Message From the Senate
MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE -- (House of Representatives - June 15, 2006)
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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Murtha for having the temerity to speak truth to power. Thank you for having the temerity to separate the war on terror from the travesty that is taking place in Iraq.
It is amazing to me, and this used to be a place, as Professor Remini writes, where Members would come down, unrehearsed, without charts or graphs. They would speak from their heart. They would talk about this institution and what it means to democracy all over the world.
What a sham today. We should all glorify in the aspects of democracy that take place all around the world and in Iraq. But what a sham this is today when we are denied any alternative resolution.
Mr. Lantos eloquently stated that earlier today, when he talked about Bob Michel and his eloquence standing on this floor, talking about speaking truth to power. And that is what is so upsetting to the American people and why Mr. Murtha has been recognized all around this country for standing up and speaking the truth to the American people, something this administration and, frankly, this Congress, has been unable to do. Level with the American people. Let's start with leveling with the American troops, leveling with all of those families of reservists and National Guardsmen who I speak with on a regular basis, who have been deployed, redeployed, deployed and redeployed again many times because we haven't had a plan.
Here we are in a race between cooperation and catastrophe, and you guys bring to the floor a political document not designed for a new direction or to bring the country together to discuss this issue the way it should be, but instead as talking points outlined by Karl Rove in New Hampshire, sandwiched in between the President's photo op and a picnic this evening.
Americans are outraged that we don't have a citizenry and Members here who are willing to stand up and have accountability. We all support the war on terror. And this party, from Roosevelt to Truman to Kennedy, to JACK MURTHA, has stood on the watch wall of freedom and stood there valiantly, but collectively with the American people and in this body and in this Chamber, but that is not going on here today. Instead it is right out of the playbook, attack JACK MURTHA. Attack the messenger. That is a formula that works. It worked against Max Cleland. It worked against JOHN KERRY. Geez, that will work against JACK MURTHA also. Discredit this guy. Discredit what he has had to say because he had the temerity to speak truth to power in an administration that can't level with the American public, can't level with you.
Why don't you criticize General Baptiste, General Zinni, General Van Riper, all of these generals? Are they all wrong too for speaking truth to power? Shouldn't we be talking about how we can collectively move forward in a new direction for this country, instead of a tried and true playbook of political jargon on a resolution that is nonbinding? Speak truth to power.
I am proud to associate myself with Mr. Murtha and everything he stands for.
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