Durbin: Senate Felt It Had To Go First 'for The Good Of The Country'

Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin admitted Wednesday afternoon that House Democratic leaders had “mixed feelings” after the Senate decided to go first on the bailout.

However, Durbin said Senate Democratic leaders “felt we had to move forward for the good of the country” and decided to go first on the bailout and add a package of tax extenders which may cost Democratic votes in the House.

Durbin said he received a “positive response” from House Republican leaders when he told them of the new plan.

Still, Durbin was not about to predict how the bill would fare in the House.

“I don’t know how to balance the equation in terms of what [votes] we may lose on the Democratic side,” Durbin said. “Hopefully my Democratic colleagues will realize what we realized. This is a root canal. We don’t like to face it but we have to. We have got to get this done and hope that it works.”