Bill Bennett: “over the weekend the country heard one of the more senior Members of this body, the senior Senator from Massachusetts…”

“over the weekend the country heard one of the more senior Members of this body, the senior Senator from Massachusetts, make a charge against the President of the United States, particularly with respect to the war in Iraq. The senior Senator from Massachusetts said the war in Iraq was ``hatched in Texas'' in a conversation between the President of the United States and the Republican leadership and that the purpose of attacking Iraq was to help the Republicans politically in the congressional elections of 2002. The Senator from Massachusetts summarized the President's position with respect to the war in a single word. He called it a ``fraud.'' To quote a comment from the Washington Post in another situation dealing with Iraq, this is a serious charge and it deserves a serious response. It is my attempt today to give a serious response to this charge. If the charge made by the senior Senator from Massachusetts is accurate, then the President is deserving of a serious rebuke. If in fact the charge is not accurate, the senior Senator from Massachusetts is deserving of a serious rebuke. I intend to examine whether or not the charge could be substantiated and give it the attention that I think it does in fact deserve.”