Students Against Dick Durbin

Update

2008-01-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Update: 100% of people posting here still disapprove of Sen. Durbin's job performance.

I wish SurveyUSA would release another poll with Durbin's approval rating in IL. I'd like to know whether I have reason to be optimistic this year...

Durbin's Fox News Sunday Appearance

2006-03-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

Here's an article deconstructing Sen. Dick Durbin's appearance on Fox News Sunday. And here's the transcript of the show.

And that's all I feel like typing, for now.

Illinois Blogs

2006-03-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Howdy.

So, I removed links to a couple of dead blogs and added a link to Illinois Review. IR has an entire category devoted to Dick Durbin, which you can check out here. Hooray for that!

That's all, for now.

Teri O'Brien

2006-02-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

890 WLS AM radio personality Teri O'Brien has a page of Durbin.-related articles, including some written by her, here.

Bipartisan legislation?!

2006-02-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

Regarding the president's State of the Union address:

"Durbin said people were looking for new ideas that were lacking in the president's speech, specifically more detail on how to resolve the health-care crisis."

"Sen. Durbin was right. Bush didn't spend much time on healthcare. Maybe that's because Bush doesn't have the answers to rising costs. So Durbin should support the president's call for a bipartisan solution to increasing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid costs - the latter two being major factors in increasing healthcare costs for everyone. Earlier, the president offered and Democrats rejected his solution to Social Security, which prompted the only demonstrative Democratic jeering during his speech. But as the president reminded them, 'the problem is not going away.'" (article)

Amen, yeah buddy! Durbin should support the call for a bipartisan solution to these problems. Although he will probably continue to whine and attack and to highlight failures made by the president or others in Congress, wouldn't it be great if Durbin could work with fellow senators to get something done?

Everyone should demand this of Durbin: Less talk and more action!

What do YOU want the government to do?

2006-02-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

"But while all people want America to be safe, most people really want the government to improve their lives."

--Sen. Dick Durbin, 2/03/2006

Is that most people want the government to do? To improve their lives? Are people so helpless that they need the government to step in and make things better? Isn't it up to people themselves to improve their lives?

Well, I, for one, don't trust Durbin's notion of "improvement" and don't want him "improving" my life.

Article

Poll: 65% of Illinois Residents Are Clueless

2006-01-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

Approval ratings of all the U.S. senators have been announced by Survey USA. January's approval ratings show: 52% of those surveyed approve of Sen. Durbin's job performance, 13% are unsure, and 34% understand that Sen. Durbin is just awful.

See the survey: here.

Also, sorry for the lack of posts. "My bad," as the cool kids say.

Durbin on Face the Nation

2005-11-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

Dick Durbin was on CBS' Face the Nation today. I didn't think it was a particularly interesting segment, but maybe others did/will. Read the transcript here.

Durbin Meets Alito

2005-11-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

Sen. Dick Durbin met with judge Samuel Alito, today. And, after the meeting, Durbin came across as open-minded. But coming across as open-minded and actually being open-minded are two different things. Dick Durbin is about as narrow-minded as it gets. The president could've nominated a clone of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Durbin would vote against her because she was nominated by a Republican. So here's my prediction, and I know I'm not going out on much of a limb -- Durbin will vote "nay" when it comes time to confirm or reject Alito.

Here's the thing -- Durbin voted against the confirmation of John Roberts. What would make Durbin support a candidate like Alito, who is as conservative as Roberts? It's not as if Alito has a more impressive legal background. He's qualified, to be sure, but so was John Roberts.

Dick Durbin talks as if he's reserving judgment. He's not. His mind is made up. And he will vote against Alito. Durbin had this to say about Alito: "Although he didn't go quite as far as John Roberts did in his hearing, he satisfied me that he recognized this to be one of the unenumerated rights in the Constitution, and he led me to believe that he felt that it was an established right. I think he believes in the fundamental right to privacy." Alright, so, Alito's words didn't satisfy Durbin as much as Roberts' did. And what Roberts told Durbin wasn't good enough to earn him a "yea" vote. So...

The search continues...

