Barely one week before election day, it’s time to review what I like to call the “year of foolishness” lived out loud by U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, a liberal Democrat running for reelection in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.
On Dec. 16, 2009, Hare told Chris Matthews’ MSNBC audience he would welcome terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson, Ill., essentially placing “economic stimulus” for a small Illinois town above proven national security benefits of the secure facility in Cuba.
Almost four months later, he uttered words that would elevate his nationwide visibility for all the wrong reasons: “I don’t worry about the Constitution to be honest.”
On June 3, Hare was told by real veterans that he needed to stop calling himself a veteran and, a day later, news of his threats against a veteran made the news.
Two months later, Hare was passed over for “promotion” when a Sgt. John F. Baker Jr. endorsed his opponent, Bobby Schilling. In response, one of his supporters devalued the Medal of Honor recipient in a letter to the editor of a district newspaper.
Just when observers of the 17th CD race thought things couldn’t get much worse for Hare, one of his close supporters filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Aug. 27, claiming a pro-Constitution veterans group had violated campaign finance laws in the process of raising a whopping $6,000.
On Sept. 19, in Moline, Ill., Hare was encouraged to “Keep on Digging!” after he told a local television station, among other things, that he was “tired of the death threats” and the “attacks on my family.”
Sensing disaster a full month before the election, labor union leaders tried to offset the anti-Hare billboards that were springing up in the district by distributing propaganda to their members.
Finally, just days before the election, Hare’s never-ending-rift with veterans surfaced again in the form of an open letter of disappointment regarding the rotund congressman’s latest screw-up: opting to name a veterans center after his old boss, Lane Evans, rather than a true war hero. The text of that letter appears below:
As a Marine Reservist with the First Marine Division, I was activated to go to Korea in 1950. Among our group was Lt. Charles Hinman, who answered the call to duty during WWII and received a battle-field commission.
During the Battle of Okinawa, Lt. Hinman carried the battle to the enemy forces with such bravery that he was awarded the Silver Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart for wounds received during the ferocious fighting. On February 10, 1951, Lt. Hinman was acting as an artillery forward observer when our combat patrol was ambushed by North Koreans. Lt. Hinman and the platoon leader were both severely wounded. However, Lt. Hinman took charge of the Marines, called artillery fire on the enemy’ s position, rallied the troops, and beat back the ambush thereby saving the patrol. For this act of gallantry, Lt Hinman was awarded his second Silver Star and his second Purple Heart.
Marine veterans from WWII, Korean, and Vietnam, requested Hare name the new Navy/Marine Center at the Rock Island Arsenal, after Marine Major Charles Hinman. However, repeated phone calls from Marine combat veterans to Hare’ s office were completely ignored, and our letters unanswered.
Instead of naming the center after a true Marine hero, Hare had this Hall of Heroes named after his friend and mentor Lane Evans, who never saw one day of combat. This is an insult to Veterans and Reservist.
Phil Hare once again shows who he really stands for, and it’ s not veterans.
Fred Frankville
Milan, Illinois
Citizens of Illinois’ 17th CD, please vote responsibly.
‘Nuff said about Phil Hare.