Here at home when Americans were standing in long lines to give blood after the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon we squandered an obvious opportunity to make service a noble cause again and rekindle an American spirit of community.

We've been a country that's been fortunate to be protected by two oceans to not have serious attacks on our territory for most of our history. And we were unfortunately reminded in a very devastating way of our vulnerability.

Since the dawn of time traditional marriage - the union between one man and one woman - has been the building block of civilization and at no point in our nation's history has that foundation been under more severe attack than now.

The deliberate and deadly attacks which were carried out yesterday against our country were more than acts of terror. They were acts of war.

There is nothing new about these Republican attacks on our family planning decisions. In fact from the moment they came into power Republicans in the House of Representatives have been waging a war on women's health.

When elected officials abandon our environment and ruin our natural resources public health is endangered. I know the importance of providing a clean environment for our children I have attended more than one funeral for a child who has died from an asthma attack.

I mean the fight for a health care bill to cover all Americans and leave none behind is attacked as being a race appeal which is not true but then it's put out in the media as true.

When Religion and Royalty are swept away the people will attack the great and after the great they will fall upon the rich.

The great defense against the air menace is to attack the enemy's aircraft as near as possible to their point of departure.

You can't win with some people. If you're not in government you're criticised for being not serious. If you are in government you're criticised for wanting power. That's the Labour party's line of attack and it's a bit ridiculous.