Scorner of happy and healthy: Oberweis rips Durbin on Walgreens

Republican challenger Jim Oberweis moved Wednesday to trip up U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s victory laps over Walgreens’ decision to keep its headquarters in Illinois.

“Durbin deserves scorn, not praise for Walgreens” was the headline on the GOP candidate’s statement bashing the three-term Democratic incumbent.

“The Walgreen’s saga symbolizes Dick Durbin’s 32-year career in Washington,” said Oberweis, a state senator. “His bullying of Walgreen’s was a political stunt designed to help only one person: Dick Durbin. It didn’t create any jobs. It didn’t reform our job-killing tax code.

“Like in the IRS scandal, Dick Durbin was using government power to achieve partisan political gain. Instead of praise, Dick Durbin deserves our scorn.”

Durbin spearheaded the efforts to stop the Deerfield-based drug store giant from moving its headquarters to Switzterland for tax purposes.

“Earlier this morning, I spoke with the CEO of Walgreen’s, and am thrilled to say that the corner of happy and healthy is still right here in Illinois,” Durbin said Wednesday morning. “As Walgreens themselves noted, Illinois has been their home for more than 110 years, and locating their global business here in the U.S. was the right decision for their customers, employees and shareholders. I’d add to that that it’s the right decision for every taxpayer in Illinois and across America.”