I guess Sen. Dick Durbin was inspired by the jokes told by the presidential candidates. At least he sounds like he’s trying to be funny.

The Senate’s second-ranking Democrat said Saturday it’s time for Republicans to stop stonewalling and engage in “compromise and cooperation” to get the nation’s business done.

“Sadly, Republicans in Washington are determined to make this a ‘no-can-do’ Congress,” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in the Democrats’ weekly radio address.

Nothing has to be done to, “make this a ‘no-can-do’ Congress”, it is what it is.

“They think the less a Democratic-led Congress achieves, the better it’s going to be for Republicans in next year’s elections,” he said.

Actually, “the less a Democratic-led Congress achieves,” the better it’s going to be for the American people.

Durbin, the Senate Democrats’ vote-counter, argued that with bipartisan cooperation Congress could move to help some of the 47 million Americans in need of health insurance.

“Democrats are committed to overriding President Bush’s veto and providing health care for 10 million American children — kids not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and not lucky enough to have parents with health insurance,” he said.

Durbin also called for a new national energy policy, a responsible conclusion to the war in Iraq and measures to help families facing mortgage foreclosures.

Ah yes, the Democrat Definition of Bipartisan: Do it our way!

WHOOPS: I forgot to add this knee-slapper.

Although he blamed the GOP for stalling progress, he said Democrats still have been able to make a “good start” on some issues that they campaigned on in 2006 and that enabled them to regain control of the Senate.

Among the accomplishments he cited: lower taxes for working people, a higher minimum wage, tougher ethics laws and adoption of the Sept. 11 commission’s recommendations.

I thought all of that and more was supposed to be done in the first 100 seconds or something. Oh, and I’m really impressed with those tougher ethics laws (cough::William Jefferson::cough).

Please tip your server. He’ll be here all week.