Sen. Gorton was a member of The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9-11 Commission).

Perhaps our initial response to Thursday's foiled terrorist attack should be to congratulate the Brits' MI5 and its associated law enforcement agencies for a job well done. Discovering, monitoring, and waiting to arrest a group of dangerous potential terrorists until the largest number could be taken into custody with the most evidence to convict was great work.

Second, we should note the fine international information sharing and cooperation. Both the FBI here and Pakistani agencies worked with the Brits to make the case and, in the Pakistanis' case, to make arrests. This is just the kind of joint work that was so tragically missing in the days and years leading up to 9/11.

Third, we were reminded once again that airplanes are still the weapons of choice for ambitious would-be terrorists and that a heavy emphasis on aircraft security is an appropriate priority.

Fourth, we can take modest comfort in the fact that DHS was not caught totally surprised by an unexpected new form of in-air terrorism. The good news is that DHS has been researching just the kind of threat these extremists present; the bad news is that the department has yet to come up with a practical detecting device.

Finally, we need to remember that the religious and political ideas motivating these people have been around for centuries and will not be eliminated anytime soon. We are in a long war against this enemy, must be constantly both on our guard and proactive, and must use our collective imaginations to sniff out new threats.

First of all, it took some good intelligence work and cooperation for the British Government to be able to cut this off before it actually happened. We have no idea as to what's going on out there or what should be done.

I was most pleased that New Yorkers realize that the world has changed. We just have to take these things in our stride. I'm amazed at all the people on the street who were interviewed who were willing to make all the adjustments that they'll have to make in traveling. But they know that there are a lot of mean people in this world.

It wouldn't surprise me if we aren't responsible for the creation of some of these mean people with our intrusions into Iraq. I agree with Secretary Rumsfeld when he said that we may be creating more terrorists than we're killing. For them to see what we're doing in Iraq is repugnant not only to Islamic people but to all people who look for justice and peace. The whole idea that Bush and others continually refer to "Islamic Fascists" - you know, they didn't call Hitler a "Christian Radical" or the KKK "Baptist Radicals!" To take a name like Islam and to attach an adjective to it is not well-conceived.

First of all, we'll want to get the budget done. We also need a vote on the minimum wage. Hopefully, we'll have a vote on the estate tax. The current system is confiscatory and is the greatest destroyer of family-owned small businesses in the country. If we don't make the reform permanent, then the estate tax will become confiscatory again.

We need a strong border security bill before we leave.  I continue to hold out hope that we can kill the death tax.  We have to prioritize funding for our troops deployed around the world.

In New Jersey, we have a very good chance of unseating a GOP Congressman who supports President Bush and his haphazard ways of running our country. Rep. Mike Ferguson does not represent the best interests of New Jersey or America, and that is why I am running against him. We need common-sense change, and that is what I am offering. We need to bring our troops back home from Iraq as soon as possible; we need to find a way to lower gas prices; we need to protect Social Security and Medicare; and we must protect a woman’s right to choose. Ferguson is on the wrong side of the fence on all these issues, and his constituents know it. Keep your eye on District 7 in New Jersey. The tide is turning, and people are ready to vote Ferguson out of Congress.

The foiled terrorist plot to commit mass murder using our airlines and our freedoms is a stark reminder of the constant need for vigilance in the war on terror. As we approach the fifth anniversary of 9-11, the terrorists have shown their ability to maneuver around the precautions we institute. We have to show the same ability to adapt to their endless capacity for fear, hatred, and death.  Today, I am very proud of the work of countless agents and first responders that thwarted this evil plot. And I stand ready to continue to work with these brave Americans to keep our homeland safe and secure.

Republicans again showed their duplicity in their treatment of the proposed bill to increase the minimum wage. Rather than let the proposal stand on its merits - to offer a just wage to millions of low-wage workers, House Republicans packaged a wage increase into a bill they knew would die in the Senate. By engaging in this frivolous exercise, vulnerable Republicans can face their constituents and claim they tried to raise the minimum wage. It is sad to see Republicans in Congress playing political games with the real life struggles facing America's working families.

As far as what would be most beneficial for Americans, the numbers tell it all: the estate tax cuts will help 8200 people - 8200 people who are already among the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans. Meanwhile, while the Dick DeVos's of the nation are counting their millions and billions, America's low wage earners - all 6.6 million of them - will be left behind to find a way to make their $10,700 yearly income livable.

The purpose of a democracy, and the mission of Democrats, is to respond to the voices and needs of the majority of the people. Clearly, this latest Republican tactic turns a deaf ear to that majority. The people must make their voices heard in the next election - by voting Republicans out of office and putting an end to their charades.

Families whose lives were overturned by Hurricane Katrina now may be getting sick because of the chemicals used in manufacturing their government-provided housing. Tests of the air in FEMA-issued emergency housing trailers in Mississippi and Louisiana revealed that 94% of the trailers had high levels of formaldehyde gas that exceeded EPA guidelines. Additional recent tests found the problem in trailers in Alabama as well. Formaldehyde exposure, even at low levels, can trigger coughing, wheezing, and even asthma attacks. Formaldehyde is also a known human carcinogen.

This is unacceptable.  Today Rep. Charlie Melancon and I wrote a letter to FEMA demanding answers: Did FEMA know that formaldehyde had been used in treating the wood in the trailers? Did FEMA cut corners in buying trailers treated with the chemical? What is FEMA doing to address the problem?

Katrina victims have already been through too much. They shouldn't have to worry about getting sick from the air in their FEMA-provided homes.

Campaigning for Vermont’s sole seat in the U.S. House has brought me to all corners of our beautiful Green Mountain State. Vermonters expect a personal connection with their elected officials and I’ve listened to their concerns about health care, ethics reform, controlling the federal budget and homeland security. These are issues facing not only Vermont but all Americans.

My message of reform is resonating. Every poll has showed this race to be a statistical dead heat and the most recent independent poll has me leading my opponent by a narrow margin.

But the news today of a foiled plot to blow up airplanes in Britain should remind all Americans that our national security must remain a top priority for all of our elected officials. Read more...