Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, said on Sunday he disagrees with Hillary Clinton’s advice to Joe Biden that he “should not concede” the election “under any circumstances” to Donald Trump.

Durbin told ABC News “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos that he “likes” and “respects” Hillary, but she’s “just flat-out wrong.”

“I disagree with Hillary Clinton. I respect her, I like her, but I think she’s just flat-out wrong. The election itself is going to be announced. The winner will be announced at some point.”

The smooth-talking Illinois Senator seemed to shed much of his predictable — though often stealthy —hyperpartisanship, suggesting that a peaceful transition, regardless of which side wins, and “maintaining democracy” should trump [pun intended?] Hillary’s strident “don’t concede under any circumstances” bunker mentality.

“It’ll take longer with all the paper ballots that are being cast, but at some point, I hope my choice—Joe Biden—is elected president.

“But if we are going to maintain a democracy, peaceful transition through an election is the only way to do it.

“Just look at the streets of Belarus today if you want to see the alternative. We don’t need that in America.

“Whoever the winner is, if it is clear and legal, that should be announced, and the other party should concede.”

Notice how he slipped that “if it is clear and legal” caveat in there? Durbin being Durbin. Still, he seemed genuine in his advice to Biden.

Hillary’s “logic” in her warning to Biden was based on her assessment that he will eventually win if he doesn’t concede too early.

“Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances because I think this is going to drag out, and eventually, I do believe he will win if we don’t give an inch and if we are as focused and relentless as the other side is.”

In a quintessential Hillaryesque job of projecting, the 2016 presidential election loser, whose campaign “sought dirt on Trump from Russian officials,” as opined by Marc Theisen in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, warned Biden that Trump will try to cheat.

“I think that [Republicans] have a couple of scenarios that they are looking toward. One is messing up absentee balloting.

“They believe that helps them so that they then get maybe a narrow advantage in the Electoral College on Election Day.”

“So we’ve got to have a massive legal operation, and I know the Biden campaign is working on that.”

Said the woman whose senior thesis at Wellesley was about “Rules for Radicals” author, activist, and community organizer, Saul Alinsky.

Hillary Clinton has some advice for Joe Biden: Don’t concede in a close race.

The 2016 nominee sits down with @jmpalmieri and @sho_thecircus to urge Dems to pay close attention to GOP strategy. pic.twitter.com/REwfLf1QjS

— The Recount (@therecount) August 24, 2020

The crazy got worse last week.

As I reported in a piece titled MSNBC’s Hayes Goes Full-Bore Wingnut: Trump Openly Plotting ‘Coup to Steal the Election’, late last week, one of MSNBC’s resident wingnuts — MSNBC has multiple resident wingnuts — went off on “chilling” (innocuous) comments by Trump, suggesting with a straight face — and not visibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs — that Trump is “openly plotting a coup to steal the election and hold onto power.”

Chris Hayes Goes Off on ‘Chilling’ Trump Election Remarks: Openly Plotting ‘Coup to Steal the Election and Hold Onto Power’ https://t.co/ylFOGFAb3t

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) September 24, 2020

So this is where we find ourselves.

When Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin becomes a moderate voice of reason — and apparently means it — all bets are off between now and the election.

And if Hillary has her way, for sometime thereafter.