Source: The New York Times
On May 12, 2004 The New York Times reported, "Mixing piety with Republican politics, Gov. George E. Pataki welcomed Laura Bush as the guest of honor at his annual prayer breakfast on Tuesday, using the occasion to praise both God and the president. 'God is good to America because America is good to its people,' the governor said, to applause from a hall packed with 1,500 guests, some having paid as much as $1,000 a table to join in the prayers. Turning to the first lady, Mr. Pataki said he was 'very grateful to you and to the president for his tremendous leadership... In his speech, Mr. Pataki noted that the breakfast was not meant to support any one faith. 'When you think of our country, we are a country of faith,'he said. 'When you think of our state, we are state of faith. Not one faith, but many faiths. Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhist and Sikh.' Each guest was given a CD produced by the American Bible Society to celebrate the occasion: 'God's Word Changes Lives: A Gospel of Mark Audio Dramatization'."