Political Quotes

“yesterday morning I made a trip to meet with the head of the American Red Cross. ADM Marty Evans is an extraordinary person. She was born in Springfield, IL, and served in the U.S. Navy for 29 years. She rose to the rank of rear admiral and, after her retirement from the Navy, spent several years as head of the Girl Scouts of America. Then a few years ago, she was chosen to be CEO of the American Red Cross. The American Red Cross is an extraordinary agency. There are some 4,500 employees in Washington, 30,000 nationwide, millions of volunteers. Those of us who have had the good fortune of working with the Red Cross know that the people working in Washington are important, but the volunteers in the field are absolutely essential--men and women from communities across America who, at the first warning signal, are prepared to give up their personal lives and move to where they are needed. The help they bring and have brought has made a difference so many times in the lives of victims. As Ms. Evans told me yesterday, this is not just a matter of hurricanes and floods. They respond to house fires to try to make certain that families and individual communities have a helping hand. I asked her what she did in preparation for Hurricane Katrina, how the American Red Cross positioned itself. I asked what they were doing in anticipation of Hurricane Rita, which we are all watching so closely. She said they didn't wait for a Government signal.…”