Dana Milbank Quotes

We are in a code orange. Homeland Security said earlier today that everyone should have a roll of duct tape and plastic sheeting to protect your house in event of terrorist attacks. Who came up with this idea? MacGyver?

There are over 100 entities in the federal government that have something to do with homeland security.

Americans rightly asked, if this is the way our government responds to a natural disaster it knew about days in advance, how would it respond to a surprise terrorist attack? How would it respond to an earthquake?

We have no more fundamental obligation in government than to ensure the safety of our citizens.

Nearly all government advice on terrorism sacrifices practical particulars for an unalarming tone. The usual guidance is to maintain a three-day supply of food and water along with a radio, flashlight, batteries and first-aid kit.

City government can and must help San Franciscans prepare for emergencies in order to avoid tragedy where possible and minimize loss of life and property when emergencies occur.

It is time to acknowledge that the reorganization that took place in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was a mess.

Safety has been my top legislative priority. I'm driven by the idea that safety is really a core function of government.

How unprepared we are for a terrorist attack.

Public service announcement: In case of a terrorist attack, bottled water and duct tape are not going to do a damn thing. So do what Homeland Security Dir. Tom Ridge does: Get really drunk, and pick up a hooker.

The federal government can't remodel every firehouse and buy every new policeradio in the name of Homeland Security.

Citizens are not prepared for attacks because there is a bias against the public by nearly every expert and government official. In emergency preparedness, there is this belief that public will panic, that the public is not to be trusted, that there will be looting.

And while the U.S. can never be 100 percent safe from a future strike, our government is working around the clock on measures to protect the American people.

The safety of the people is the first and foremost responsibility of government… We are not as prepared as we should be with our public safety network…. The margin for error is exceedingly and uniquely low.

The safety of the American people has got to be our number one priority. That is our most important problem.

Assure personal survival in any kind of disaster.

The safety of the country stands above all other considerations, and no matter what the cost, the safety of the country must be assured.

I want to give the American people assurances that we are protecting them.

Do every single thing you can to protect yourself, your family, and your country.

Ensuring the safety and security of our monuments and infrastructure is critical to protecting our communities and the American people.

Public safety and emergency preparedness is essential.

9/11 was a gamechanger in so many terrible ways, not just for the United States and for our own national security apparatus but for the whole world. And those attacks blew apart any notion of separation between foreign and domestic threats, any notion that such attacks only happen to other people in other countries.

My highest priority is the safety of all Oregonians and their communities.

Severe weather can come at any time, and millions of people are impacted by storms each year. Truly, the best defense against severe weather is for families to create an emergency plan, practice that plan, and always stay alert and ready.

We had no domestic attacks under Bush.