2005-10-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to become a Supreme Court justice, leading to a search for a replacement candidate. Who will that candidate be? Sen. Dick Durbin described the type of person he'd like to see on the bench:

"Durbin says the person who replaces Miers as the nominee should have a moderate, balanced approach and be not too far to the right and not too far to the left." (article)

Hmm... This sounds sensible, which is suspicious, seeing as it's coming from Durbin. The problem is, I think, that Durbin has a skewed conception of the terms "moderate," "right," and "left."

...

New Poll: 60% of Illinois Voters Are Clueless

2005-10-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Alright, so, every month Survey USA comes out with polls tracking the approval/disapproval ratings of each US senator. And this month's results just came out. And Illinois' senior senator, Dick Durbin, still has a higher favorability rating than he deserves, at 50%.

There is some good news, though. A recent Tribune poll said that only 26% of Illinoisans disapproved of Durbin's performanace. The Survey USA poll says that 40% of people disapprove. I hope Survey USA is right, and I hope more and more people realize what a joke Dick Durbin is. Among young people, the target audience of this blog, 48% approve, 40% disapprove, and 12% aren't sure. Some anti-Durbinite should get the attention of my peers and expose Durbin by running anti-Durbin ads during The OC or One Tree Hill or whatever it is my generation is choosing to watch!

See the poll here.

Durbin on the War

2005-10-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Support for the war in Iraq certainly seems to have waned here in the US. And Dick Durbin is one of many people to have voiced concern about the direction the war is taking. Recently, Durbin had this to say:

"Words of tribute are in order to honor the sacrifice of these brave men and women and their loved ones. But words are not enough. We owe them leadership and a clear strategy to bring our troops home with their mission truly accomplished." (article)

Durbin, stepping up to the plate and exercising the leadership abilities he spoke of, outlined his clear strategy to bring the troops home. Oh, wait, no. No, Durbin did NOT do that.

Dick Durbin is not a leader. He can find problems, but can't come up with solutions. Illinois deserves better.

A Matter of Pressing Importance

2005-10-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sen. Dick Durbin sure does make the most of his time, doesn't he? He's been griping a lot lately, but at least he's coming up with solutions for all the things that are bugging him.

What's on Dick's mind? Well, we've got those poor prisoners in Guantanamo. And, the war in Iraq isn't going so smoothly. And, well, the president's judicial nominees just don't seem to cut it.

Fortunately for Illinois voters and the rest of the nation, Dick Durbin doesn't just dish out criticism, he offers meaningful feedback. And Sen. Durbin has a secret plan that will end prisoner abuse, win the war in Iraq, AND ensure that only the best, brightest, and fairest nominees make it to the Supreme Court bench. Are you ready for Durbin's top-secret plan? Are you?!? Well here it is: talk about baseball. That's right, baseball:

"(AP) WASHINGTON Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has an explanation for why it was so, so easy for the Chicago White Sox to win their first American League pennant in 46 years.

And he offered it today on the floor of the U.S. Senate." (article)

Durbin on Fox News Sunday

2005-10-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

Chris Wallace grilled Dick Durbin on Fox News Sunday, yesterday. In case you missed it, read the transcript here.

The issues covered on the show:

The war on Iraq. Chris Wallace pointed out what was going right. Dick Durbin highlighted what he views as errors. Durbin, of course, offered no solutions to the problems he mentioned. Wallace caught Durbin on this, saying: "frankly, in your answer, I still didn't hear a plan."

The CIA leak case. ::yawn::

Harriet Miers. Dick Durbin said it was wrong of the president to bring up Harriet Miers' religion to drum up support for her, to which Wallace replied: "I've got to ask whether you were hypocritical, because you talked with Judge Roberts about his faith, the faith that you share, the Catholic faith, and what role that would play. So aren't you playing — didn't you bring up the religion issue just as much as the White House?" Why, yes! Dick Durbin is hypocritical. I'm glad someone called him on it!

