Roy Blunt: “Of course, I hope that as you grapple with this, you will grapple toward the determination of input into this important…”

“Of course, I hope that as you grapple with this, you will grapple toward the determination of input into this important debate. I believe, as you do, it is a critically important debate. This is an important issue. You and I have been together to Iraq twice. We both have taken this issue very seriously. We watched and the American people have watched the debate on the other side of this building this week, where the whole process has come to a halt because of the unwillingness of that body to move forward without having options on the table; and even in that debate, the majority offered at least one alternative opportunity to the minority. And that was not acceptable to that minority on that side of the building. I would hope on this side of the building that at least we would get the offer that if you are working on the other side of the building, you walked away from, which would be one opportunity to express another view. We are going to have 3 full days of debate. The gentleman said some of them could very well last as long as midnight. That is enough time to consider more than one point of view and have at least two points of view heard. And I heard the gentleman early in the week; I heard him say today, you are still grappling with that. And I would just encourage you to do your best to try to create the opportunity for this issue to be debated in the fullest possible way at this moment and move on with that.”