Giannoulias Remains Silent On Bringing Guantanamo Bay Prisoners To Illinois

Monday, 16 November 2009 15:22

WASHINGTON – Despite multiple high-profile Democrat officials in his state supporting a proposal to transfer approximately 200 terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to Illinois, Democrat Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias has remained conspicuously silent on the highly-controversial plan.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Cheryle Jackson, Jacob Meister, and David Hoffman – Giannoulias’ competitors in the Democrat primary – all support bringing Gitmo prisoners to Illinois, but “other prominent Democrats, including Alexi Giannoulias, who is running for Senate … declined to take a stance on the issue.”

Notably, U.S. Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL), the leading contender on the Republican side, has led the charge against bringing terrorists to his state, personally penning a letter to President Obama outlining his opposition to the misguided plan.

“If Alexi Giannoulias hopes to represent the citizens of Illinois in the United States Senate, he cannot simply duck one of the most relevant national security issues facing his state today,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson Marchand.

“Illinois voters deserve to know whether their would-be Senator agrees with his fellow Democrats that bringing some of the world’s deadliest terrorists to Illinois communities is a sensible plan,” Wilkerson Marchand continued. “Giannoulias’ inability or unwillingness to articulate his position on such a critical issue should be troubling as he attempts to convince voters that he has the experience necessary to serve their interests in the Senate.”