The War On Terror is Serious Business to Republicans

The War on Terror is no bumper-sticker slogan to Republicans:

House debate on the new Iraq spending bill is bringing out a range of emotions from some congressmen, including House Minority Leader John Boehner.

"I didn't come here to be a congressman -- I came here to do something," the Ohio Republican said as he choked up with tears in his eyes on the House floor. "And I think at the top of our list is providing for the safety and security of the American people. That's at the top of our list. After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to stand up and take them on? When are we going to defeat them?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, if we don't do it now, if we don't have the courage to defeat the enemy, we will long, long regret it," he added.

Following his speech on the House floor, Boehner wiped his eyes and told CNN's Andrea Koppel, "It's been a long month."

The difference between the approaches of the two parties to 9/11 is very simple. Republicans saw it as an attack on America and the values we stand for, and something that must be answered with force. Democrats saw it as a crime that needs to be adjudicated in court and something that must be answered with a lawsuit, or just ignored...whichever is easier.

I'm glad there are still a few people on the Hill who get emotional when they think about the victims of 9/11.