Dick Durbin is a God





Standing for truth, justice and the American way .

Though he lacks the celebrity status of his junior counterpart, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Durbin is far more potent in the Senate as the person Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) turns to first for advice.

Durbin, said Reid, "has all the talents I don't have."

Indeed, having Durbin by his side has been something of a relief to the press-shy Nevadan. "Dick Durbin is the best debater in the Senate," Reid said in an interview. "He's unquestionably the best. On the most difficult issues, you send Durbin to the floor."

In the face of an organized Republican brouhaha over his remarks, Durbin refused to back down. He maintained that the Bush administration bears responsibility for creating the conditions that led to the mistreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo by saying they were not subject to the Geneva Conventions.

Returning to the Senate floor Thursday night, Durbin reread his original statement, saying he wanted his colleagues to understand the context of his remarks. "It has been nothing short of amazing," he said of the reaction.

"Was I trying to say, `Isn't this the kind of thing we see from repressive regimes?' Yes. This is the kind of thing we expect from repressive regimes and not from the United States," Durbin said in response to hostile questioning from Republican Sens. John Warner of Virginia and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Posted: Thu - June 16, 2005 at 07:50 PM          

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