Democrats in Illinois Turning Against Gitmo Plan?
By STEVE BRYANT
Updated 11:45 AM CST, Thu, Nov 19, 2009
Seems even Illinois Democrats are beginning to turn against the proposal to ship terrorist suspects to an "Illinois Gitmo."
Rep. Melissa Bean, who represents the district bordering the district occupied by Thomson Correctional Facility, released a statement Wednesday night decrying the proposal.
"I remain opposed to transferring Guantanamo detainees to Illinois, or anywhere in the U.S., while awaiting more detailed information on what’s being proposed, including potential security threats and plans for resolving detainees’ final status," Bean said. "As of yet, I have seen neither."
Bean's reticence to support the plan is in stark contrast to the positions of Democratic Gov. Quinn and Sen. Durbin, who believe the Obama administration's interest in housing Guantanamo prisoner would be "good for our state, good for our economy and good for our public safety."
Chicago-based Democratic Rep. Danny Davis, meanwhile, has embraced the idea of transferring prisoners to his state.
“If somebody’s got to bite the bullet on a tough decision I think the people of Illinois are ready for it and if it comes to Illinois the detainees will be well taken care of and the citizens well protected," he said recently.
First Published: Nov 19, 2009 11:21 AM CST
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