On Thursday the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced it was launching "an Independence Day ad and grassroots campaign" that will begin Monday and run through the week. Television and radio ads will air in 14 targeted Republican Congressional districts, attacking GOP members over military pay and veterans benefits. According to the DCCC web site, the campaign will also include 2 million emails and 50,000 phone calls.

Here's a list of the Republicans being targeted with radio ads (click here for a sample): Robin Hayes (NC-8), Joe Knollenberg (MI-9), Jon Porter (NV-3), Jim Walsh (NY-25), Don Young (AK-AL), Shelly Moore Capito (WV-2), and Sam Graves (MO-6).

The list of those being targeted with televisions ads are: Marilyn Musgrave (CO-4), Mike Ferguson (NJ-7), Phil English (PA-3), Thelma Drake (VA-2), and Mark Kirk (IL-10).

Among those on the list, the targeting of Kirk is particularly ironic and, one could argue, dishonest. Yes, Kirk represents a fairly liberal district on the Northshore that is upset about the war in Iraq. And yes, Kirk got more of a race from Dan Seals last November than he initially expected, prevailing 53-47. Seals announced last week he's signed up to take another run at Kirk in '08, and the DCCC is doing its part to keep Kirk as soft and fat of a target as possible.

But, while I think Kirk can be attacked fairly for supporting the President's policy in Iraq - even though he voted against the surge and was one of the eleven Republicans who went to the White House in May and told the President he'd better get his act together on the war or else - to attack Kirk as being indifferent or neglectful of US troops or veterans benefits is simply laughable.

First, start with the man's bio:

Congressman Kirk is a Naval Reserve intelligence officer who served during conflicts with Iraq, Haiti, and Bosnia. He served four tours at sea and three in Panama. The U.S. Navy named Kirk 'Intelligence Officer of the Year' in 1999 for his combat service in Kosovo. Kirk flew on missions over Iraq and continues to serve one weekend a month in the Pentagon. Kirk is the only member of Congress to serve stateside during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was an air crewman over Iraq during Operation Northern Watch.

Furthermore, one of Kirk's signal achievements was his successful battle to save the VA Hospital in North Chicago, a fact he proudly advertised in the last election:

Needless to say, Kirk and the GOP aren't taking this attack lying down. Tolbert Chisum, head of the New Trier Republican Organization, fired off a statement saying, "It is ironic that the Democrat Party would take a partisan shot at Congressman Kirk, a Navy combat veteran and drilling reservist, when their own candidate, Dan Seals never served and does not live in the district."

Kirk's spokesperson issued a statement letting it be known that "Congressman Kirk just voted for the largest increase in funding for veterans health care (H.R. 2642, June 15, 2007, roll call no.498, $3.8 billion above the President’s budget) and will break ground on the new $100 million 10th District Navy/VA hospital next week."

As I said, Kirk is vulnerable over his initial support for the war, but trying to attack him as neglecting US soldiers and veterans is exceedingly dishonest - and doing it over the Fourth of July holiday only makes it that much more shameful.