[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9417-S9419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     UGLINESS OF AMERICAN POLITICS

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, first, I am proud to be in the Senate. I 
have always been proud to be a part of our political system. It is a 
remarkable privilege to participate in this system of ours. I have run 
for Statewide election 11 times, since I was in my midtwenties. I must 
say there are times when I see and hear things in American politics 
that fill me with disgust.
  Two years ago, we had a colleague, Max Cleland, who sat in that desk 
near the door. Max Cleland was charged in his campaign with lack of 
commitment to our country's national security. They ran an ad against 
Max Cleland that had an image of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. 
This is a man who left three limbs on the battlefield. He sat in this 
Chamber missing two legs and an arm. Back home on television, he was 
accused of not standing up for this country's national security. It 
stretches my threshold of forgiveness to excuse those who do that to 
someone like Max Cleland, who went to Vietnam, came back, and wrote a 
book entitled ``Strong at the Broken Places.'' He ran for the Senate to 
become a U.S. Senator, only to be attacked that he was not somehow 
standing up for the national security interests of this country. Shame 
on them.
  This Sunday, I saw that ugliness again raise its head. It is the 
worst of American politics, in my judgment. This is a newspaper called 
the Rapid City Journal. I have it because this comes from a neighboring 
State of

[[Page S9418]]

mine. On Sunday, Republican challenger John Thune accused Democratic 
Senator Tom Daschle of encouraging America's enemies and damaging U.S. 
troop morale with a headline, ``Emboldening the Enemy?''
  For those who engage in this kind of politics, attacking the 
Democratic leader in the Senate as emboldening the enemy, encouraging 
America's enemies, and damaging U.S. troop morale, the Rapid City 
Journal says, all I can say is, shame, shame. Is there decency left in 
American politics? There was not in the attack on Max Cleland, a man 
who nearly died on the battlefield, and there is not in this 
unforgivable attack on the Democratic leader in the Senate.
  Does anyone really believe that which occurs here, that the actions 
of the Democratic leader embolden the enemy, encourage America's 
enemies, and damage U.S. troop morale? It is so disgusting to see the 
tactic of questioning someone's commitment to their country, 
questioning someone's patriotism, or when someone says a critical word, 
suggesting somehow that they are giving aid and comfort to America's 
enemies. That is not what ought to be the best in this democracy. It is 
the worst in American politics. The shrill, ugly, corrosive, relentless 
attacks in this political system ought to stop. There is so much to be 
done. Obviously, I support my colleague, Senator Daschle.
  There is reason to have an aggressive debate in our State to the 
south about a range of issues. But there is no reason, no excuse for 
the challenger in that race to be suggesting the Democratic leader here 
in the Senate, my colleague and friend Senator Daschle, somehow is 
encouraging America's enemies and damaging U.S. troop morale. That is 
not below the belt, that is below the radar screen of American 
politics. My hope is that the American people, my hope would have been 
that the citizens of Georgia, and my hope certainly is that the 
citizens of the United States see it for what it is. It is an outrage, 
and this country should not stand for it. This country is about, in my 
judgment, aggressive, open debate. There is an old saying: When 
everyone is thinking the same thing, no one is thinking very much.

  But we have people around today who believe if you raise any 
questions at all, you are somehow unpatriotic. What a load of nonsense.
  I came into American politics and into this political system proud of 
politics and the way we make decisions. John F. Kennedy used to say 
that every mother kind of hopes her child might grow up to become 
President as long as they are not active in politics.
  He was kidding, of course. Politics is an honorable venture in this 
country. It is the way we have made decisions for over 200 years. There 
is nowhere else like this place on this globe. We spin around the Sun 
with 6 billion of us and somehow through divine providence we landed 
right here right now. What a wonderful event for us. It is our job to 
be caretakers of a political system, a democracy that is the most 
successful in the world. There is plenty of reason for us to have 
aggressive debates. Aggressive debate is wonderful. It is invigorating 
and refreshing to our democracy. But this is not aggressive debate. 
This is the worst of American politics. I hope it stops.
  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, may I direct a question to my colleague?
  Mr. DORGAN. I would be happy to respond or yield the floor.
  Mr. JOHNSON. I want to express my agreement with the observations 
expressed by my friend and colleague from North Dakota about the tenor 
of some of the recent attacks directed toward my colleague from South 
Dakota, Senator Daschle. This is beyond anything we have witnessed in 
America politics in more than a generation, and perhaps ever, to have 
an attack in a political campaign essentially accusing a leader of the 
Senate of conduct bordering on treason.
  I think Senator Daschle put it well, that based on good values in the 
way we tend to see things, the observations of this gentleman ought to 
lead to a trip to the woodshed for the despicable nature of the 
observations. I believe it would be hard to find anyone in the Senate--
I am sure my colleague from North Dakota would agree with me, Senator 
Daschle being the only veteran in that particular race, someone who 
served in the Vietnam era--would Senator Dorgan agree with me that 
there is virtually no one in the Senate of either party who has been 
more committed to living up to our obligations to our veterans, to the 
safety, equipment, and resources of our men and women in uniform? I ask 
this question of my colleague from North Dakota, as the father of a 
young man, my oldest son who served in combat in both Afghanistan and 
most recently in Iraq, a member of the 101st Airborne, my son, who is a 
very big supporter, a very vocal supporter of Senator Daschle and the 
importance for the sake of our military and our national security of 
our State of reelecting him to this important position. But can you 
think of anyone who has done more, who has provided more leadership, 
has been more vocal in support of our troops and our military and our 
Nation's defense than Senator Daschle?

