At War With Each other

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE

AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, there is no question that the terrorists are at war with us. Unfortunately, it is becoming apparent that in Washington we are also at war with each other.

Today, the senior Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy, delivered an incendiary speech in Washington that deserves a strong rebuttal. We should all remember that last September Senator Kennedy made news and raised eyebrows with an astonishing claim that the war in Iraq was "made up in Texas" and that "the whole thing was a fraud" because it was going "to be good politically" for the President.

Of course, that suggestion was so absurd that the senior Senator from Massachusetts was roundly criticized for the recklessness of the charge, as well he should have been. Today the Senator has mounted another vicious attack on the President by leveling claims so outrageous, so completely outrageous I am not going to repeat them here on the Senate floor, although they are being carried on television across the world, presumably even in Baghdad where those who are fighting Americans in the street can view them.

I would simply say this to the Senator from Massachusetts, that the only one responsible for the attack on America is al-Qaida. Further, I would say we need to focus on routing out global terrorism by fighting the terrorists and not each other. It is this Senator's opinion America would be much better served if the Senator from Massachusetts would remember who the enemy is. The enemy is terrorism and the enemy is al-Qaida.

But the political season is upon us and this will not be the last attack on President Bush. But while the debate over the election proceeds, I am hopeful the tone set by the Senator from Massachusetts will not become the standard.

I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.