Duckworth blasts Kirk on remark about getting hostages back from Iran

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who has been an outspoken critic of President Obama's decision to hand over $400 million in cash to Iran on the same day the country released U.S. hostages, said in a radio interview that "we didn't have to get our guys back," a comment that sparked sharp criticism from his opponent Friday, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

In an interview on the Steve Cochran Show on WGN-AM 720 Thursday, Cochran called the hostage situation "clumsy, because we had to get our guys back but there had to be a way to get them back without making ... "

Kirk interjected. "But you know, we didn't have to get our guys back. We shouldn't have paid the ransom," said Kirk, who's facing a tough re-election campaign against U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth.

Duckworth on Friday released a statement about Kirk's comments, calling them "unacceptable."

"Mark Kirk was in the Navy and he should know that our country doesn't leave its people behind. I'm sure thankful my buddies didn't forget that when my Black Hawk was shot down over enemy territory," Duckworth said in a statement.

Read more at chicagosuntimes.com.