Mark Halperin: Dick Durbin Will Keep Obama From Going Crazy Liberal

Time Magazine editor at large Mark Halperin appeared on WLS AM radio in Chicago this morning with Don Wade and Roma to discuss politics as he does every Monday. In one of the better moments in radio Don Wade quipped that Halperin was doing stand up comedy after Halperin stated that Rahm Emanuel, Charles Schumer and Dick Durbin would actually prevent Barack Obama from going crazy liberal. (audio here, jump to 5:55)

Don Wade: New Gingrich called it the repo administration, he says if Obama wins, and if he has a moderate House and Senate he would probably be more like a Richie Daley in his administration. But he doesn't have a moderate House and Senate, he has Reed and Pelosi who are far lefties so we are in for a lot of trouble.

What do you think of that idea, that if the House and Senate were moderate that Obama would be more like Rich Daley?

Halperin: Well, I think the House and Senate are going to have a lot of moderates and a lot of liberals. And a lot of liberals in positions of authority. I am currently thinking, although there is speculation on both sides of this, that people like Congressman Emanuel, a friend of your program, and people like Charles Schumer, an others, maybe even Dick Durbin, who is relatively liberal, are going to be looking to work with Congress on behalf of the administration if there is an Obama administration to try to keep him from going crazy liberal. And I think that what will happen.

At this point you really need to hear the audio because anyone that listens to Don Wade regularly knows that he propably almost fell off his chair in disbelief. For reference, Wade is a hard core conservative whose son is a Marine aviator that flew with the Blue Angels. I can't recount how many times Wade has railed against Dick Durbin.

Wade: Wait, wait a second. Dick Durbin will try to keep him Obama from going liberal?

Halperin: Even though his own instincts are liberal I think the people that are going to be the biggest advisers to a potential Obama administration, if he wins...

Roma: are going to be Rahm Emanuel and Dick Durbin, two local folks that we know very well.

Don Wade: And they are going to restrain him?

Halperin: Both of them have some liberal tendencies but, from talking to people who are around Senator Obama, I think that they see the key to not being captive to liberalism

 Wade: (Laughing) You are doing comedy this morning Mark.

Roma: He said he likes stand up comedy.

Wade: They have some liberal tendencies, Rahm Emanuel and Dick Durbin?

Halperin: They are not socialists like (unintelligible). They have at times appreciated that America is a centrist country, maybe even center right. And I don't think they are going to go crazy liberal. I think they will see it as a mistake for building what they want to build which is an enduring Democratic majority and passing programs that they think will help the American people.

This was one of the better moments in radio for me. You have to listen to it to appreciate the levity.

 Terry Trippany is the publisher of Webloggin and holds the post as The Watcher at Watcher of Weasels.