The New Republic

We realize that the transfer of Guantanamo prisoners to American soil is a complex problem and that people can object in good faith. But some of the rhetoric from the right on the issue has gone from NIMBY to just plain DSM-IV. Here are four of the stranger quotes from public officials:

--In light of this weekend’s revelation that a large number of prisoners may be transferred to a supermax prison outside Chicago, Representative Mark Kirk wrote President Obama: “As home to America's tallest building, we should not invite Al Qaeda to make Illinois its number one target.”

--Kirk was supported by fellow Illinois Representative Donald Manzullo: “Gitmo is not being closed, it's being moved to northwest Illinois. That hatred and animosity will also transfer to northwest Illinois. And the terrors and threats to Gitmo and the people who have become terrorists because of Gitmo, that hatred and animosity will also transfer to northwest Illinois, thereby making this area of the country and the entire country a magnet for terrorists.”

--Colorado State Representative Cory Gardner also thought of grand consequences during discussions of possibly transfers to a Colorado super max: "It makes us a target. If Gov. Ritter has his way, there will be a pipeline of terrorism from Kabul to Colorado."

--And for the grand finale, from Arizona Representative John Shadegg yesterday: “We have to stand our ground. This is the time, America, to say ‘enough is enough.’ We’re not going to expose America, America’s citizens, all those judges, all those clerks, all those bailiffs, all those jailers, all those police officers who have to transport somebody. It’s easy for them to say, ‘Oh we’re tough.’ I saw the Mayor of New York today say, ‘We’re tough, we can do it.’ Well, Mayor, how are you going to feel when it’s your daughter that is kidnapped at school by a terrorist? How are you going to feel when it’s some clerk, some innocent clerk of the court who’s daughter or son is kidnapped? Or the judge’s wife? Or the jailers little brother or little sister? This is a political correctness run amuck.”

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