposal. Since January, Durbin has worked with a bipartisan group of Senators, in a group known as the "Gang of Six," to craft a proposal to cut the nation's debt by $4 trillion over the next 10 years.
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WASHINGTON -- Just before the Asian markets opened on Sunday night, President Obama announced a deal to raise the debt ceiling, avoiding what could have been a financial disaster come Monday morning.

I give Republicans credit for leveraging the debt ceiling vote -- they grabbed control of the agenda. "Big win, I think, for the Republicans. Don't tell the Democrats," a pithy Republican e-mailed me with a bottom-line analysis of who came out ahead.

Along the way, however, some GOP hard-liners could not take yes for an answer -- threatening our economy.

The Tea Party Republicans and other conservatives took the nation to the brink, pushing too close to the Aug. 2 default deadline for a deal that was not all that different than what had been on the table a few days ago.

The agreement -- with major spending reductions -- gives Republicans much of what they wanted while opening a rift with Democratic progressives for Obama because it puts cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid "entitlement" programs on the table while not at this time closing tax loopholes to generate more revenue.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) -- who had been adamant about not touching entitlements -- gave the deal a chilly reception, saying she will see "what level of support we can provide."

The House Democratic progressive caucus will meet Monday to study the proposals. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a progressive leader, told me she will have great difficulty backing a plan that cuts entitlements.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) -- the assistant majority leader -- has been taking heat from progressives because he has been regarded as one of them -- yet he has been willing to look at revamping entitlement programs.

"This deal is not perfect, nor the deal many of us would have made ourselves, but in the end and after weeks of partisan differences, both sides have come together and compromised to avoid an economic catastrophe," Durbin said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, I talked with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) as the deal was taking shape as he emerged from the Senate chamber. "This was a 40-year culture of borrowing that changed in 40 days," Kirk said.

House Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) -- the freshman who has become a Tea Party leader -- whose profile soared during the past weeks of the debate over the deficit and debt ceiling -- announced Sunday he will vote against the bipartisan agreement.

"I have made it clear from day one that I will never vote in favor of a debt ceiling increase unless it fundamentally changes the way Washington, D.C., spends money. I believe the way to do that is by statutory spending caps and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution."

If the hard-liners keep voting no, they will undermine their clout.

The uncompromising conservatives -- those in the House Republican Study Group -- were "completely overreaching," Kirk said and will find themselves "vastly muted" with "limited influence going forward."

Kirk/Bill Daley

Kirk told me White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley has been reaching out to him -- the latest on Saturday. "We talked quite a bit. He just wanted advice [on] what would work."

Kirk said they have been discussing the situation "every three or four days."

"He's a Chicago guy and we trust each other and I always wanted to be a friend of the Daley family as much as possible."

Hat tip to HuffPost Hill a must-read afternoon news and politics sheet for this item on Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) Wednesday fund-raiser on Capitol Hill. Ryan Grim, Sam Stein and Christina Wilkie report...

12 p.m.: "Style-conscious, eco-friendly boutique" hotels are not the first place we'd look for a GOP fundraising lunch, but we're not Mark Kirk at the Hotel George. [15 E St, NW]