JR: Senator DeMint, exactly how long before Christmas Day is the period during which the American people don’t want Congress to work on major legislation, in your view?

JD: It has nothing to do with us not being willing to work. For the [continuing resolution] I’m willing to work right through New Year’s. It’s just, trying to do [New START] under the cover of people being distracted. We’ve worked with a lot of people on the outside and around the country who feel this is a bad way to do a bad treaty. People are distracted.

JR: How long are people distracted before Christmas? Is it the entire month of December, or what?