Marathon Pundit

Monday, February 01, 2010

McConnell: Congress will reject funds for KSM trial

I'm hoping that Congress will also reject funds for Gitmo North in Illinois. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tells us that Congress, which is of course controlled by the Democrats, will block funding for a 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed trial in New York. Hopefully that will be the end of this bizarre episode.

From Politico:

"We need to deny these people a show trial," McConnell said on CNN's "State of the Union." "We need to proceed to interrogate them."

He said support for trying Mohammed in the federal courts is "collapsing," and he predicted both Republicans and Democrats would withhold funds from the administration.

"Yeah, absolutely, and I think that will be done on a bipartisan basis," McConnell said. "Soon the administration will figure out whatever domestic support they had for this is totally collapsing."

"I mean, Larry King would have a more thorough interrogation of one of his [guests] than the Christmas bomber had by the Justice Department," McConnell said, refering to the AP report that "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was interrogated for just 50 minutes before being read his Miranda rights.

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KSM

Khalid Sheikh Muhammed

Oak Lawn Mayor Dave Heilmann supports Jim Ryan for Ill. guv

I grew up near Oak Lawn, so it's with great pride that I announce that its mayor, Dave Heilmann, is backing Jim Ryan for Illinois governor.

Related post:

Marathon Pundit endorses Jim Ryan for Illinois governor

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Graham Parker and the Rumour: Don't Ask Me Questions

This 1976 chestnut, "Don't Ask Me Questions" by Graham Parker and the Rumour, is dedicated to Andy McKenna, candidate for governor of Illinois.

gop

McKenna's Pollgate--a closer look

I received a copy of the entire Illinois Republican Ethics review--all 315 pages-- regarding then-Chairman Andy McKenna's unauthorized commission of a poll, one that included his name, which led a GOP ethics panel to declare that McKenna "compounded one ethical misstep with another"

Which is disappointing to the party, and ultimately to the people of Illinois, because in the opening statement of its December report, the inquiry panel states:

More than anyone else, the Illinois Republican Party Chairman is responsible for adhering to the letter and the spirit of the Illinois Central Committee's Code of Ethics. It is according to this high standard that Andrew McKenna's conduct is reviewed.

That opening statement concludes:

We, the undersigned members of this ethics panel, find that Andrew J. McKenna, Jr. violated the Illinois Republican Central Committee's Code of Ethics in this situation.

About the poll--well, it's thorough. Over 200 pages long, the party got its money worth--all unauthorized $28,300.42 of it.

McKenna presented to the poll at a June 27 Illinois State Republican Party Central Committee meeting, which included over two dozen presentation slides. The poll was conducted in mid-April, but on June 16, DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett, as I reported last week, visited McKenna's Morton Grove business, Schwarz Supply Source (pictured on the right), and asked asked McKenna about rumors that a poll had been conducted by the party. McKenna replied "No" to Birkett's query.

Birkett, along of course with McKenna, was included in that then-secret poll. At the time, Birkett was considering a run for governor.

Meanwhile, on the day before primary election day, McKenna continues to dodge questions about Pollgate.

More than anyone else, I believe, the governor of Illinois is responsible for setting a good example for ethical behavior.

Related post:

Marathon Pundit endorses Jim Ryan for Illinois governor

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