Durbin: Summer political rallies a bad idea amid coronavirus

Posted on June 16, 2020
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke Tuesday morning with WJBC’s Scott Miller. (Twitter/Senator Dick Durbin)

 

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Illinois’ senior U.S. Senator says it’s a bad idea to host conventions and rallies this summer leading up to the November election because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) says he hopes his party makes the right choice when it comes to the Democratic National Convention.

“I hope we care enough for the people who want to support us enough to come to a convention to say your health is more important than a flash on the screen of a crowd,” Durbin told WJBC’s Scott Miller. “Let’s be honest about this, the coronavirus is still around, it has a mind of its own if you can say that about a virus, and it doesn’t give a tinker’s darn which political party is holding a gathering.”

The Democratic National Convention is supposed to start in Milwaukee in two months.

The Republican National Committee announced last week it will hold part of its summer convention in Jacksonville, Florida. President Trump demanded the event be moved from Charlotte, North Carolina after a rift with Democratic leaders in that state surrounding social distancing rules.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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