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By Lynn Sweet
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Posted: 06/28/07 06:52 PM [ET] |
A day — a Wednesday, for example — for Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin can range from a meeting with the freshman members of Chicago’s City Council to a briefing with Director of National Intelligence Adm. Mike McConnell.
It’s a rare lawmaker — much less anyone in leadership — who is willing to disclose what he or she is actually doing most of a congressional workday. Most members of Congress who put out a schedule are parsimonious with details, offering only a few morsels that might get them some good press.
Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, is the rare exception. He goes the extra steps on a number of fronts. He releases his tax returns. And he understands that “official business” includes letting the public know what’s up. His office puts out a weekly schedule for reporters that includes Durbin’s official meetings in Washington (the ones the office knows about in advance, anyway).
The schedule is usually for “planning” purposes only, but I asked for and got permission to run the details in order to share the broad range of issues that is on a leader’s plate — and how that leader balances keeping on top of state matters with holding a national post.
A look at Durbin’s week shows the enormous scope of the job — from the state of Illinois issues to national concerns, leadership matters and international affairs.
Here’s what Durbin had planned for this week — and yes, sometimes there are overlapping events.
MONDAY — Started with Democratic leadership meetings at 5:15 p.m. in the Capitol, followed by a leadership weekly planning meeting.
TUESDAY — 9 a.m.: Democratic leadership meeting. 10 a.m.: Rules Committee hearing regarding testimony on Smithsonian Institution governance reform. 12:30 p.m.: Democratic Caucus luncheon. 3 p.m.: Meeting with the president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik, to discuss Estonian relations. 4:30 p.m.: Bicameral Democratic leadership meeting.
WEDNESDAY — 9:30 a.m.: Judiciary subcommittee hearing on oversight of the federal death penalty. 9:30 a.m.: Meeting with eight new Chicago aldermen. 10 a.m.: Classified intelligence briefing with the director of national intelligence, Adm. Mike McConnell, on Iraq and Iran. 12:30 p.m.: Lunch with committee chairmen. 2:30 p.m.: Meeting with Ambassador Nabil Fahmy of Egypt. 6 p.m.: Reception honoring Noel Fahey, Ireland’s ambassador to the United States.
THURSDAY — 8:30 a.m.: Illinois coffee with Sen. Barack Obama. 10 a.m.: Judiciary Committee markup on patent reform, recidivism reduction and Second Chance Act. 12 p.m.: Illinois delegation lunch with the presidents of Northwestern University, Southern Illinois University, University of Illinois and the University of Chicago. 12:15 p.m.: Pen-an-pad with the other leaders. 12:45 p.m.: Democratic policy committee lunch with guests Melinda Henneberger and Judith Warner talking about women voters. 2 p.m.: Meeting with the chairman of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. 2 p.m.: Appropriations Committee markup.
FOOTNOTE: Durbin is up for reelection in 2008 — and this week hosted four events for his Senate war chest in the run-up to the June 30 second-quarter reporting deadline. On Monday Durbin had a “taste of Chicago”-themed fundraiser; Tuesday a breakfast at a law firm and a dinner at Charlie Palmer; and another reception Thursday evening.
Sweet is the Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. E-mail:
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