“Here we have a situation where the president goes to Montana and praises again a Republican congressman for body-slamming a reporter, and we’re supposed to be the mob? Give me a break.”
— Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), in an interview with CNN.
Quote of the Day
“Bernie can be a determinative force in many races, and I hope he will help us beat Trump and elect a Democratic Senate.”
— Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), quoted by the National Journal.
Durbin Won’t Rule Out Run for Governor
Durbin Insists Fundraising Email Isn’t an Endorsement
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) “says a fundraising e-mail isn’t the same as him making an official endorsement in next year’s Senate race,” according to River Bender.
“Durbin sent out a fundraising request on behalf of the Senate bid of Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), calling her ‘a friend’ and ‘a champion,’ but he says that’s not a formal endorsement. He says he’s helping with fundraising since the campaign is heating up earlier than he’d hoped.”
Is Durbin’s Job in Jeopardy?
Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) job as Democratic whip “is in danger in the absence of a crucial endorsement from New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the incoming Democratic leader,” The Hill reports.
“Democratic aides say Schumer’s backing could make or break Durbin’s bid to hang onto his job as the Senate’s No. 2 Democratic leader.”
“No one has said they will challenge Durbin for whip but, tellingly, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the fourth-ranking member of the Democratic leadership hasn’t ruled it out, either.”
Washington Post: “So much for a neat, orderly succession for Senate Democrats.”
Real-Life ‘Alpha House’ Being Sold
National Journal: “Rep. George Miller’s Capitol Hill row house, the inspiration for the Amazon series Alpha House, has been the Washington dwelling of many Democratic lawmakers over the past three decades. Its current tenants, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin, have lived with Miller for more than a combined 50 years (Schumer moved in back in 1982; Durbin a decade later).”
“But that arrangement is coming to an end. Asked if the gang was sticking together with Miller’s impending retirement, Durbin replied with an emphatic ‘nope.’ Asked to clarify, he said the house was being sold. He did not answer if he and Schumer would be house-hunting together or striking out on their own.”
