Neil Abercrombie: “I accept you at your word, and reclaiming my time, I hope that this is instructive in the end for us. One of the reasons…”

“I accept you at your word, and reclaiming my time, I hope that this is instructive in the end for us. One of the reasons I like working with Mr. Weldon is I think we bring a certain amount of passion to our work. And as with many other things in our lives, sometimes your virtues are also your vices, so I understand that very, very well. My request is that you think perhaps about withdrawing this amendment. It is not to argue with you about your premises. Believe me, Mr. Flake, I don't do that. I understand exactly what you are saying, and I understand your concerns with regard to whether or not there are full and complete understandings of what we are doing and why we are doing it under the general aegis of earmarks. My point is that this particular designation has had thorough, and I assure you nonpartisan, thorough, complete briefings and hearings. That is the way our subcommittee works on Armed Services. I assure you of that. Again, as I say, everybody's virtue is also their vice; but let me tell you, if it is a vice to go into exquisite detail as to what you are dealing with, then Mr. Weldon, and I guess by extension myself, is guilty of that. I can assure you that if there is an argument on the floor against what we want to do with rotorcraft innovation in research, then I could understand why you wouldn't want to vote for it.…”