Political Quotes

“I want to make just a few comments on the progress that has been made--and it has been real progress over the last 2 rac{1}{2} weeks--on the emergency request for Iraq and Afghanistan. While we will have much more debate over the course of the day and likely tomorrow morning, and discussion on the amendments, I predict this bill will pass with very strong bipartisan support either late tonight or tomorrow. There has been a general understanding in this body that, indeed, we are at war against terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq and the assistance we are debating--the urgent supplemental request--is absolutely vital and integral to victory and to the safe return of our soldiers. Replacing the defeated regime of Saddam Hussein with a democratic Iraq is an essential turning point in bringing freedom to a part of the world that has been governed by extremism and by terrorism now for decades. As General John Abizaid said before the Armed Services Committee, our service men and women are very clear when asked about their commitment to victory in Iraq. He said: "We can fight them there or we can fight them here." What we are doing now very directly affects the security of the American people. Iraq is a country, as we all know, that is deeply in debt because of Saddam Hussein's many excesses in over more than 20 years. In order to help Iraq, we must absolutely bring a basic level of stability to that country.”