Durbin, Duckworth warn Iran bombings could drag U.S. into Middle East quagmire
Democratic U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin panned strikes against nuclear sites in Iran ordered by President Donald Trump on Saturday in separate statements.
Duckworth, who lost both legs after her Blackhawk helicopter was downed during the Iraq War, said, “I have long said Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
“But this goal could and should have been pursued through diplomatic means first,” she said. “(The bombing) puts American troops and citizens at risk of retaliation and threatens to draw us into yet another Middle East war without constitutionally-required Congressional approval.”
Durbin, who voted against the Iraq War, noted “during his first term, President Trump killed the Iran nuclear deal, which required mandatory inspections, and invited this dangerous situation. Iran without inspectors appears to have been developing dangerous weapons grade materials.
“Our recent experiences in Iraq should be a stark reminder of becoming embroiled in wars in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, downstate Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood weighed in.
“President Trump and the United States have been clear: under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” he said. “I thank our brave service members, the intelligence community, and the administration’s national security team for holding this red line to protect the United States' national security.”
Another scoop of Oberweis
Known in Illinois for his ice cream and conservative politics, there hasn’t been much chatter lately about onetime Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis.
That’s probably because he’s living in Florida. However, the former Oberweis Dairy chairman returns to the suburbs Sunday to raise funds for his latest congressional run.
Oberweis is seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a GOP candidate for governor, in the southern Gulf Coast’s 19th Congressional District.
The fundraiser is at the Dunham Woods Riding Club in Wayne, with tickets selling for $250. The guest speaker is the Rev. Corey Brooks, who gained fame for camping out on his church’s rooftop.
Summer session?
Asked if the General Assembly will reconvene before the fall veto session to solve a massive shortfall facing Metra, Pace and the CTA, state Sen. Don DeWitte gave the odds.
“The vast majority of us will all be down there (in Springfield) for state fair week,” the St. Charles Republican said at a recent City Club of Chicago forum on transit. “There’s governor’s day, which gets big Democratic turnout. There’s Republican Day, which gets a big Republican turnout. They’ve already starting scheduling committee meetings. We could be back as early as August.”
State Rep. Kam Buckner noted, “this is a special situation, so a special session may be warranted. I want to remind folks we still have some work to do. If we called a special session for next week, nothing would happen because we’re not ready.
“We have to get to the point where we’re in agreement and we have consensus to move forward. Because you don’t call a special session to negotiate a bill, you call it to pass a bill,” the Chicagoan said.
• Political Roundabout is an occasional column on campaign, legislative and political news with a suburban focus.