The more Dick Durbin talks, the clearer his strategy to win his next election becomes. Here's his plan to stay in office, best as I can tell: criticize the president at every opportunity. I don't care if Dick Durbin likes or dislikes the president. I don't care if Illinois voters like or dislike the president. I do care that Dick Durbin can level plenty of criticism, but he can't offer any constructive feedback. C'mon, Dick, think of something brilliant! Get something done!

Dick Durbin is simply inept as a senator, and that's that.

Poll: 78% of Illinois voters are clueless

2005-10-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

According to a recent Chicago Tribune poll:

"Fifty-two percent of voters approve of Durbin, while 22 percent disapprove. Twenty-six percent offered no opinion of his performance in the Senate, where he serves as the assistant Democratic leader. His approval rating is virtually unchanged since a similar poll was taken in May." (article)

::sigh::

What is wrong with this state?!?

If you have a blog or a website and you are among the 22% of Illinoisans who are sensible, please consider linking to Students Against Dick Durbin. We are dedicated to exposing Dick Durbin for what he is -- wrong on the issues, and wrong for Illinois.

New Link

2005-10-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

I added Illini Pundit to my list of Illinois-oriented political blogs some time ago. Well, I recently came across another, similar-sounding blog -- Illinois Pundit.

I like Illinois Pundit, so I'm adding it to the list o' blogs.

Here's a link to Illinois Pundit's recent post about Durbin's proposed tax increase on oil companies: blog entry. What?!? Durbin supports higher taxes?!? What else is new? ::sigh::

Durbin's Double Standards

2005-10-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm as confused as anybody else when it comes to the president's latest judicial nominee, Harriet Miers. I don't know if she's qualified or not or whether to support her or not. But I do know this: Dick Durbin has a double standard.

After meeting with Miers, Durbin asked this: "If she ends up satisfying the extreme right, where does that leave the rest of [t]he country?" (article) I would ask Sen. Durbin this: you've ended up satisfying the extreme left, where does that leave the rest of the state?

Congratulations!

2005-10-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations and thanks To Ms. Stephanie D!

Stephanie has succeeded me as president of Students Against Dick Durbin at the University of Illinois, and I couldn't be happier. When I started SADD last year, I had hoped the organization would grow steadily such that there would be a strong, committed group of students ready to help defeat Sen. Durbin in 2008. I have no doubt that Stephanie will continue to expand the organzation and that she will be an able president.

So, congrats again, Stephanie on becoming President of Students Against Dick Durbin for the 2005-2006 school year! Thank you for taking over the reins and good luck!

(*Note to readers: I, Matt S., will continue to be the primary blogger for SADD)

Big surprise

2005-10-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

I was out of the country for a week, hence the lack of posting. But, I'm back, now.

So, Dick Durbin voted against John Roberts?!? Big freakin' surprise. I guess that puts the matter to rest. But I'm sure Durbin's judicial obstruction will continue to be a serious issue...

Robert Novak Article

2005-09-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

Jim Edgar becomes governor, Dick Durbin loses his Senate seat? Whatever it takes:

"Beyond the governorship, Democrats see Edgar reviving Republicans for 2008 in the Chicago suburbs. Democratic suburban growth has paced the party's current domination of Illinois.

Edgar as governor, according to this theory, would not only put Illinois in play for the presidential election but also endanger 2008 re-election prospects for Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin."

Read Bob Novak's article.

Dick Durbin : Paris Hilton Fan

2005-09-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

"WASHINGTON -- Paris Hilton's name made John Roberts' Supreme Court nomination a bit sexier Thursday.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., interrupted the Judiciary Committee's somber discussion of constitutional matters with the suggestion that a recent case involving the hotel heiress should serve as a precedent for protecting the Senate panel's stolen records...

'I asked the attorney general to please ask our special counsel in this case to take a look at the precedent of the Paris Hilton case and see if he can perhaps protect our records as much as we want to protect that poor young lady's telephone records,' Durbin, said at the hearing."

article

Paris Hilton is a "poor young lady." Up is down, black is white, wrong is right in Dick Durbin World.

::Sigh::

This man is supposed to represent me.

Durbin On Roberts

2005-09-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Dick Durbin, in his initial remarks to Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, said this:

"Judge Roberts, if you're confirmed, you will be the first Supreme Court justice in the 21st century. The basic question is this: Will you restrict the personal freedoms we enjoy as Americans or will you expand them?"

