Dick Durbin's hardball game

[babylonsister]

More of this!!

Dick Durbin's hardball game

By MANU RAJU | 3/8/10 4:51 AM EST


Democrats are hungry for a hardball strategy against a resurgent Republican Party, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin is positioning himself as a leading aggressor — a move that could help him in a potential run for majority leader.

Durbin (D-Ill.) led the scorched-earth strategy against Sen. Jim Bunning’s one-man blockade of jobless benefits, and he’s now open to making Republicans actually hold the Senate chamber for real filibusters.

Durbin’s newly pugnacious strategy comes as more congressional insiders are whispering about the possibility of a Durbin vs. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) race for Senate majority leader if Nevada Sen. Harry Reid loses reelection.

Durbin won’t talk about his strategy in the context of a potential majority leader race, describing himself instead as a “catalyst” in the charge against Bunning. Durbin’s audience is mostly inside the Senate chamber — a new generation of Democratic senators flustered by the plodding pace of the upper chamber.

“I think you’ll see more of it,” Durbin told POLITICO, referring to confrontational tactics against a recalictrant GOP minority.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34042.html

[Jennicut]

1. Durbin would make a way better majorty leader then Reid.

Schumer, on the other hand, would not be a great choice.

[Clio the Leo]

4. I do NOT want Harry to lose because I dont want us to lose a seat...

... but IF he did, I'd be happy with either Chuck or Dick.

Although Durbin will always hold a special place in my heart because of that introduction he made back in July of '04.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMNIofUw2I



I dont know how the politics of Senate leadership gets decided, but it seems like the friend/former co-delegate of the President might have a bit of an edge over ... ya know .... the guy who backed Hillary.

[Jennicut]

5. I am with you on that, don't want to lose a seat...BUT if Reid does lose it

then Durbin would be a much better choice.

[blm]

19. Even if he wins, I think it's a safe assumption Reid will step down and THAT is why the positioning

of others has come into play.

[benlurkin]

7. Why wouldn't Schumer make a good leader

in your opinion?

[Jennicut]

8. He is a bit, how shall I say, full of himself?

I think Durbin's intentions are a bit better then Schumer's though I wouldn't call anyone in the lovely Senate pure.

[benlurkin]

9. Neither one of them would pass up a news camera

even if it means running over their own mothers. The only difference between the two (as far as I have seen)is Durbin speaks with a quieter voice than Schumer does. But they both love themselves above everything else.

[blm]

20. That just isn't true. Durbin's ego isn't even in the same ballpark as Schumer's, and he wouldn't LIE

his ass off and plant stories spun against other Democrats in the newsmedia the way Schumer and his staff do all the time.

[Clio the Leo]

12. lol, they're ALL full of themselves....

... that's why they ran for public office.

[Jennicut]

13. Schumer is even more full of himself then most.

I don't know, just never really liked him.

[Clio the Leo]

15. Ah, see, I adore the man....

... his hand gestures crack me up. (Watch him sometime.) If you tied his hands behind his back he wouldn't be able to speak (not to give you any ideas of course.)

But you know me. I'm a yella dawg Democrat, I love everybody.

[Jennicut]

16. I had to look up yellow dog Dems.

I guess, apart from not being southern (I am a true blue Yankee, I live in Connecticut after all), I would consider myself a yellow dog too. Pretty loyal to the Dem party. But some of them just piss me off sometimes.

[Clio the Leo]

17. no, try it again, "yella dawg Demahcrayut..."

I'm a learn you to talk right you Yankee! :)

[Jennicut]

18. LOL!

[Cha]

22. Agree..as a New Yorker.

[blm]

10. Schumer is a doubletalking backstabber who has worked ACTIVELY against other Dems.

Schumer's public AND private attacks on Alito filibuster and the Dems who worked hard to stop Alito showed how low that filthy scum would go to undermine Dems.

[Cosmocat]

11. He's a douchebag ...

he is the prime example of a self serving pol not to be trusted, his only saving grace is that he is a dem, but if his value system were a little more twisted, he would fit in VERY well with the pukes ...

I like Durbin A LOT. A pol is a pol and all, but in that context, I think he means well and as much as possible is a good guy. I also think his understated demenor hides the fact that he is pretty tough - by democratic standards most certainly.

Schumer would continue the senate as an elitist, good old boys club, no ifs, ands or butts, and would not be a whole lot tougher than Reid in the end. Durbin would be a lot better bet to shake things up a bit ...

[Clio the Leo]

2. bring out the leg bags and make them filibuster all night Dick!!!

.... and do it on a night when I'm off the next day and can stay up and watch! :)

[mucifer]

3. I do like my senator. I wish he'd push harder for the Public Option. But, he's not

going to do it. The arrogance of the insurance companies just got their anti-trust exemption pulled.

[Old Codger]

6. Do it

Make them asshats do a real live filibuster rather than caving the minute the blink an eye, show some real intestinal fortitude and grow a pair...

[depakid]

14. Reid is toast and the seat is gone- the choice will be between a Wall Street lackey and a fighter

[AlinPA]

21. I like Durbin a lot, but it would be better if he talked tougher to those filthy republicans.

Sometime he is too polite to the rpigs and they don't deserve it. Barbara Boxer is more like my model for toughness in the Senate.