Jack Kingston: “I wanted to rise tonight to talk a little bit about the upcoming election, which I understand is on everybody's minds…”

“I wanted to rise tonight to talk a little bit about the upcoming election, which I understand is on everybody's minds these days. It is interesting, Mr. Speaker, that we are in a position in America now that, with 50 States, the Presidential election actually seems to boil down to 12 to 18 States that are still in contention. I guess my home State of Georgia they have decided is probably going to go to Mr. Bush, and your home State of Texas certainly is going to go for Mr. Bush. And then there is other States, like California, that will go for Mr. Kerry. And then, of course, there is North Carolina, which is wide open, despite the fact that Mr. Kerry has chosen a running mate that is from that State. I think it is interesting as we contrast the two tickets to see what one stands for and the other one stands for. But never before has the Democrat party chosen the first and fourth most liberal Members of the Senate to represent it in the Presidential campaign. It is even more liberal than the disastrous Mondale-Ferraro ticket of 1984. Here we have, if you think this through a minute, John Kerry scored a 97 percent liberal rating in 2003. He beat out Barbara Boxer from California. He beat out Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton got an 89 percent liberal rating. And Ted Kennedy. Now, if I was to ask the good folks in Texas, well, who is the most liberal Member of Congress, of the Senate, they are always going to say Ted Kennedy. Well, not so.…”