Am I wrong, or is that a stupid question? Is it really John Roberts' role --is it any judge's place-- to "expand" personal freedoms? Won't John Roberts' task be to interpret the Constitution and respect the rule of law? That is what a judge is supposed to do. A judge is not supposed to invent new freedoms or declare rights not found in the Constitution. And what new "freedoms" does Durbin have in mind? Is abortion-on-demand not enough? Should there be a right to infanticide, as well? How far should "personal freedoms" be expanded? It seems there is a lot of focus on rights, but little attention paid to responsibilities. And that's unfortunate.

Durbin addresses Roberts...

...and Durbin questions Roberts

Sorry!

2005-09-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the hiatus, everybody!
I graduated, moved out of my apartment, started looking for a job, started scoping out grad schools, etc. So, I was kind of too busy to post. "My bad," as the cool kids say.

Anyway, I'm back. Great news, eh?

New Links

2005-07-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

I've added a few new links to other Illinois political blogs. Some of these blogs are almost as good as SADD! :)

Special thanks to Obiter Dictum for linking to one of my recent posts! Much appreciated!

Backpedaling

2005-07-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well, well. Sen. Dick Durbin is doing again what he did after making his thoughtless Guantanamo Bay comments -- retreating a bit after making an ass of himself. Sen. Durbin just had to cause a ruckus about the President's nominee for the Supreme Court, John Roberts. And when fellow Democrats would not back him up, he had to tone down his rhetoric.

Durbin labelled Roberts "controversial" and predicted a contentious confirmation hearing. But few others in the Senate seem to think that Roberts is so very far outside the "mainstream." And, now, Sen. Durbin is saying what he should have said in the first place: "I want to go into this hearing with an open mind." Sen. Durbin, after meeting with Roberts, even offered the nominee a gift. Aww, isn't that sweet?
(article)

Next time, Dick, think before you speak.

Dick Durbin: Has a big mouth.

ISSUE 9: THE JUDICIARY

2005-07-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

I will need to add more to this post, as it is an important topic. But, since it's timely, I thought I'd say a bit about Sen. Dick Durbin's latest rants.

You know the "Gang of 14," the 14 moderate Senators who reached a compromise regarding the President's judicial appointments? The 14 senators who agreed that the filibuster should be used only in the most extraordinary instances? The senators who believe that the word "extreme" is not one to be tossed around lightly? Dick Durbin is NOT one of those senators. Dick Durbin is not interested in compromise. Dick Durbin is not interested in allowing up or down votes on judicial nominees. Dick Durbin is interested in Dick Durbin and very little else.

On Tuesday, the President nominated John G. Roberts to fill the vacancy in the Supreme Court created by retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Republicans were quick to line up behind Roberts. But even some Democrats had praise for the President's choice:

"This is a credible nominee -- and not one, as far as we know now, who has a record that in any sense can be described as 'extremist.'"
--Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT)

"I think the president made a wise choice,"
--Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE)

"So far, so good."
--Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) (article)

Other Democrats, including Illinois' Junior Senator, Barack Obama, are withholding judgment on Mr. Roberts:

"I take very seriously the Senate’s advice and consent role regarding a Supreme Court nomination I will be closely following the Judiciary Committee hearings on Judge Roberts and will thoroughly review his record before deciding whether or not to vote to confirm him."
--Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) (article)

"Do I believe this is a filibuster-able nominee? The answer would be 'no,' not at this time."
--Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (article)

Did Sen. Dick Durbin reach across party lines to announce his support for John Roberts? No. Did Dick Durbin tactfully say he would take a "wait and see" approach to the nominee? No. Dick Durbin said this:

"The President had an opportunity to unite the country with his Supreme Court nomination, to nominate an individual in the image of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Instead, by putting forward John Roberts' name, President Bush has chosen a more controversial nominee and guaranteed a more controversial confirmation process." (article)

Dick Durbin lacks the tact that his Democratic colleagues have, even colleagues who might vote against the President's nominee.

