Call it ground zero for the resistance. It’s a small office space in the first floor of a nondescript building -- one block from the security perimeter of the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Inside, reporters were packed to the gills as Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and others from the Democratic National Committee held court.

Some Illinois Republicans were upset that a high-ranking senator would come spoil the party. Durbin said Republicans have done the same thing at Democratic conventions, and he felt it a duty to be here to counter speeches made during the Republican National Convention.

“Clearly, we have to clear the air as to the misstatements that were made this week," Durbin said.

Durbin also made light of the fact the convention had selected nobody from Illinois to address the crowd, save for a local U.S. Army Vet who delivered the National Anthem one night.

“I would’ve thought the Land of Lincoln, founder of the Republican Party, would have merited a little more attention,” he said.

In response to the much-talked about Paul Ryan speech, which has been criticized for misrepresenting or bending facts, Durbin said he felt Ryan misrepresented himself.

“He's voted consistently for big spending and against the Bowles-Simpson commission plan [that would have lowered marginal tax rates but eliminated deductions and loopholes],” he said, countering Ryan’s image as a deficit hawk and advocate of small government.

On the home front, Durbin lamented the state of Illinois’ credit rating downgrade, and said that Republican leadership was as much to blame as anyone for the failure to come to a deal with Democrats and the governor on pension reform.

“If you know the Tom Cross and Christine Radogno pension reform plan, please tell me now,” he said. Watch more of his remarks below:

Later in the afternoon at the same location, Democratic Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky held an event to criticize the Republican party's stance on women’s rights.