Sauerberg blasts Durbin for "shamelessly exploiting" U.S. troops

Just as Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Sauerberg prepares to debate Dick Durbin tonight on WTTW Channel 11's "Chicago Tonight" at 7 PM, he's forced to comment on Durbin's new campaign ad exploiting US troops -- you know, the same soldiers he blasted on the U.S. Senate floor?

Sauerberg says:  "Dick Durbin, who has been unwilling to stand up for our brave men and women in uniform in his role as a United States Senator, has stooped to shamelessly exploiting our troops for his own political gain," said Sauerberg.  "This is cynical election-year politics at its worst." 

"Time and time again Dick Durbin has failed to stand up for our troops.  It's incredible that Dick Durbin, the same man who compared our troops to Nazis on the floor of the U.S. Senate, pronounced the surge a failure before it began, and would not denounce the slandering of General Petraeus, would now attempt to use our troops as election-year gimmicks," continued Sauerberg.  "One slickly crafted campaign commercial cannot make up for a life-time of failing our men and women in uniform."

Beverly Perlson, founder of the pro-troop group "The Band of Mothers," echoed Sauerberg's criticism. "As the mother of a soldier who has served four deployments in the war on terror and was awarded the Bronze Star, and as the founder of an organization dedicated to supporting our troops, I can say - without hesitation - that Dick Durbin's record on issues concerning our military and their families is one of the worst in the entire Senate.  He says one thing and votes another, and we will not forgive or forget that."

"When I am representing Illinois in the United States Senate, I will remember that supporting our troops is a full-time job.  I want our troops and their families to know that I will always stand up for them," concluded Sauerberg.

Comments

[Jen]

As a sweetheart of an ex-military American contractor in Iraq, I am very happy to see this!

[PhilCollins]

As a navy veteran who was near Baghdad, Sept. 2004-Mar. '05, I'm disappointed that Sauerberg was so slow. At least four months ago, he should have reminded more people about Durbin's speech, which said that our troops were like Nazis.