W. Todd Akin: “The Democrats' supplemental bill was a crafty way to quit in Iraq. Now, certainly each of us individually, and even as…”

“The Democrats' supplemental bill was a crafty way to quit in Iraq. Now, certainly each of us individually, and even as leaders and nations, is tempted at various times in the face of overwhelming odds to quit and to give up; and yet greatness in leaders and greatness in nations is frequently measured by a stubborn and cussed determination to carry on. We think, of course, immediately of George Washington at Valley Forge, we think of Winston Churchill challenging the people of England to rise up and to be strong against the Nazis; he loved to mispronounce it to bait Hitler. But we also recall in our own history how we were in Vietnam, how we bombed North Vietnam, and in the observation of Jeremiah Denton, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, how we were just very close to victory. North Vietnam was about to capitulate because of the bombing, and then we cut and run. The test before us today is for the courage and the heart of not just the Iraqi people, but the American people. What are the measurements we should be looking at? It is not the day for the sunshine patriot, but for the cussed and the strong and the brave.”