[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25718]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 ARE YOU PUSHING OR PULLING BACK THERE?

  (Mr. AKIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. AKIN. When I traveled in rural Missouri a number of years ago, I 
had a favorite truck stop. And on the wall among the things they sold 
was a picture of a little John Deere green wagon with yellow wheels, 
had a bail of hay, and it looked like a wheel was sort of stuck on a 
bump. And there was a little kid with Oshkosh overalls pushing on it, 
and another kid with the tongue, and he is looking over his shoulder, 
and in the caption, ``Are you pushing or are you pulling back there?'' 
And that picture kind of comes to mind when I think of our Democrat 
leadership.
  We have got 130,000 troops in the field and they have already 
declared defeat; and I am kind of wondering, are you pushing or pulling 
back there?
  And then we have unanimous consent for General Petraeus, and before 
he can deliver the report that the Democrats asked to have delivered, 
they are savaging him in the New York Times as ``General Betray Us.'' 
And I am thinking, are you pushing or pulling back there?
  And now we are talking about affording all kinds of special rights to 
terrorists that are in jail. It makes me think one more time: By golly, 
guys, are you pushing or pulling back there?

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