(CHICAGO) Illinois U.S. Senator Mark Kirk meets on Tuesday with President Barack Obama’s choice for the U.S. Supreme Court, Merrick Garland.

Kirk becomes the first Republican Senator to meet with Garland, after becoming the first GOP Senator to distance himself from the official Republican position that Garland does not deserve a confirmation hearing.

Earlier this month, Kirk told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS that is was time for the Republican-led Senate to “man up” and give Garland a hearing.

This morning on Howell’s morning show, one of Kirk’s fellow Republican Senators who does not think Garland deserves a hearing, praised Kirk for his position.

Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker is also the chairman of the Republican Senatorial Committee, which is working to make sure the GOP keeps it’s control of the Senate in the November election.

Kirk is a top Democratic target this November since he is a Republican representing a Democratic majority state.   He is running against Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth.

That’s why Wicker told Big John that Kirk is doing the right thing by

calling for a hearing for Garland, saying  “I think he’s expressing a mainstream, Illinois point of view.   It’s part of the independent leadership that I think has made him someone who’s been elected in good Republican years and in good Democratic years, in his district and now statewide in Illinois.   It’s exactly the sort of thing that you would expect Mark Kirk to do, take an independent view and look at it from a broad mid-western point of view.”

Wicker’s home state of Mississippi is much more conservative than Illinois, which is why Wicker does not want to give Garland a hearing.

Wicker recently issued a statement on the issue, saying  “The American people should have the opportunity to make their voices heard before filling a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court.”