Striking a Balance
Today’s 12:00 PM rally in Federal Plaza was a small one—maybe 20 youthful demonstrators, with a few oldsters tossed in for good measure. Organized by Sunrise Chicago, this demonstration focused on Senator Richard Durbin. Specifically, the group was voicing its objections to Senator Durbin’s recent decision to side with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Senate Republicans by voting in favor of a continuing resolution to keep the Federal government open.
In terms of my own politics, I sympathize with the demonstrators. I am not a fan of government shutdowns, but Trump’s numerous Executive Orders, many of which are plainly unconstitutional, dictate a strong counter-response. We are no longer living in the realm of niceties.
Yet, I sympathize with Durbin. One of the signs at today’s demonstration equated Durbin with MAGA and Musk—that’s an equation that simply does not balance. Durbin began his career in government in 1969, serving as legal counsel to then Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon, who became Durbin’s mentor. Before winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, Durbin spent 10 serving as legal counsel to the Illinois State Senate’s Judiciary Committee. When Senator Simon retired in 1996, Durbin defeated now former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn in the ensuing Senate race. For the last 29 years, Durbin has held that Senate seat, rising in the ranks to become Senate minority whip.
In sum, Durbin has devoted the last 55 years of his life to government service, meaning that he knows the ins and outs of politics and governing. For that reason, I can be disappointed by his vote in favor of keeping the Federal government open, but I must respect what was a difficult, but informed vote. Durbin, like the other Democrats who voted with the Republicans, was concerned that by shutting the government down, he and his colleagues would yielded even more power to Trump. I suspect that Durbin was also concerned that Trump would take advantage of the resulting chaos to terminate more Federal employees and permanetly shrink additional Federal agencies.
As well intentioned as today’s demonstrators might have been, I would urge them to temper their harsh judgments. Moreover, their idealism poses an existential threat to the Democratic Party. Those in Federal Plaza today probably view Durbin as an out-of-step institutional centrist. They, however, should recognize that the votes that the Democrats need to take the House, Senate, and White House back from the Republicans lie center-right on the political spectrum. If these young people continue demanding that the Democratic Party move leftward, they will be back in Federal Plaza four years from now demonstrating against President J.D. Vance.
Before closing, I want to give a shout out to the young woman with red hair wearing the keffiyeh. She was today’s ‘master of ceremonies,’ enthusiastically introducing the other speakers. Bounding from one side of the group to the other, she lead the assembly in chants and two rather lengthy songs. Nice to see and hear such poise and enthusiasm.
[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]
Taking the Bullhorn
". . . A Spineless Coward"
They've Got the Speaker's Back
Smirking, Because She Knows Her Sign Caught My Eye
"[Appeasement's] Not Going to Work Today"
Reflected
Inspiring His Fellow Demonstrators
A Serious Matter, But Nevertheless Having Some Fun
Taking Direction
Looking for the Next Chant
Another Speaker Takes the Bullhorn
An Equation that Does Not Balance
Getting Personal
Enthusiastic
An Assortment of Signs
Seated While Chanting
On the Fly
Bringing the Demonstration to a Conclusion
Copyright 2025, Jack B. Siegel (except the first two images in the post, which are copyrighted 2024). All Rights Reserved. Do Not Alter, Copy, Display, Distribute, Download, Duplicate, or Reproduce Without the Prior Written Consent of the Copyright Holder.
