Mark Kirk Runs From Reporters. Literally.

Mark Kirk is running for Senate. Literally.

In an apparent bid to avoid questions about his resume's accuracy, the embattled GOP candidate ran from reporters after addressing the Metropolitan Planning Council Monday.

After speaking for about 20 minutes, Kirk walked down from the dais in the Hyatt ballroom and then quickly exited through the back kitchen door. A pack of about 20 reporters at the event, expecting Kirk to stay for questions (as his opponent, Alexi Giannoulias did), ran after him through the crowded lunch tables, shouting his name.

Kirk ran through the kitchen and into the back loading area, where he jumped into an SUV which was idling with its engine on. Despite the calls of reporters, the SUV then sped away.

When asked why Kirk didn't stay for questions, his campaign responded: "Kirk was there to answer very specific issue-oriented questions at the invitation of MPC - he did."

Kirk, of course, has been dogged for nearly a month about reports that he made false claims about his military record. Most recently, Kirk came under fire for touting his teaching credentials. Beyond speakig to the editorial boards of the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times several weeks ago, Kirk hasn't made himself available to the media to discuss many of the allegations.

Kirk now finds himself in an eerily similar situation as Giannoulias months previous, when Giannoulias was on the defensive over Broadway Bank's imminent foreclosure.

Back then, it was Giannoulias who literally ran from reporters.*

*The Giannoulias campaign e-mailed to ask we clarify and mention that Giannoulias was actually running to his next appointment -- President Obama's speech in Quincy. Giannoulias did stop and take a few questions. But to be fair, that may only be because his campaign didn't have a spare SUV to stand idling nearby. The point stands: in April, Giannoulias was hounded and running from reporters. Now, it's Kirk.

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