paul. >> charles. >> thank you for asking me for this pardon. 2002 was a presidential election year and it wasn't tough bush versus gore 2000 to write about for this collection. indeed, it was a case unique in the history of the country for starters in american politics and in the circumstances of the supreme court. obviously, this was a great importance. one might even suggest as a political reporter which was part of my responsibilities in addition to covering the court that the best five weeks of the 2000 election campaign were those five weeks between election day and december 12th when the court handed down its opinion in bush versus gore. because then we saw all -- pretty much laid out in front of us and without the bamboozlement of a lot of political advertising what the courts were going to do both here in washington and in the state of florida. and we were kind of commuting literally if not figuratively if not literally between the courts in tallahassee and other places in florida and the supreme court. in the span of 10 days, the u.s. supreme court heard arguments related to the

paul charles the director of communications for virgin atlantic and a guest of our speaker. joe of aviation week. casper, senior press officer for the european union's delegation. and finally my rent, former ap bureau chief in london and the secretary of the national press club. ask anyone in this room who served richard branson is and he will be defined many different ways. a flamboyant rish on to partner with a seemingly insatiable appetite for starting new businesses. a magnet for controversy such as his region stant as a glasco train cleaning worker in a tv ad for his virgin train or $8 billion philanthropist attempting to save mother earth. no matter, he has a gift for making people pause and take notice. his high profile adventures include developing personal spaceflight, and in 1986 crossing the atlantic in his virgin atlantic to offshore racing boat in record time. a year later he set another record crossing the atlantic in his virgin atlantic flyer. not only the first hot air balloon to cross the atlantic, but also the largest ever at 2.3 million cubic feet. clearly

paul charles, director of communications for virgin atlantic and a guess of our speaker. joe joe anselmo of aviation week. caspar -- for the european union delegation and finally myron belking former ap bureau chief in london and secretary of the national press club. ask anyone in this room who sir richard branson is and he will be defined different ways: a flamboyant en43 pren newer with an appetite for starting new buses, a magnet for controversy, such as his recent stint as a glass xo cleaning worker in a tv ad for his virgin trains. or a billion dollar philanthropist attempting to save mother earth. no matter, he is a gift for making people pause and take notice. his high profile adventures cloud developing personal space flight and in 1986, crossing the atlantic in his plane offshore racing boat in racing time. a year later, he set another record crossing the atlantic in his virgin atlantic flier, not only the first hot air balance lon to cross the atlantic but also the largest ever at 2.3 million cubic feet. clearly, this is a man who likes a challenge. whether it's