Yesterday I attended the Vets for Freedom rally on the Hill -- and it was a privelage. I approached the Senate Park to see hundreds of veterans surrounded by families and supporters. They stood proud and still -- ignoring protestors with stern looks of resolve. I felt enveloped by the passion of these people -- so determined to stick with a cause they've given so much for.

Mothers who've lost sons, wives waiting on their husband's return, men and women with battle wounds that will never go away. And yet they stood. They traveled from every state to meet with Congressmen and present their cause for perseverence and victory in Iraq. There were babies and grandmas, fathers and daughters -- all united in purpose. I didn't know those beside me but felt an immediate connection with each of them because of the convicted beliefs we all held about this war, about this job that must be completed with honor.

When Sen. John McCain and Sen. Joe Leiberman took the stage, it just felt like this cause was bolstered. These two especially, and several other senators and congressmen, lifted the morale of the crowd to an even deeper level. In the face of Democratic opposition for months now -- to withdraw troops and end what every newspaper calls an "unpopular war with an unpopular president" -- we've managed to stick it out. Something good is happening now. Vets for Freedom and Families United are a part of maintaining that strength to continue on. They were heard and seen yesterday. And I was honored to stand in the presence of these men and women who have preserved the freedoms and idealogies that make America what it is -- and the world a better place because of it.