Dick Durbin: Wrong about the judiciary.

Anti- Durbin Ad Campaign

2005-07-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

A Television ad campaign criticizing Sen. Dick Durbin will be launched beginning July 4. The campaign will be nationwide, with spots airing on cable news networks throughout the country and on ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC affiliates in Illinois.

Read the article here: http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=26931

View the ad here: http://www.moveamericaforward.org/

Durbin's Comments: Part II

2005-06-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know whether the fervor over Dick Durbin's remarks is dying down or not. I'm not going to dwell on the subject much longer. There's really nothing that I can add to the conversation. Pretty much anything worth saying has been said. Durbin has apologized for the things he said that caused this whole hullaballoo. Some people are satisfied. Others are not. Do I think Durbin should resign because of his remarks? No. Do I think Durbin should retire when his current term ends? Absolutely, but not because of his ridiculous comments. Dick Durbin should step down because he is absolutely useless as a senator. Someone with a clue should take his place in the Senate.

Anyway, I have nothing more to add re: Durbin's Guantanamo Bay stupidity. I'll just point to some of the more interesting comments I've come across.

This June 19 article by Sun Times columnist Mark Steyn is brilliant:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn19.html

Durbin has been roundly criticized by both the right and the left. From Durbin's own Democratic Party we get this from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley:

"It's a disgrace and [Durbin] is a good friend of mine. But I think it's a
disgrace to say that any man or woman in the military acts like
[Nazis] or that a report is like that," Daley said. "You go and talk to
some victims of the Holocaust, and they will tell you horror
stories and there are not horror stories like that in Guantanamo Bay."
(Full article here: http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-edt-sweet23.html)

I was also forwarded this email from a Texas Democrat to Dick Durbin:

"Dick, your recent comments relating Americans at Guantanamo
Bay to murderous, totalitarian regimes were truly disgraceful. You
should resign, buddy, before you take the entire Democratic Party
down with you."
Doug McLeod – Galveston, Texas,
former U.S. Marine, Texas State Legislator (Democrat), and lawyer

From the GOP side, we have this from Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna:

"Supporting our troops is not a partisan issue, and we should all
come together with one voice to defend our military when
someone like Senator Durbin makes these kinds
of unfortunate statements.

There is absolutely no basis for comparing U.S. soldiers to the likes
of Nazis. Our troops are fighting a global war on terror to preserve
and protect democracy, just as past generations of American soldiers
battled fascists and communists to defeat totalitarianism. Their
heroism and patriotism deserve our heart-felt thanks and
appreciation, and not the cruel and demeaning criticism offered by
Senator Durbin."
(http://www.ilgop.org/news/)

That's about all I have to say, unless something new strikes me.

Dick Durbin: Wrong about Guantanamo.

Durbin's comments.

2005-06-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

I will add more to this post and will revise it. There are many good quotes re: Durbin's comparing of US troops to Nazis, Communists, etc. I'll have to sort through all those comments, and put up the ones I like.

But I'll say this for the moment: Many people reacted to Durbin's comments with shock and outrage. I didn't. Well, sure, I was disgusted and angry. But I certainly wasn't surprised. What I am surprised about is how long it's taken people to realize what a dick Durbin really is.

You see, Durbin's been saying moronic things for years. I'm actually glad he finally said something outlandish enough to get people's attention. Now, hopefully the media will follow Durbin's speeches more carefully and will highlight his dumber remarks. The voters of this state have the right to know what their senator truly believes.

More to come...

Dick Durbin: Wrong about our troops.

Updates

2005-06-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been asked a few times now if, since the school year is over, the Students Against Dick Durbin blog will cease being updated. My answer: No! I will be updating periodically throughout the summer. How could I not comment on the stupid things Durbin has been saying?!?

I will give my own thoughts on Durbin's latest moronic remarks before week's end, and will see what others are saying, as well.

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners."
--Sen. Dick Durbin

ISSUE 8: HOMELAND SECURITY

2005-06-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dick Durbin is so wrong on matters of homeland security it's scary.

