Political Quotes

“I rise today to celebrate Virginia's role as the 2004 provider of the annual U.S. Capitol Holiday Tree, selected each year from America's national forests. In recent decades, the traditional Christmas tree has moved beyond its place as solely a religious symbol in the homes of hundreds of millions of Americans. Although the Christmas tree will always, and rightfully, have a special meaning in Christian homes, today all Americans await the annual tree-trimming to signal the beginning of the year-end religious and holiday season. It is with great pleasure that I join my colleagues from the Virginia congressional delegation in recognizing the first-ever contribution from the Commonwealth of Virginia to this fine tradition. This year, our State, the home of the first English-speaking colony in the Americas, and home to our first President, George Washington, and eight of his successors, will make America proud as the home of the Nation's holiday tree for the first time since this tradition began 40 years ago. The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote of friendship as a 'sheltering tree.' And this year, thousands of Virginians--from all ages and from all across the Commonwealth--have extended the right hand of friendship to their fellow Americans by providing this great tree for display in our Nation's capital.”