Mark Dayton: “Yesterday Senator John Kerry told the American people the truth about Iraq, the truth about the past, the truth about…”

“Yesterday Senator John Kerry told the American people the truth about Iraq, the truth about the past, the truth about the present, and the truth about the future. President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and other administration apologists complain he did not show enough optimism. Senator Kerry decided that honesty was more important than false optimism. President Bush and Vice President Cheney have not been honest about Iraq from the beginning. They have not been honest about Iraq with this Senate, not with the House, nor with the American people. John Kerry gave us yesterday what we need: honesty about Iraq. He was not alone in the last few days. I salute my Republican colleagues--five of them--for their honesty about the situation in Iraq. It cannot be easy to tell the American people the truth and to stand up to an administration of their own party which is not telling the truth. They are remarkable American patriots who recognize, as Senator Robert C. Byrd, the great senior Senator from West Virginia, has reminded us, that we serve with Presidents of the United States, not under them.”