Durbin Taking Heat for Thomson Prison Trade for Religious Freedom Commission’s Continued Existence

Congressional Quarterly blew the whistle on U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's effort to trade a religious freedom commission's continued existence for Federal purchase of Thomson Prison almost a month ago. The story is spreading as the December 16th drop dead date approaches.

Looks as if McHenry County Blog wasn’t the only one thinking Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s attempt to blackmail a Virginia Republican congressman who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee that controls the U.S. prison system budget was a tad too much.

Congressman Frank Wolf is not only chairman of the subcommittee, but sponsor of the legislation to continue the commission that is charged with fighting religious prosecution.

Almost a month ago Congressional Quarterly’s Shawn Zeller wrote of the trade-off that Durbin anonymously set up by putting a “hold” on the House legislation.

As Chicago Tribune columnist and blogger Bryne points out, “Even Comedy Central found reason to comment on this clown.”

Comedy Central is running an article today calling Durbin “a Tea Party zealot” for his actions.

Mr. Smith wasn't saying, "If you just give buy my state's empty prison, I'll sit down and shut up."

“These heartwarming stories of semi-anonymous Senate holds always remind me of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” write columnist Ilya Gerner.

“If only Mr. Smith were a career politician willing to stand up to the influence of corrupt interest groups like ‘Big Refugee’ and ‘Big Persecuted Minority’ in order to advance the economic agenda of his home state,” she continued.

More locally, Bryne writes a post headlined,

Dick Durbin, hack that he is, thought he could get away with this dirty trick…

“but thanks to the blogosphere he won’t,” the first line of his article continues.
“Come on, Dick, even for you this is a bit far,” Byrne concludes.

Durbin’s tactic even got coverage in a Washington Post story by Michelle Boorstein.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *