Sen. Dick Durbin Asks Daily Kos Members to Help Set the Senate’s Agenda

Assume for a second that a high-ranking Republican member of Congress published an article at a popular conservative website like National Review Online, Rush Limbaugh.com, or even NewsBusters asking readers for their opinions on the major issues of the day. Think this would generate some outrage from the liberal media?

Well, Tuesday morning, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), the new Majority Whip, posted a message at the ultraliberal Daily Kos (hat tip to Larwyn) asking readers, “Help me set the Senate's agenda”:

Today, a new Democratic Congress is working to make America's hopes for a better tomorrow a reality. Here in the Senate, much like Speaker Pelosi's 100-hour plan in the House, our Democratic caucus has already unveiled an ambitious agenda to provide a new direction for America.  But there is a lot of work to be done -- so today I'm asking for your input.

Durbin’s appeal continued:

Tell me what priorities you want the Senate to focus on.  Click here to rank the most important issues facing America now!

When the Senate convened for the first day of the new 110th Congress last Thursday, Democrats introduced 10 new bills that focus on three key goals -- providing real security for America , restoring transparency and responsibility to government, and helping working Americans get ahead.  

Here are those first 10 bills:

• S.1 -- Ethics & lobbying reform
• S.2 -- Increasing the minimum wage
• S.3 -- Lowering prescription drug prices for seniors
• S.4 -- Fully implementing all 9/11 Commission recommendations
• S.5 -- Expanding stem cell research
• S.6 -- Developing new technology to promote energy independence
• S.7 -- Making college more affordable
• S.8 -- Rebuilding America's military
• S.9 -- Immigration reform
• S.10 -- Reinstating "Pay As You Go" rules for the federal budget

Help me set the Senate's agenda -- prioritize these important issues now!

Durbin concluded:

It's a new year, a new Congress, and a new opportunity for Democrats to lead.  Last year's campaign is over -- now it's time to govern.

Thanks for being a part of the effort to provide a new direction for America!  I look forward to visiting DailyKos often in these exciting coming weeks to discuss the many pressing issues facing America.

-- Dick Durbin

To be fair, in a new media age, the idea of political leaders reaching out to Americans this way is spectacular, and Durbin should be applauded for doing so. However, a Google News search identified only the Chicago Sun-Times addressing this matter. A LexisNexis search of all major media outlets using the phrase “Dick Durbin and Daily Kos” posted after January 8, 2007, yielded no results.

Once again, consider what the media reaction would have been if a leading Republican at the beginning of the 109th Congress had posted something like this at one of the major conservative blogs. Think this would have gotten some attention?