Durbin

WASHINGTON — Chances are that Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln won’t be sharing her big secrets with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., anytime soon.

Durbin, the Senate majority whip, spent Friday afternoon backtracking from comments that appeared to out Lincoln as a supporter…

Callahan

WASHINGTON — Throughout the months of health care debate, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has told stories of constituents fighting insurance companies.

On Monday, Durbin shared the story of Southern Illinois University baseball coach Dan Callahan.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Durbin implored colleagues…

Marion VA Medical Center

WASHINGTON — Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will walk into a room of angry Illinois members of Congress Wednesday morning.

Shinseki will meet with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and other livid Illinois elected officials in Washington to address persistent…

Specter

(UPDATED) WASHINGTON — The bombshell announcement by Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter this morning that he will switch affiliation from Republican to Democrat could give Democrats the firepower to make major shifts in health-care, the environment and other weighty issues in the months ahead.

If Minnesota Democrat…

Sen. Durbin

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced today the formation of three screening committees to recommend new federal judges, attorneys and marshals to serve Illinois.

The senior senator belonging to the president’s party in each state is given the responsibility…

Tom Daschle

WASHINGTON — Some, but not nearly as much as if President Barack Obama had decided to stick with Tom Daschle as secretary of Health and Human Services, one of the critical jobs in this administration.

And not to the point of making the tax-ducking…

Obama, then a U.S. Senator, in Springfield two years ago

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - President Barack Obama will return to Springfield later this month to attend the 200th anniversary celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birth here in 1809.

Obama will attend the Abraham Lincoln…

Sen.-designee Roland Burris

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats probably wonder now why they took such a hard line two weeks ago.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Senate’s No. 2, Dick Durbin of Illinois, said that they are preparing to seat Roland Burris this week as Illinois…

Sen. Obama? Only until Sunday

The junior senator from across the river has made it official: He’s resigning from office this weekend, leaving Illinois with only senator for the time being.

As our Springfield bureau chief Kevin McDermott reports this afternoon, Barack Obama announced…

DENVER — Perhaps at the risk of preaching to the choir, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin urged union members to support his Lincoln Land colleague Barack Obama for president.

“John McCain’s record is very clear on labor — it’s not good,” Durbin said.

For more…