Political Quotes

“I thank the distinguished Presiding Officer, the Senator from New Mexico. Vermont National Guard Mr. President, let me begin by noting that this morning, while watching ``The Today Show,'' I saw a piece about the Vermont National Guard. We have called them the Green Mountain Boys from the time of Ethan Allen. It was fascinating to watch Savannah Guthrie, who is one of the anchors of the morning program ``The Today Show.'' Her brother is a colonel with the Vermont National Guard who flies F-16s. She got to ride on the plane with her brother, which I thought was remarkable. I had the opportunity to fly with them before. For those of us who are usually confined to flying on airlines, this is a little bit different, both in takeoff, visibility, and maneuvers. I have never been on a commercial airplane where I was pulled anywhere from 5 to 9 Gs, as that flight was. I was glad to see not only Colonel Guthrie recognized, but also all the men and women of the Vermont National Guard. This is a group who, in the hours after 9/11--the tragedies of 9/11--immediately took to the air and guarded the skies over New York City. I recall when our adjutant general called me to tell me that the Green Mountain Boys were protecting New York City around the clock. I asked her: Where are you basing them from? She said: Vermont. I said: Well, how long does it take you to get to New York City? She told me: With the after burners, a matter of minutes.…”