Bill Bennett: “I have never challenged the patriotism, the motives, or the rights of any Senator who has disagreed with the President…”

“I have never challenged the patriotism, the motives, or the rights of any Senator who has disagreed with the President on this vote. I do think he is profoundly wrong in the decision he has made with respect to this war. But I recognize that he has every right to make that decision. He has every right to defend that decision in as vigorous language as possible, but I want to make it clear to him and to any who may have misunderstood that under no circumstances and at no time have I ever challenged his patriotism. I am not sure I know of any other Senator who has ever challenged his patriotism. I hope we will understand that as we disagree, as vigorously as we do on this issue, we are not, in fact, engaging in what has been called the politics of personal destruction.”