Louise Slaughter: “we are truly at a crossroads in the history of the Nation. Abroad we are engaged in a war that with each passing day…”

“we are truly at a crossroads in the history of the Nation. Abroad we are engaged in a war that with each passing day becomes more dangerous, just as our path to victory becomes more obscured. At home we are still dealing with the consequence of the colossal failure of the government to meet its most basic responsibility, to protect our citizens in a time of dire crisis. It has been 7 months since Katrina devastated the gulf coast, and thousands upon thousands of our fellow Americans are still depending on handouts to survive. They are without their homes, without their jobs, and without a sense of security. And here in Washington, the principles of integrity, accountability and oversight, the cornerstone values of our democratic government, have been cast aside in favor of political expediency by our elected leadership. The American people are losing faith in this government. They believe we are headed in the wrong direction, and they want change, and it is not hard to see why. How we ultimately address the challenges before us as a government and as a people will define the future of this Nation for better or worse. In times like these, when we are so focused on what separates us from each other, it is critical that we remember what binds us together, a commitment to the same core values and principles.…”