In 2003, Dick Durbin "earned" a rating of 100% from SANE. What is SANE? SANE is a liberal activist group that advocates nuclear disarmament and cutting the military budget...

More to come...

ISSUE 7: HEALTH CARE

2005-06-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

ISSUE 6: GUNS

2005-06-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

ISSUE 5: FOREIGN POLICY

2004-10-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

Foreign policy is obvioisly a complicated issue, and it's an issue we'll probably return to in later posts. But here's a glimpse of Dick Durbin's record on foreign policy...

In 2002, the Chicago Tribune had this to say about Durbin's. position on Iraq:
"On Iraq, too, Durbin has been more hindrance than help. His record and his public statements on the use of U.S. military force have been all over the map for years..."(Read the whole article here.).

What is Durbin's record on the use of military force? As a congressman, he voted against authorizing force in the first Persian Gulf War. That is, Durbin. voted against liberating Kuwait from Saddam Hussein's forces. On the other hand, Durbin voted for the use of force in Kosovo. Then again, prior to the current conflict in Iraq, Durbin voted against the use of force.

More to come...

Illinois Politics

2004-10-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

I added some links to blogs that discuss (at least in part) Illinois Politics. These blogs are not necessarily endorsed by Students Against Dick Durbin (SADD), but I thought some of you might be interested.

I'll add more blogs as I come across them. You can also email me with suggestions of blogs I should add (or suggestions about anything at all).

Ok, that's all for now!

ISSUE 4: EDUCATION

2004-10-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

This site is called Students Against Dick Durbin (SADD). Some of the issues discussed on this site are relevant to students and non-students alike. Education is another issue that affects everybody, but students in particular have a vested interest in education. And guess what? Dick Durbin's education policies are just plain wrong.

Dick Durbin opposes school choice. He voted against allowing parents to use vouchers to send their children to any publicly-funded school of their choosing. He also voted against letting parents use vouchers to help send their kids to private or religious schools. So, rather than being allowed an alternative, kids attending failing public schools are forced to remain in failing schools, unless their parents move or have enough money to foot the entire bill of a private school education.

Dick Durbin also voted no on eliminating restrictions on federal education funding. Ending such restrictions would give educators or local school districts more flexibility to design and implement their programs. Who is more aware of the particular problems that schools face, the teachers and administrators of those schools, or bureaucrats in Washington, DC? Durbin says the bureacrats know best.

Durbin has also voted against bills containing provisions for educational savings accounts. For instance, Durbin voted against the bi-partsan Affordable Education Act of 2000 sponsored by Sens. Coverdell (R-GA) and Torricelli (D-NJ). The bill would have allowed parents a new way to invest in their children's primary and secondary schooling. Parents would have been able to invest up to $2,000 per year, per child into savings accounts known as A+ accounts. Such accounts would generate tax-free interest, and the money made could have been used for any education-related expenses. Parents would have had a new way to save money for books, computers, and even private school tuitions. And Dick voted against the Affordable Education Act of 2000 and other bills like it.

Dick has a lot of "nay" votes on education, but there is one thing he is willing to say "yea" to: race-based affirmative action. Race-based affirmative action, of course, does not address the real problems that African-American and Hispanic students face. Rather than confronting the fact that too many minority students are receiving insufficient educations during primary and secondary schooling, race-based affirmative action says minority students need leniency in the college admissions process because of their race. If anything, students of all races from disadvantaged communities deserve some leniency in the admissions process. The real problem is economic, not racial. Urban schools need better teachers, better administrators, and better books and resources in order to make sure their students are prepared for college or the work environment. To say that students of a minority race (including those from wealthy families who have received the best possible pre-college educations) deserve special consideration solely because of their race is absurd. The standards for admission should consider potential students' abilities and character, not their race.

Dick Durbin: wrong on education.

ISSUE 3: The ECONOMY

2004-09-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Dick Durbin's record on the economy is not very good. Shocking, I know. I can't cover every economic issue in this post, but I'll note a few things Dick Durbin is dead wrong about.

