DeKALB | Congressman Danny K. Davis, the Democratic representative from the 7th District in Illinois, spoke to NIU students and became an honorary member of NIU’s NAACP chapter 3872 Monday night.

Northern Star: If there was one thing you want listeners to gain from your speech, what would it be?

Danny K. Davis: What I would want them to get out is the realization of the potential that each one of them has. I mean, we come to school to learn; we come to school to prepare for the next phase in life. If one can commit with their own potential, then I think they will be successful.

NS: Do you have any reflections on your honorary induction to NAACP chapter 3872?

DD: Let me tell you, it has never happened to me. I’ve had lots of different honors and things. This to me is one of the most meaningful things that I have ever been appreciated with.

NS: What is your stance on government reform?

DD: I think that government should really be of, for and by the people. In order for that to happen, people have to be seriously involved because they can’t expect the people who have been elected to open up the doors in such a way that all of the other people will get their share. I believe in an activist kind of government. I believe we need to have more public financing of campaigns. We need to take some of the private money out of the electoral process so that interests, rather than private interest become the focus of decision making.

NS: Nancy Pelosi is the first woman speaker of the House and currently holds the highest position a woman has ever held in the U.S. government. Also, she replaced Dennis Hastert, the representative from DeKalb’s district. What are your thoughts on this?

DD: [Pelosi’s position] is a big step for America. I thought that Dennis Hastert did well for the state of Illinois. Dennis is a very good friend of mine; I like him very much. I have a great working relationship with him. He is one of the nicest people have been engaged with in politics. I keep hearing that he may quit. If he does, I hope that he continues to enjoy life and continues to be a productive citizen.

NS: How do you feel about the progress the new Congress has made in its first 100 days?

DD: Things are going so well, I think the president may have to buy himself some new pens to sign all the bills that the democrats are turning out. We increased the minimum wage, we reduced the interest rate from student loans and we changed some work laws. So we’re on a roll right now.

We passed an Iraqi resolution in the House; It got stalled in the Senate, but I think the House has pressed the position that we have to find our way out of Iraq and we have to do it as quickly as we can. I think the democrats are having a very successful first 100 days of the new session.

NS: Barack Obama has created quite a stir with his presidential run. What’s he like?

DD: I agree with many of Obama’s positions. I think he is very well positioned to be elected president. The crowds continue to turn out every place he goes, he picked up the endorsement of the governor of Virginia on Saturday. He’s picking up more profile endorsements every day. I think that Obama is prepared to take America to a new level of being, to demonstrate that America can keep making progress and do things that we have never done before. I think that we are on the edge of exploring some new territory. I think that we very well may elect an African-American president, it has never been done, and we make elect a woman president, also never been done. Not because Hillary Clinton is a woman or Obama is an African-American, but because they are two of the most intelligent people I have ever known, two of the best politicians I have ever met and two of the easiest people to support that I have ever supported.

NS: What are your thoughts on prison system reform?

DD: I think prison reform is greatly needed because we’re using up too much of our resources. The recidivism rate is more than 50 percent. People are in and out of prison and they become a cost to society. We can turn those individuals into productive citizens. Rather than be a liability, they would be an asset. It would be in the best interest of our country to turn that situation around.