Byron Dorgan: “I was speaking about the negotiations to try to reach some kind of a balanced budget plan. I know there has been a lot…”

“I was speaking about the negotiations to try to reach some kind of a balanced budget plan. I know there has been a lot of windmilling of the arms and gnashing of the teeth and wringing of the hands. There has been a lot of huffing and puffing on both sides of the aisle about the budget deficit and about who is at fault for not reaching a plan of some type to deal with the budget deficit. But the plain fact is, both sides, it seems to me, have something to contribute. I have said on the floor that the Republicans, I think, need to be commended. The Republicans have said to us, this is something we must do. They have continued to apply pressure that we reach some kind of a solution. That, I think, serves this country's interests. The Democrats also serve this country's interests by saying, yes, let us do that, but let us do it the right way. Just doing it, if you do it the wrong way, can be terribly destructive to this country. The choices on spending, which is what we are really talking about when we balance the budget, are critically important. Some came to the floor of the Senate and said, 'We have a deal for you. Let us cut Star Schools by 40 percent and let us increase spending on star wars by 100 percent.' I do not know what air they breathe, but that does not seem like very clear thinking to me. So the method by which we balance the budget is critically important. How many people do you want to kick out of the Head Start Program?”