Durbin says Clintons must unite party

Democrats' ability to unite after a bruising nomination contest will depend largely on how Hillary and Bill Clinton react to defeat, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Thursday.

Illinois' senior senator, a staunch Barack Obama backer, acknowledged that months of tough campaigning and close primaries have created hard feelings among fans of both candidates.

"Some of Hillary's supporters, many women, have said, 'This was our chance, and now he has taken it away from us,'" Durbin said.

Speaking to the Daily Herald editorial board, Durbin said many disappointed Clinton backers will vote for Obama when they weigh policy differences between John McCain and him. But, he added, some Clinton backers will take cues from their candidate.

"Once it's clear that (Obama) is the nominee," Durbin said, "then if she really rolls up her sleeves and says, 'I'm going to work for him,' then it can make a big difference. She can bring a lot of her supporters with her."

Durbin said he long considered Bill Clinton the nation's best political mind but that the former president lost his bearings at times while campaigning for his wife.

"I think his political compass wasn't accurate for awhile there," Durbin said. "He didn't quite understand the dynamics of the race; I think there's a lot of emotion involved when you're trying to get a member of your family elected."

While saying that Obama might well consider Hillary Clinton as a running mate, Durbin rejected the idea that he must put her on the ticket in order to win over her supporters in November.

"I wouldn't say she's the only possibility; I think there are others," Durbin said, adding that the key questions about any prospective vice president involve his or her ability to work with the president, impact on the November voting and ability to assume the top job should the need arise.

Durbin said he expects Obama to clinch the nomination soon after the primary season ends on June 3. He said uncommitted superdelegates at that time will move to Obama, giving him enough total delegates to claim victory.

"I know many who have stayed on sidelines because they are friends of Hillary's camp, and they wanted to give her every reasonable opportunity to win the nomination," he said. "But after June 3, that's over; there's nothing left."

One benefit of the long and rugged primary campaign, Durbin said, is that Obama is "battle-tested" for the fall campaign and has strong field organizations in every state.

Asked about his party's prospects for races across Illinois this fall, he said: "Hold onto your hat. I think we're about to see a wave in Illinois, and we've got a lot of surfers getting ready at every level."

Durbin declined to speculate on whom Gov. Rod Blagojevich might appoint to succeed Obama as his Senate colleague if Obama wins the presidency.

"I don't know where he would turn for advice on that," Durbin said of the governor. "I hope that at some point, if all these circumstances line up, that he'll give me a call and talk about it."