Category Archives: Dick Durbin

Crime, Dick Durbin, General News

Durbin wants Bush to commute Ryan’s sentence

26 Comments

Sen. Dick Durbin has indicated that he thinks former Gov. George Ryan has been punished enough, and will ask President Bush to commute Ryan’s sentence:

“Let’s look at the price he’s paid,” Durbin told reporters. “His family name has been damaged… . He has lost the economic security, which most people count on at his age. And he is separate from his wife at a time when she is in frail health. To say that he has paid a price for his wrongdoing – he certainly has. The question is whether continued imprisonment is appropriate at this point.”

Yes, Sen. Durbin, it is appropriate. Because he gave out licenses to unqualified drivers for bribes, people died. A judge and jury convicted him and sentenced him according to the law. It doesn’t matter that he used to be governor; he’s subject to the same laws and penalties as any other citizen. Commuting his sentence will only reinforce for everyone that there are two sets of laws — one for ordinary people and one for the politically connected.

Incidentally, the same article is on the Peoria Journal Star’s and the State Journal-Register’s respective websites, but the headlines are different. The State Journal-Register says, “Durbin may ask Bush to commute George Ryan prison sentence,” but the Journal Star says, “Sen. Durbin considers asking for Ryan pardon.” The Springfield paper got it right; the Journal Star headline writers apparently don’t know the difference between pardoning and commuting a sentence.

So, as a public service, allow me to explain: When you commute a sentence, you change the penalty, but the conviction stands. You still have a felony conviction on your record. When you pardon someone, you forgive the crime as well as the punishment; your felony conviction is expunged from your record. Big difference.

Amtrak, Dick Durbin, Nation/World

Durbin introduces Amtrak fleet improvement bill

18 Comments

U. S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the “Train Cars Act” (S.3360) on Tuesday in the Senate. The State Journal-Register explains what the bill proposes:

Durbin’s bill provides funding to encourage manufacturers currently supplying passenger rail cars overseas to open modern facilities here. And it provides a tax incentive for private domestic businesses to re-enter the passenger rail equipment business and rebuild facilities and train cars in the United States.

The legislation also would create a trust fund to replace the nation’s train cars by transferring one-quarter cent of the per-gallon motor fuel tax into the trust fund for three years. That would generate about $400 million a year, Durbin said.

It’s good to see more funding being proposed for passenger rail service. Whereas the federal government provides tens of billions of dollars for highways and airports, Amtrak has been treated as the redheaded stepchild, getting a mere $1 billion each year, even as they stave off annual efforts from the White House to cut off funding altogether. With gas prices on the rise, rail ridership is rising dramatically, and more funding is being proposed both in Congress and at the state level.

Amtrak and IDOT are currently studying the feasibility of Peoria-Chicago passenger service.

Dick Durbin

As long as we’re comparing….

Goebbels.jpgDurbin.jpg

Since Sen. Durbin has compared America’s treatment of prisoners with the Nazis’ treatment of prisoners, I think it’s only fitting that we compare Sen. Durbin’s propaganda to that of Nazi propagandist Josef Goebbels’.

Ridiculous, you say? Yes, but sadly, it’s no more ridiculous or reprehensible than Sen. Durbin’s comments. Senator, it’s time to stop defending yourself and apologize.

Update: Durbin said Friday: “I have learned from my statement that historical parallels can be misused and misunderstood. I sincerely regret if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings: Our soldiers around the world and their families at home deserve our respect, admiration and total support.”

I just love defensive “apologies” that put the blame on others’ response instead of one’s inappropriate actions. So, let me get this straight, Mr. Durbin: when you said Gitmo was like a Nazi prison camp, you meant that in the most respectful, admirable way toward our troops, eh?

Unfortunately, this is the closest thing to an apology that we’ll get.