Sentence:  The most articulate Republicans are those who , in their desire to get back at Mr. Kennedy , already have created the image of a Republican leadership which <WSD>is</WSD> reluctant to assist the distressed and the unemployed , and which is even more unwilling to help old people who need medical care . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)