Illinois Review

Kirk Statement on Resignation of Defense Official Responsible For Gitmo Move to Thomson

NORTHBROOK, Ill. - U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk today released the following statement following news that the defense official charged with moving the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to Thomson, Illinois – Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Policy Phillip Carter – unexpectedly resigned on Friday.

“Last Thursday, members of the Illinois congressional delegation submitted specific security and legal questions to the Secretary of Defense on issues surrounding the proposed military detention of Al Qaeda detainees on U.S. soil.  We now understand that the key official responsible for answering our questions resigned the following day. Phillip Carter’s resignation raises further questions.

“Key questions for Illinois remain, including:

Chris Matthews Worries About KSM Getting an ACLU Lawyer

by Rhonda Robinson

Will Barack Hussein Obama become just another name in the long list of defamed, failed, and corrupt Illinois politicians? Will he follow in Governor Blagojevich’s footsteps as another Democrat whose party abandoned him? Has his fall from political grace begun?

In the short span of time this administration has been in power, it has raised many questions in the minds of average Americans about the role of government, its competency and constitutional authority. In a rare flash of rationality, Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball had some questions of his own:

Will bringing Gitmo to illinois bring 'home' the war on terror?

by Fran Eaton

This week's Southtown Star column is about Gitmo, Thomson, Thanksgiving, Arlington National Cemetery and our 3 year old granddaughter Gabby, and how they all link.

"...When Gabby's daddy was on the other side of the world last Thanksgiving, he would say that he was there to keep danger over there, far away from his family and loved ones. That's what made the Fort Hood tragedy so bitter. Many soldiers deployed overseas rationalize their absence from home as the way to protect innocent civilians from enemies, foreign and domestic.

And how unbelievably ironic it is that after these brave representatives of our nation have been fighting overseas against religious zealots bent on destroying Western civilization, those most dangerous could be brought from Guantanamo Bay to America's safe Heartland. And that our state's leaders - Durbin and Quinn, as well as the president and commander in chief, would be seriously considering hosting cold-blooded enemies of our nation's welfare and security."

The link came to mind as we visited Arlington National Cemetery a few days ago. More here.

O'Brien: Random Thoughts in the Age of Obama

by Teri O'Brien

Remember when we thought 7% was a high rate unemployment? Ah…good times.

Attention Islamic murdering fanatics. Please note the new Obama protocol for dealing with you after you kill Americans: (1) Kill thousands of Americans on American Soil-Full Civil Rights like any American criminal defendant, including the opportunity to use your trial as a propaganda platform learn state secrets, including any exculpatory and exclude evidence obtained without respecting the 4th amendment (2) Kill dozens of Americans in foreign country (e.g. U.S.S. Cole bomber Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri) - sorry, Abdul, military tribunal for you, with admission of hearsay and other rules that make your conviction more likely (3) Kidnap a single American and hold him hostage, bullet to the head. No lawyer. No trial. No health care.

Obama’s Latest Move to “Remake” (read “Destroy”) America

by Teri O'Brien

B. Hussein Obama’s second biggest lie is the one he has repeated ad nauseum all year about his plan to take over the health care system: “if you like your coverage you can keep your coverage.” His biggest, and most dangerous lie, “I wake up every day thinking about how to keep the American people safe, and I go to bed worrying about keeping the American people safe.” You can watch him recite this obviously memorized falsehood here.

When is Discrimination a Good Thing? When You’re Discriminating Between Muslims and Islamists

David Horowitz NewsReal -- Keeping the cable guys honest

by Rhonda Robinson

In the wake of 911, the White House went to great measure to assure the Islamic community that America was not at war with Muslims. To the extent, that it initiated a campaign to entice Muslims to join our military. West Point, along with other service academies and military installations, opened prayer rooms and recruited Imams. Non-Muslim officers and Pentagon officials, along with the Bush White House, began celebrating Muslim holidays.

President Obama, on his recent apology tour, announced a “new beginning” with the Muslim world in his Cairo speech. Repairing our relations with the Muslim world was one of Obama’s presidential goals.

Fort Hood Farce

by Teri O'Brien

I know that the politically-correct thing to say about B. Hussein Obama’s trip to Foot Hood on Tuesday, 11/10/09 is the same thing we were supposed to say about his pre-Halloween dress up at Dover: It’s wonderful whenever the President acknowledges the sacrifice, courage and dedication of our troops.

Call me a cynic, but as impressive as Pres. Sham WOW (Walks on Water)as it is when he totes TOTUS down to flyover country to try to convince the bitter clinging rubes that he shares their respect and love for the military, I found it more telling last Thursday when the mask slipped and we saw the real Barack, the one who considered Jeremiah Wright a surrogate father, the one who shares Bill Ayers view of racist, imperialist Amerika.

Did the Greatest Generation Beget the Worst Generation?

by Sam Pierce

This is not intended to paint the entire generation that followed the "Greatest Generation" with the same red brush. There are certainly patriotic citizens and those who cherish the liberty our founders established among the offspring of the generation who fought World War II. I am related by blood and by marriage to such patriotic children of the "Greatest Generation".

This is about the groovy hippies who never grew out of that phase. This is about the "peace" and "love" types like Bill Ayers who likely mentored Barack Obama more than he would ever admit to the voting public. This is about those who were born in the forties and went from the university to law school to Congress and soaked up all the Marxist ideology they could along the way. This is about those who went from hippy to Congressional intestinal worm and have infested the Capitol for decades. This is about the likes of George Miller (Dimocrat CA-7), who has been in the House since he was twenty-nine years old in 1974.

by Sam Pierce

This is not intended to paint the entire generation that followed the "Greatest Generation" with the same red brush. There are certainly patriotic citizens and those who cherish the liberty our founders established among the offspring of the generation who fought World War II. I am related by blood and by marriage to such patriotic children of the "Greatest Generation".

This is about the groovy hippies who never grew out of that phase. This is about the "peace" and "love" types like Bill Ayers who likely mentored Barack Obama more than he would ever admit to the voting public. This is about those who were born in the forties and went from the university to law school to Congress and soaked up all the Marxist ideology they could along the way. This is about those who went from hippy to Congressional intestinal worm and have infested the Capitol for decades. This is about the likes of George Miller (Dimocrat CA-7), who has been in the House since he was twenty-nine years old in 1974.

Kirk backs Democrats in Guantanamo prisoner transfer

by Bill M. Leubscher

Back in late July, (when Kirk first announced his campaign for U.S. Senate and began doing damage control from his cap n' trade vote), the Kirk campaign highlighted all the "Republicans positions" taken by Kirk in the 111th Congress. Among other things, they claimed Kirk joined Republicans in opposing the stimulus, opposing the omnibus bill, and  that he personally "opposes all earmarks".

They also highlighted his support of Republicans on lesser known bills like the Ledbetter Act. Kirk's supporters proudly noted that "he also stands with Republicans on national defense. He is strongly in favor of missile defense, in favor of regulated immigration and in favor of keeping Gitmo open."

Spending, Debt and an Alternate Engine (?) for F-35

by Chris Robling

The newest spending outrage I have heard is this:

Congresspeople with clout are forcing development of an unneeded and unwanted alternate engine for the F-35.

Cost? $5 billion.

F-35 has an engine. It does not need an "alternate. Who agrees? George Bush and Barack Obama, for instance.  Robert Gates (under Bush) and Robert Gates (under Obama). All three have tried to stop this to save the $5 billion, so this is not partisan.  It is just the same old story: special interests with buddies in high Congressional places.