Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I would like to respond to my distinguished colleague from Kentucky because he has brought up one set of circumstances.…”

“I would like to respond to my distinguished colleague from Kentucky because he has brought up one set of circumstances. But my situation is not covered by the Levin-Wellstone bill. My situation would continue because I was elected to the U.S. Senate and faced this harassment by a district attorney in Texas, who had the power to do it at the time. So I was under Senate rules, and I put myself voluntarily under the Senate rules. I was not really totally clear but I went to the Ethics Committee and I said, ``Really, where am I?'' And they said ``We think you should comply with Senate rules. I said, ``Great. I just want to do what is right.'' So I did. But under the Levin-Wellstone bill, I could not have raised the money to defend myself. So this district attorney could have nullified the election with his malicious prosecution because he would have known that I could not have the ability to defend myself. And there I would have been. I must say that other distinguished colleagues will be in that position. We see our President right now being charged with something that allegedly happened when he was Governor of Arkansas. Do you think it would be fair for him not to be able to have the resources to hire an attorney and defend himself? I do not think you think so. I think every person should have the right, as every American does, the right to be able to have the resources--particularly when you are being prosecuted because you are in public service.”