Chuck Schumer: “I thank my colleague for her thoughtful, incisive, and from-the-heart-type comments. I will comment on them. The one I…”

“I thank my colleague for her thoughtful, incisive, and from-the-heart-type comments. I will comment on them. The one I would like to focus on a little bit is the intimidation. The greatness of this democracy through the centuries has been the structure the Founding Fathers set up which allows debate on the issues. It is wonderful. If we had to think of a sentence at the core of America, it might be: We believe in the competition of ideas, and the best idea will win out. Free speech, that is the competition of ideas in its pure form. Free enterprise, that is the competition of economic ideas. Freedom of religion, that is the competition of spiritual ideas. Democracy is the competition of political ideas. When we no longer have that, the democracy frays. When people are afraid to say what they think, not because their arguments will be answered directly but, rather, because they will be hit below the belt, we have the beginnings of the fraying of the democracy, and that is what is happening. I hate to say this, but this administration seems to have a peculiar penchant to attack someone's patriotism when they disagree. I have basically been a supporter of the President on the war and foreign policy, but for those who disagree, there has been not just, here is why you are wrong and let me tell you why--there has been some of that--but in addition there is an impugning of motive, an impugning of character, a kneecapping.”