I'll devote a separate post to taxes later, but I'll say this right now: Dick Durbin is the King of Wasteful Spending. As of 2003, Durbin had a 7% lifetime approval rating from Citizens Against Government Waste, earning him the worst record in the Senate. Way to go Dick!

Dick Durbin opposes limiting expensive medical malpractice lawsuits. These lawsuits drive up insurance costs and force doctors out of practice. That's just swell. Thanks, Dick!

Dick Durbin favors affirmative action in the workplace. Because what matters is not the content of someone's character or their ability, but their race, right Dick?

Dick Durbin favors increasing welfare subsidies. But Dick Durbin opposed tax relief. So Durbin supports giving money to people who are not working, and opposes allowing people who are working to keep more of the money they make. That's genius, Dick! Pure brilliance!

Dick Durbin opposes Social Security reform. Durbin doesn't think workers should be allowed to invest a portion of their payroll tax into private, self-managed accounts or even into private accounts managed by government contracted firms. Does Dick Durbin really think the government is that great at money management? The American people are so stupid that those who want to manage their own money shouldn't be allowed to because they'll do a worse job than the government?!?

Dick Durbin: wrong on the economy.

ISSUE 2: CRIME

2004-09-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dick Durbin thinks that there should be more funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes. Durbin has voted multiple times to add sexual orientation to the definition of what constitutes a hate crime.

Should a crime committed against one type of person carry a different sentence as a similar crime committed against a different kind of person? If a racist kills a person of a different race, should his/her sentence be harder than the sentence of someone who kills out of jealousy? If a crime is committed against someone who is gay, should the prosecution of that crime be more forceful than the prosecution of a crime against someone who is straight? Dick Durbin thinks so.

On the other hand, if a crime is committed against multiple people, shouldn't each offense count as a different crime? Dick Durbin doesn't think so. Durbin voted against criminal penalties for harming a fetus when committing another crime. Maybe Dick Durbin doesn't think a fetus deserves consideration. But try telling the mother whose child dies in the womb because of some thug's vicious behavior that the loss of that life doesn't deserve to be prosecuted.

Dick Durbin: Wrong on crime.

Teri O'Brien

2004-09-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow Students Against Dick Durbin (SADD). I'm including this link to something written by WLS (Chicago) radio personality Teri O'brien about/to Dick Durbin : Questions for Senator Durbin .

You should listen to Teri's show every week. She talks about Dick Durbin a lot. She's very funny and very right.

ISSUE 1: ABORTION.

2004-09-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

Maybe you're mostly pro-life. Maybe you're mostly pro-choice. Whatever.

Chances are, you are at the very least against partial-birth abortion. Mainstream Americans overwhelmingly support the ban on partial-birth abortion. Legislation banning this type of abortion had bi-partisan support in the House and the Senate before being signed into law by the president.

Guess who is out of the mainstream? Guess who did not support the ban on partial-birth abortion? Guess who sided with the most liberal members of his party? If you guessed Dick Durbin, you would be correct.

Dick Durbin: Wrong on abortion.

Issue by Issue.

2004-08-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Alrighty. It looks like we'll be exposing the tragedy that is Dick Durbin's voting record issue by issue, from A to Z. Prepare to be amazed (or sick).

Classes.

2004-08-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Classes have started again. Joy.

In other news, I'm thinking of how to go about doing this...

Should I post why Dick Durbin is wrong on the issues, going issue by issue from A to Z? Should I post the most current things Dick Durbin is doing wrong? How would you like Students Against Dick Durbin to operate?? Send me an email!

I promise, I'll start regular postings soon.

Lemme get used to summer being over.

Students Against Dick Durbin . Post 1.

2004-08-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ok. I will try to keep this site updated fairly regularly, but bear with me, as I have other important things to do (don't we all?).

The goal of Students Against Dick Durbin (SADD) is to unite young people from across the state of Illinois in the effort to oust Dick Durbin from his spot in the US Senate. College students, high school students, and even non-students are welcome to join this undertaking.

If you would like to get involved in this project, send me an email:

studentsagainstdickdurbin@yahoo.com

Sorry the email address is so long. It's easy to remember, though, right?

Test.

2004-08-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Testing. One, two. Over and out.