John Kerry: “at a time when so many Americans are out of work, with out Nation at war and with, appropriately, calls for national…”

“at a time when so many Americans are out of work, with out Nation at war and with, appropriately, calls for national unity, I regret to say I have to come to the floor to address what I feel is the ultimate breakdown on unity. Rather than delivering a responsible stimulus package that is targeted and temporary, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been working overtime to turn a legitimate policy debate into a personal exercise in demonization. They have worked hard to turn a battle of ideas into a battle of name calling. And their focus has been our leader Tom Daschle. They have called him obstructionist--partisan--divisive--and worse. Now let me make clear for the record, I'm not worried about Tom Daschle. He's tough and resilient like the South Dakota prairie. He won't buckle, he won't shrink from their charges, and Tom Daschle knows that truth wins out in the end. He knows that what a different wartime leader, Abraham Lincoln, said is still true: "If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference." By that measure, Tom Daschle will do just fine. But let's be honest. This really isn't about Tom Daschle. It's about a Republican Party that knows their agenda won't stand up to the light of day and so they need to make the debate about something else. Can't pass drilling in an Arctic Refuge on its merits?…”