Lt. Gov. John Garamendi:

“How about sending our National Guard back from Iraq, so that we have those people available here to help us?”

“I’ve got some doubt about the value of President Bush coming out here. How many times did he go to New York or to New Orleans and still made promises but hasn’t delivered. We have the Terminator out here, Gov. Schwarzenegger is doing a good job, and we’ll see.”

Asked if Bush’s trip is about PR: “Of course it’s public relations. The actions taking place by the hard working firefighters, the men and women and the police that are out there on the line, and the community that’s pulling together to support wach other, that’s where the action is taking place. I know, okay, President Bush comes out, we’ll be polite, but frankly, that’s not the solution. How about sending our National Guard back from Iraq, so that we have those people available here to help us?”

Asked if Bush’s visit will distract from fire fighting efforts: “Absolutely, no doubt about it. The president goes some place, you’ve got a huge entourage, you’ve got secret service all over and all the chaos that comes with whenever the President arrives, wherever the President happens to arrive. But listen, what we really need are those firefighters, we need the equipment, we need, frankly, we need those troops back from Iraq. We’ll get on here, whether he comes or not, that’s not really the issue. I just hope if he does come, he brings more than he brought to New Orleans” (”Hardball,” MSNBC, 10/23).