“That’s a good point,” Kingston said. “The thing we have got to learn to do in Washington is start acting like we’re spending our own money, right now with our national debt. And I’ll say this, as a Republican, we blew it, we spent lots of money.”

When questions about Bush administration policies persisted, Kingston said, “I’m not here to defend the Republican party. I’m here to say as a Republican we spent money, and if you want to say as a Democrat you did not, I don’t think you’re coming to the table with sincerity.”

In response to one audience member question about what has happened to the collective mind of Congress, Kingston said,

“I served in the state legislature for eight years and I can tell you, at the end of the day you always came together for what was right for the state. You always felt like there were some adults in the back room, and in Washington you find out that’s not necessarily the case. It’s really hardball politics and sometimes it’s very hard to come together on things.”