"This action today to fund brand new projects, most of which are unrelated to the hurricane, is going to have a lot of folks up here scratching their heads, ... It's not going to build confidence in what we're doing on the ground, and that confidence building is an absolutely necessary part of what we need to have success in Congress."

"I think the ultimate test of this concept is what concrete, positive, bold action this produces."

"Unfortunately, we're at the top of a really bad list, ... That is railway crossing accidents and fatalities. Although we're not a populous state, we rank in the Top 3 in railway accidents and the Top 5 in deaths related to railway accidents. We have as many dangerous railway crossing as just about any state, except maybe for California and Illinois."

"Ronald Reagan's vision of smaller government, less taxes, and a strong national defense has led to a prosperous America. As president, he rebuilt our military and reinvigorated our confidence in ourselves."

"When a disaster is as big as at least Katrina, and you have this full-scale mobilization — food and water and ice and rescue efforts — I believe the proper entity at the federal level is the uniformed services to be in the lead of that,"

"I think everyone did better after Rita because of the experience of Katrina,"

"There was absolutely no execution,"

"We do not need international help to stop corruption, we need strong Louisiana Leadership."

"[At one point, the conversation turned to the preoccupation of the day -- the Supreme Court. If there were to be an opening, one of the guests, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), told the president he should consider a New Orleans federal appeals judge, Edith Brown Clement. Bush seemed interested and asked Vitter about her.] The president already knew the name, ... She was already on some sort of short list."

"If the American people lose confidence in this effort, Louisiana and the victims of the storm are going to suffer, so we have to have those protections in place."

"Our goal is to have a full and fair debate vote in September, ... If Judge Roberts is to be confirmed, we'd like to have him on the court by the time it goes back into session Oct. 3."

"The person would have no authority the government doesn't already have. It would be someone who could cut through the red tape."

"confident that we're going to get full consideration of these ideas coming out of the Louisiana delegation."

"As we proceed toward the U.S. Senate hearings for her confirmation, I expect she will provide more information about her life's work. I'll need to see this objective evidence prior to making my decision."

"This program would clearly allow for the forgiveness of loans,"

"Fighting for Our Future."

"I think money is absolutely being wasted, ... Louisiana workers and Louisiana businesses are not being used."

"One of the appropriation bills, the Transportation Treasury HUD Appropriation Bill, had money put into the bill at the committee level, ... When it comes out of committee once we return to session after Labor Day, we'll be passing it off the floor of the Senate. I'm confident that money will be there, plus maybe a little more if possible in the final conference committee version."

"Hopefully today is the turnaround, that is my prayer,"

"It's not a perfect bill but it's a good, solid bill worth passing,"

"To me, the single most important thing to me is that he has the right judicial philosophy, ... He will read the law as written by Congress and apply it to the facts of a case as written and not make it up as he goes along based on his views."