Notepad

CQ's Greg Giroux will report shortly on CQpolitics.com that Rep. Mark Kirk has not decided against a Senate race, as was described earlier today by the Washington Post.

Illinois Republican sources tell Greg that it's simply not true.

Kirk's feet may be a bit colder after a conference call with county chairmen from around the state last night in which he was lambasted for his vote in favor of climate change legislation just before the Independence Day recess.

"It was a brutal call," said one Illinois Republican source who is close to Kirk. "He kind of shot himself in the head not the foot" with the climate change vote.

But the bottom line is Kirk hasn't dropped out.