Dick Durbin: “when people ask me to describe my politics, I sometimes say that I try my best to follow the Gospel of St. Paul. By…”

“when people ask me to describe my politics, I sometimes say that I try my best to follow the Gospel of St. Paul. By that, I mean I try to follow the examples of two good and wise men who showed me that politics, at its best, can solve real problems and advance our common good. The first of these two Pauls was Senator Paul Douglas, the brilliant economist and World War II hero who served in this Senate--in the same seat I now hold--and gave me my start in government when he hired me as a college intern to work in his Washington, DC, office. The other Paul was Senator Paul Simon, my greatest political teacher and dear friend. When he retired, he encouraged me to run to succeed him in this body. Paul Simon was the most decent public servant I have ever known--a man of uncommon integrity, vision, and accomplishment who was gifted with a capacious intellectual curiosity. And he was helped by a staff of men and women who shared his compassion and tireless work habits. Donna Eastman was one of those helpers. She was also my friend. And I was sad to learn that she passed away this past Saturday. She worked for Paul Simon for the 18 years he served in this body. And when he retired in 1996, it was my good luck that Donna agreed to join my staff. She ran my southern Illinois district office in Marion until she retired in 2008. Donna loved helping people and making their lives better, like so many of the dedicated Federal employees who are being fired illegally today.…”