John Kerry: “If the Senator will yield, I appreciate what the Senator is saying. First of all, everybody understands the danger of…”

“If the Senator will yield, I appreciate what the Senator is saying. First of all, everybody understands the danger of the rating agencies right now. The problem is, we have to reach across the aisle and negotiate. We have to come to an agreement. Right now, there is not a lot of negotiating going on. I ask the Senator if he doesn't agree that there is an enormous difference between the--a moment ago, the Senator said ``if he had gotten his way.'' The whole point is that everybody knew he wasn't about to get his way. That was a truly symbolic vote. Today, however, is it not true that we are on the brink of a default, and the absence of negotiation or of a settlement presents us with a far more serious consequence to the unwillingness to raise the debt ceiling today?”