Governor Quinn Meets Troops In Iraq

CHICAGO (AP) -- Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said Sunday that he spent the weekend visiting American troops and military leaders in a surprise trip to Iraq and Kuwait along with four other U.S. governors.

"I was extremely impressed by the service ethic of all the service members who I met," Quinn said. "They've made a tremendous advance here."

Quinn, speaking to reporters Sunday from Kuwait, said the Department of Defense invited him on the Middle East trip. He said he left Friday morning from Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington before meeting Saturday in Baghdad with U.S. military leaders, including Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

From there, Quinn said, the delegation had lunch and meetings with soldiers. He said the group continued to visit soldiers on Sunday and held a town hall meeting to take their questions.

The soldiers asked about military equipment, education needs and the American economy, he said.

"A number of service members are concerned about our economy," Quinn said. "When they come back to civilian life, how does it look?"

Quinn said he could "see in the mess hall, in the chow halls, how united the soldiers are." He said he met with members of the Illinois National Guard and Illinois members of the Marines.

Since he was elected as lieutenant governor in 2002, Quinn has emerged as one of the nation's leading advocates for military members, their families and veterans. He ascended to the state's highest office in January after indicted Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached.

Aides for Quinn said they could not disclose where the governor was traveling next or when he would return to Illinois, citing security reasons.

Quinn said he previously visited Iraq in 2004. He was joined on his latest trip by the governors of Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada and Texas.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Comments

[crookedcountyillinois]

Cutting services is not necessarily bad. Government has grown far beyond its mandate, and more intervention means less freedom.

At the end of the day, Quinn has made a choice that "more government" at a premium to the taxpayer is far better than "less government" with a savings to taxpayers. And I just don't agree with that.

In relevance to this article, we should do more to provide a better state for our servicemen and women to come home to; with less taxes, less government, and less tyranny. It bothers me that these people over there are fighting for us because they believe in democracy, then they have to come home and five tolls on one strip of highway in Illinois.

[lafrance]

I think you both are being too harsh. Quinn walked into a mess. between the recession and god-knows- what kind of mess Blago left for Quinn to deal with, I do think we need to be a bit more open minded.
Just like with Obama and what he was left with, we all are far too impatient and expect instant fixes for things that have taken years to destroy.
One good thing about our economy and the problems we are facing is that maybe people will stop being so about themselves and expecting things to be done in the snap of fingers.
Maybe they will learn about common sense and that things take time.

[Rayme]

Bureaucrats and Common Sense? Anyone else thinking 'Oil and Water'?

[Meggie]

WTF is he doing in Iraq when our state can't get by in this economy without raising taxes and/or cutting services? Is he paying for this himself on his own vaca time?

[BurtR]

how nice.
He just screwed up here, so now he takes a trip Iraq
It is time to leave Iraq and concentrate on this country.
Quinn has become a run of the mill pol