[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 POLITICAL DEBATES SHOULD BE ABOUT VALUES AND IDEALS, NOT NAME CALLING

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, it is a presidential election year, and 
presidential elections are very important. Politics in general, in a 
republic like ours, is a substitute for Civil War. It is a very 
important process. At the same time, I think we need to control the 
rhetoric.
  Last night, the leading Democrat nominee, John Kerry, called, or 
seemed to call, the President of the United States and his crew ``a 
crooked bunch of liars.'' Now, those are strong words, and somewhat 
ridiculous when we consider the fact that we should be having a debate 
of values, of ideals, and that that debate should be conducted with 
integrity.
  As a Member of Congress, I call on our colleague, the Senator from 
Massachusetts, to publicly apologize not just to the President of the 
United States but to the American people. We need a good debate. We 
need to look at the differences between these two candidates. One is 
obviously a big liberal and likes more government, higher taxes, and 
more regulation. The other one likes less. But the debate should be 
about those values, not name calling.
  Senator Kerry, please apologize to the American people.

                          ____________________