Robert Dornan: “character counts. It counts for everything in the leadership of this country or any other country. This city is named…”

“character counts. It counts for everything in the leadership of this country or any other country. This city is named for the Father of our country, George Washington, as is one of our 50 states, as is our newest supercarrier. Mr. Speaker, George Washington was the epitome of character, so said our third President, Thomas Jefferson. He wrote rules of conduct for teenagers, not just in front of women, in front of everybody; 32 rules of conduct when he was 16 years of age. Listen to what he said to his men in a general order at Valley Forge about using blasphemous or vile language: The general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known to an American army, is going into fashion. He hopes the officers will endeavor to check it and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little help of the blessing of Heaven upon our arms if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and so low, without any temptation, that any man of sense and character detests and despises it. --George Washington, 1777, Valley Forge, PA. That, Mr. Speaker, is character. From the first President to the 42d, we have developed to a disgusting situation of lack of character.”