Both Illinois Senators were about town Monday talking about the importance of raising the debt ceiling, and doing it the right way.
Dick Durbin addressed the media from downtown Chicago when he hosted a press conference designed to put the current fiscal crisis in perspective.
"This is a self-inflicted wound," Durbin said. "The politicians in Washington who argue that the debt ceiling doesn't matter are not living in reality. What's at stake here is the reputation and credit rating of the United States of America."
The senior senator then admonished members of congress, and others, who appear eager to default.
"These are the same people who urged us to enter into wars, stay in wars, and spend billions of dollars to prosecute those wars,"Durbin said. "Now they don't want to pay for it. That is the height of irresponsibility."
While Durbin took a populist approach to his debt talk, Kirk was more measured in his.
Speaking from a health care summit in Chicago, Kirk said, things will work out.
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"It's a big job, there are lots of working parts," Kirk said. "Before you get totally maxed out and stressed on caffeine, I would suggest you don't watch too closely because these things have a way of working themselves out."
Both Durbin and Kirk favor a big deal that would reduce our national debt, and both believe the deal will get done.
