Thomas Daschle: “our form of government rests on two pillars. One is democracy. The other is free enterprise. We are the strongest, most…”

“our form of government rests on two pillars. One is democracy. The other is free enterprise. We are the strongest, most successful nation in the world because we have maintained the strength of both of those pillars. We are the most durable democracy in the world because our system is constantly refreshed by new leaders and new ideas. If leaders fail, they can be voted out of office. If ideas fail, they can be either discarded or improved. The strength of the system rests on the fact that--while not perfect--our Government is open and accountable. We have the strongest economy in the world, because our commitment to free enterprise is strengthened by a system of open markets. Those markets--fed by free-flowing, reliable financial information--channel investment into new ideas and new enterprises. Working at its best, our free enterprise system has generated durable economic growth, wealth, and opportunity that are the envy of the world. The corruption of one of these pillars threatens the other. The weakening of either threatens our Nation. This week's news from MCI WorldCom was the latest in a series of disclosures that have shaken confidence in American business.”