Kirk, Manzullo hold spirited town hall meeting

Freeport, Ill. —
Don and Joan Hunziker typically choose to stay away from political events.

But the rural Freeport couple decided to make an exception when they learned that U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Don Manzullo would be hosting a town hall meeting in Freeport.

“We got a call (Tuesday) night about it and decided to come out and see what they had to say,” Joan Hunziker said. “I was pretty impressed by some of their answers.”

Approximately 150 local residents convened in the Highland Community College Conference Center Wednesday night to take part in the open forum, which featured brief presentations from Kirk and Manzullo and an extended question-and-answer session.

Kirk and Manzullo touched on a number of topics during the two-hour gathering. However, the meeting was dominated by pointed rhetoric focusing on rising debt and spending in Washington.

Speaking to a decidedly pro-Republic crowd, Kirk sharply criticized Democratic leadership in Washington.

Kirk said the stimulus bill will saddle future generations with debt and enthusiastically stated that Manzullo was re-elected as part of a nationwide effort to “fire Nancy Pelosi,” a claim that incited raucous cheers from the crowd of approximately 150 people.

Manzullo chose a similar approach, playing a video in which he grilled the U.S. Agency for International Development administrator about grants for solar-powered bicycles.

More than a dozen local residents lined up to ask questions during Wednesday’s meeting. The inquiries covered everything from health care reform to foreign relations, but focused largely on how to get the country back on track financially.

Kirk issued an appeal for cooperation, suggesting that both major parties must commit to making spending cuts.

“We need to come forward with shared sacrifices,” Kirk said. “Republicans need to come forth with defense cuts and Democrats need to come through with domestic cuts.”

The vast majority of the crowd stayed for the duration of the meeting and, for the most part, left the gathering impressed by the responses given by Kirk and Manzullo.

“I follow them a lot through the media, and it was good to see them (in person) and hear what they had to say,” Freeport resident Jason Bland said moments after the meeting.

Even the Hunzikers emerged from the meeting with a thirst for more political involvement.

“I thought it was very informative,” Don Hunziker said. “We probably should have more of these.”