Capitol View: May 1, 2011 Archive

Reaction to Bin Laden's killing

Posted at 11:01 PM on May 1, 2011 by Tom Scheck (3 Comments)
Filed under: Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Reaction is starting to pour in over President Obama's announcement that U.S. military agents killed Osama Bin Laden. You can watch President Obama's speech here.

Here's a statement from Tim Pawlenty, who is running against Obama in 2012:

"This is terrific news for freedom and justice. In the hours after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush promised that America would bring Osama bin Laden to justice -- and we did. I want to congratulate America's armed forces and President Obama for a job well done. Let history show that the perseverance of the US military and the American people never wavered. America will never shrink from the fight and ultimately those who seek to harm us face only defeat. Today, justice is done, but the fight against radical Islamic terrorism is not yet over."

Note that Pawlenty mentioned President Obama in his written statement. GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is also mulling a run for the White House, did not mention Obama in her statement:

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. military and intelligence community. Their persistence and dedicated service has yielded success in a mission that has gripped our nation since the terrible events of 9/11. Tonight's news does not bring back the lives of the thousands of innocent people who were killed that day by Osama Bin Laden's horrific plan, and it does not end the threat posed by terrorists, but it is my hope that this is the beginning of the end of Sharia-compliant terrorism."

Here's a statement from GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen:

"The news that American forces have killed Osama bin Laden marks a significant achievement in the fight against terrorism. I want to thank the countless American soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, intelligence officials, as well as their families, for their tireless efforts in protecting our country."

I'll post additional statements if/when they come in.

Update: Here's a statement from DFL Rep. Tim Walz:

"Tonight, my thoughts are most with our brave men and women in uniform. Their perseverance, sacrifice and courage is nothing short of remarkable. We have them to thank for this moment of justice. America still has enemies around the world, and so, we will stay vigilant. But tonight ends a dark chapter in our history. May we always honor the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11th and keep our thoughts and prayers with their families. And let us always remember moments like tonight when our country can come together as one."

Here's a statement from DFL Sen. Al Franken:

"This is a great day. I think every American feels very emotional about what happened in Pakistan today. Our hearts are full of pride and gratitude for all those responsible for bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, with sadness as we remember that horrific day ten years ago, and with hope as we go forward in our fight against radical jihadism. I think the president was wise to remind us of how unified we felt as a nation after 9/11 and how we can achieve anything we put our mind to if we work together. "