CHICAGO - In response to today's news regarding the tragedy in Poland, U.S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias released the following statement:

"My deepest condolences go out to the people of Poland as well as to the Polish community here at home as they mourn the deaths of of President Lech Kaczynski, First Lady Maria Kaczynski, our very own Wojciech Seweryn and all the others who lost their lives in this morning's plane crash.

"As the world grieves for this sudden loss and as we remember the enduring legacy of President Kaczynski, we also reflect on the spirit of Poland as a whole - vibrant and resilient, centered on community and faith.  It is that spirit which binds them in this fateful hour and which will help a nation heal.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones, and all who are affected by this tragedy, both at home and abroad. Wojciech Seweryn was a well-respected artist in Chicago, and his death is an especially painful loss for Chicago's Polish community."