Byron Dorgan: “It has been interesting, today, to listen to some of the discussion on the floor of the Senate about the economy. The…”

“It has been interesting, today, to listen to some of the discussion on the floor of the Senate about the economy. The reason it has been interesting is there is not a great deal of discussion these days about the economy. Most of the discussion here in Congress especially, and on the front pages of America's newspapers, has been about the subject of Iraq and national security. That is important. There is no question about that. The issues of service, duty, honor, patriotism, national security--all of those issues are deadly serious business for our country. When we talk about sending America's sons and daughters to war, that is deadly serious business, and the Constitution has something to say about it. The Constitution provides that the Congress shall make that decision. Let me just say, on these issues--I am going to speak about the economy, but I have been troubled lately by some of the things I have read about national security, especially about a new doctrine that is being developed, or has been developed, and announced by some, talking about preemptive strikes--that our country has a right to preemptively strike a potential adversary.”