Richard Durbin for the U.S. Senate

Lost in the heat and smoke of combative state races for governor and attorney general is the contest for U.S. Senate. Although this race has not caught fire with voters, it is important during these tense and arduous times to recognize that Illinois must be represented in the Senate by an experienced and effective leader. Illinois needs a senator who will tend to the state's parochial needs and who also has the intellectual capacity and experience to soberly address the life-and-death issues that increasingly dominate the national and international agendas.

Of the two major-party hopefuls, the one who will best fill the difficult, dual roles of champion and statesman is incumbent Sen. Richard Durbin, Crain's choice to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate.

During his freshman term, the energetic Democrat has become the go-to guy for the state's many interests. At one time or another, corporate chiefs, labor leaders and social activists have reached out to Sen. Durbin and have found him willing to listen and, when he deemed it appropriate, act on their behalf.

And, when it comes to constituency service, Sen. Durbin is in the uncomfortable position of having to pull double duty, since fellow Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, a Republican, has built around himself a wall so impenetrable that few of the state's commercial interests — or other interests, for that matter — can pierce it.

Nowhere has the contrast between Illinois' senators been more glaring than on the issue of expanding and updating O'Hare International Airport, which Sen. Fitzgerald vehemently opposes and Sen. Durbin fervently advocates. In the legislative scuffling this year, Sen. Durbin was at the forefront, fighting to get Congress to approve plans to add runways and other airport infrastructure. He's been calling in every chit and using every parliamentary play to work around Sen. Fitzgerald and get the O'Hare bill passed.

Time is running out this year, and maybe for good, but if the O'Hare bill fails, it won't be because Sen. Durbin didn't try.

Sen. Durbin also has shown leadership on other transportation issues vital to Illinois. When various public transit factions squabbled among themselves over federal funding, it was Sen. Durbin who demanded that the infighting stop and pulled out a financing agenda. As a member of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, his leadership will again be needed to set Illinois' transportation priorities and to win the state a greater share of another huge highway and transit financing bill. Millions of dollars and many important projects are at stake.

Still, when it comes to business, Sen. Durbin has some shortcomings. He has been a reluctant — though consistent — backer of free trade. Recently, however, he has openly second-guessed the consequences of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and he voted against renewing fast-track legislation that would have opened more overseas trade to Illinois businesses, which are increasingly dependent on exports. Trade has always been a tough call for the pro-labor Democrat, but he's usually done what Illinois' farmers and exporters expect. To oppose fast track is one thing; to expand upon that and become a barrier to greater cross-border business and agreements would hurt Illinois.

Critics often blame Sen. Durbin for being blatantly partisan and berate him for opposing the Bush administration's quest for accelerated military action against Iraq. This is an unfair characterization. A member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Durbin has deep reservations about such a military response and his vote is not a sop to party politics. Sen. Durbin is not soft on fighting terrorism — he just doesn't believe President George W. Bush has yet made a compelling case for war.

In the Illinois Senate campaign, the Republican Party backed an up-and-coming James B. Durkin, who's run an energetic campaign. The GOP should make good use of him in the future.

But come Election Day, Illinois voters should opt to return Sen. Durbin to the Senate.

Publication: Crain's Chicago Business
Date: October 21, 2002
Author: Editorial

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