CHICAGO (WBBM) - Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says federal help for the ailing automobile industry is vital, but he says there must also be safeguards.

Sen. Dick Durbin says, with automakers facing bankruptcy, the industry employs too many people and supports too much manufacturing in this country for Congress and the administration to allow it to collapse.

But, the Springfield Democrat says officials can’t ignore the fact that the car makers are hemorrhaging money. Durbin says he wants to find a way to protect any loans to the auto-makers, from a taxpayers point of view. He says he wants guarantees they will change the way they do business.

On another matter, Durbin says he’s trying to set up a meeting with Rod Blagojevich to discuss the Governor’s choice to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Durbin says the decision may be important to the state, but it’s even more important to him, since the appointee will be his colleague.

He says he wants someone who will consider the entire state in making decisions. He also says he has some names for Blagojevich to consider, names he says he’ll discuss confidentially with the Governor.