  Mr. DORGAN. Senator Daschle is an Air Force veteran. He is a patriot. 
He is someone who has a strong record on national defense and national 
security issues. He doesn't need me to come to the floor to defend him. 
I come to the floor only because I am disgusted at this sort of 
nonsense. This represents the worst of American politics. If you want 
to have a debate about energy, taxes, foreign policy, name it, have 
that debate. But don't accuse your opponent of somehow not standing up 
for the interests of this country. Don't accuse your opponent of giving 
aid and comfort to the enemy. That is beneath, in my judgment, 
thoughtful politics. That is the kind of thoughtless and low blow in 
politics that is uncalled for. The only reason I came to the floor is I 
am disgusted by this.
  I am part of this political system and I have always in my campaign 
tried to wage a positive campaign. When challenged, I am aggressive, no 
question about that. But I hope no one is accusing me of the low road 
because I never take the low road. I believe this is about a positive 
future of jobs and hope and opportunity for the American people. There 
is so much to talk about and so much to do. In my judgment, it betrays 
rather than serves the public interest in this country to be somehow 
questioning the patriotism or questioning the commitment of a Member of 
this body, especially the leader of our caucus, questioning the 
commitment of the leader to the ideals and goals of this country and 
saying instead that somehow what the leader of our caucus has done is 
to give aid and comfort to the enemy or to embolden the enemy, as the 
headline states. That is not what we should expect from our political 
system or the candidates who are in that political system.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a 
question?
  Mr. DORGAN. I would be happy to yield.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. I thank the Senator for yielding.
  The Senator has accurately described a political season where 
meanness is the order of the day. He has pointed out this element in 
the race in South Dakota. I have seen it in my State of Florida 
recently, interestingly, in the Republican primary, meanness where the 
truth doesn't matter, where you can be opponents, but you don't have to 
be enemies, and it is there nevertheless. It is time for the people of 
this country to say that is enough. We are killing our own democratic 
institutions with the smut and dirt and untruths, and it is time to 
stop.
  Mr. REID. Will the Senator yield?
  I know the Senator from North Dakota has the floor. I would like to 
ask a question of the Senator from Florida. To make the Senator's point 
clear, however, I ask, is it not true that the Senate race to which the 
Senator is referring was a race between two Republicans, one backed by 
the President and the other running on his own, former Congressman 
McCollum? And the viciousness--I have read editorials from the State of 
Florida which dealt with Martinez's campaign against this good man, 
Congressman McCollum, and the same applies to South Dakota. The same 
crew that is trying to demean Senator Daschle demeaned Congressman 
McCollum. Is that a fair statement?
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. I say to the Senator that sadly Mr. McCollum, 
former Congressman, who ended up second in the Republican primary, a 
fellow I have known since high school and

[[Page S9419]]

who has some very high principles, because he announced that he was in 
favor of the hate crimes bill, was labeled, as reported in the St. 
Petersburg Times, as ``the new darling of the homosexual extremists'' 
as a means of trying to cut him down in a Republican primary.
  This has absolutely gotten out of control and I am afraid we are 
going to see more of the same as we come into the general election. It 
is exasperating. It is not the American way. We have seen this time 
after time. My goodness, what do we have to expect in the Presidential 
race in the next 6 weeks?
  That is my response to the Senator.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, will the Chair state what the matter before 
the Senate is at this stage?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is in morning business for debate 
only.
  Mr. REID. And the time is not divided between now and 3 o'clock?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator from North Dakota has 
expired.
  Mr. REID. Following that expiration of time, how is the time 
allocated?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is no order in place.
  The Senator from Nevada.

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