Quotes from 2006

I found these from Newsweek... some are funny and some are just disturbing. As usual, it's just further proof that a bunch of careless people running countries... I just wish for more caring poeple running countries and less war in the new year.

“America is addicted to oil.”
President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union Message, on reducing America's dependence on oil through the use of alternative energy sources.

“We'll succeed unless we quit.”
President Bush, when asked during his visit to Vietnam which lessons from the Vietnam War could be applied to Iraq.

“Having my picture taken with someone doesn't mean that I'm a friend with him or know him very well.”
President Bush, on a handful of photos taken with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff that the White House had declined to make public.

“I'm the decider, and I decide what's best.”
President Bush, on his role as president, in response to calls in April for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation.

“See, the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hizbullah to stop doing this s--t, and it's over.”
President Bush, to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, at a luncheon during a G8 summit in Russia. Neither leader realized that the microphone was still on.

“This is just a mess.”
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, at his first question-and-answer session with the press corps. The briefing was crowded, and Snow admitted to being unprepared for some of the questions.

“I would have told you all about this. Why didn't you just ask?”
George (Jay) Keyworth, then a director at Hewlett-Packard, when confronted with evidence he had leaked information to a reporter. The company's chairman, Patricia Dunn, had ordered surveillance on the board's personal phone records; she later resigned.

“The prospect of a low-intensity civil war and a de facto division of Iraq is probably more likely at this stage than a successful and substantial transition to a stable democracy.”
Outgoing British Ambassador to Iraq William Patey, in a leaked confidential memo to high-level U.K. officials

“I want to fight in a war like World War II. I want to fight an enemy. And this, out here ... it's a faceless enemy.”
Sgt. Christopher Dugger, on fighting insurgents in Iraq.

“It's a no-brainer for me.”
Vice President Dick Cheney, when asked if subjecting terror suspects to a "dunk in the water" during questioning was "a no-brainer if it can save lives." White House spokesman Tony Snow said Cheney was not referring to waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning.

“No, sir.”
Defense Secretary-designate Robert Gates, when asked during his confirmation hearing whether he thought the United States was winning the war in Iraq.

“We are not going to live with a nuclear North Korea.”
Christopher Hill, U.S. assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, on North Korea's announced plans to test nuclear weapons.

“I'll be honest, I felt an urge to squeeze him like a kitten, and that led to the gesture I made. There was nothing behind it, really.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, explaining why he was shown on Russian national television approaching a young boy in a group of tourists, lifting the boy's shirt and kissing him on his bare stomach.

“It was a thumpin'.”
President George W. Bush, reacting to the loss of the Republican congressional majority to the Democrats in the midterm elections.

“to be honest I am a little to[o] interested in you”
Former representative Mark Foley of Florida, in an instant message to a 17-year-old House page. The congressman abruptly resigned in September.

“I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend.”
Vice President Dick Cheney, taking responsibility for the quail-hunting accident that injured Texas lawyer Harry Whittington.

“I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police or being cited for three driving infractions ... That is not how I want to live my life ... I know that I need help.”
Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Democrat of Rhode Island, on crashing his car on Capitol Hill while "disoriented" by prescription medication. Kennedy entered drug rehab.

“These broads are millionaires ... reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much.”
Pundit Ann Coulter, characterizing 9/11 widows in her new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism." Coulter's comments drew considerable fire from both sides of the political aisle.

“We seem to have learned a new Hebrew word-and from Tom Cruise, no less."
An anchorman on Israel's Channel Two, on Suri, the name Cruise and Katie Holmes, then his fiancée, chose for their newborn daughter. Both Hebrew and Farsi speakers disputed the Cruise camp's claim that Suri "has its origins in Hebrew, meaning ‘princess,' or in Persian, meaning ‘red rose'."

“I was buying it for me, but I never used it.”
The Rev. Ted Haggard, admitting to buying methamphetamines and getting a massage from a gay prostitute. Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

“When you're loaded ... the balance of how you see things-it comes out the wrong way.”
Mel Gibson, in an interview with Diane Sawyer, explaining his tirade against Jews after being pulled over for drinking and driving. He said he is "ashamed" of his remarks.

“I'm deeply, deeply sorry. And I'll get to the force field of this hostility, why it's there, why the rage is in any of us.”
Comedian Michael Richards, apologizing for a racist rant at a Los Angeles comedy club

“What he represents is a country of Boratastan, a country of one.”
Kazakh Embassy Press Secretary Roman Vassilenko, on comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's character Borat, a Kazakh journalist. Cohen, while in character, was denied entry to the White House, where he planned to invite "Premier George Walter Bush" to a screening of his new movie.

“If what he said is true, then I want his balls on a platter.”
Malika Zidane, mother of French soccer player Zinédine Zidane, who head-butted Italian player Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final after Materazzi allegedly called Malika, an Algerian immigrant, a "terrorist whore." Materazzi denied using the phrase.

“We’re still crying, but today we’ll be crying through the champagne.”
-Lou Brown, father of Nicole Brown Simpson, after the firing of publisher Judith Regan. Regan’s deal with O. J. Simpson for a “hypothetical confession” of the murders of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman was scrapped after causing an uproar; Regan was fired weeks later.

“I hate that guy.”
Baseball fan Tyler Snyder, after catching Barry Bonds's 714th home run, which tied Babe Ruth on the all-time list. The 19-year-old said he will sell the ball.

“I may go down in history as the guy who killed Pluto.”
Scientist Michael Brown, who helped develop new guidelines that demoted Pluto to a "dwarf planet," leaving eight recognized planets

“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman.”
Pope Benedict XVI, quoting 14th-century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus, in a speech in September that outraged the Muslim world

Posted: 1:08 p.m. EST December 20, 2006 by me ts