Notable Quotables - 01/15/2007
Published: 1/15/2007 2:00 AM ET
| Awed by "Multitasking" Pelosi | |
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"For the first time in the 218-year history of the Congress, a woman was voted
by her colleagues to be Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from
California, took the gavel. But in a picture perhaps even more symbolic, the
new Speaker was on the floor for a time, holding her 6-year-old [6-month-old]
grandson, all the while giving directions on how events were to proceed. It
seemed the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children, and the
country." ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson, January 4. |
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| Nancy Pelosi, the Exciting Pioneer |
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"Look, its a very historic day on Capitol
Hill. Nancy Pelosi the first woman to become Speaker of the House. Im
excited as a woman to see that happen." NBCs Meredith Vieira on Today, January 4. "We cant let
this historic day pass without mentioning Susan B. Anthony who fought so
hard for the right of women to vote....Now there are a record 90 women in
this new Congress, including for the first time ever, the Speaker of the
House. Wouldnt Susan B. Anthony be proud? Or maybe shed ask, What took so
long?" Reporter Dana Bash: "A moment to savor Nancy Pelosi seized the
gavel and, with it, power for the Democrats. An ambitious agenda, but today,
history the first female Speaker, second in line to be President." |
| Democrats Too Wimpy for Jack | |
| "Theyve already said they wont impeach President Bush. Theyve already said they wont cut funding for the war.... Its time for the Democrats to walk the walk, and theres some early signs they might be coming down with leg cramps. This countrys being ripped apart by an ill-advised war thats failing, and an executive branch thats run amuck. If the Democratic Party refuses to confront this administration in a meaningful way on the issues that are |
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threatening the very survival of our nation, then theyre no better than the
people committing these crimes. So heres the question: How much faith do you
have that the Democrats can stop the war and rein in President Bush?" CNNs Jack Cafferty on The Situation Room, January 4. |
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| Rushing to Tout Fords Critique |
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"Gerald Ford hits the Bush administration with
a broadside. Before he died, he called the war in Iraq, a big mistake made
by some of the men he brought into power." Charles Gibson opening ABCs World News, Dec. 28. "The
last word: President Gerald Ford opposed the war. Why did he keep it a
secret until after his death?" Co-host Matt Lauer: "Good morning. A big mistake. Thats what the
late President Gerald Ford called the Bush administrations justification
for going to war in Iraq, in a revealing interview held until his death." |
| Fords Silence "Unpardonable" |
 Host George Stephanopoulos: "What
struck me about Ford is not only did he not speak up, but according to [Bob]
Woodward, at least, he never spoke to Cheney or Rumsfeld or the President
even privately about this."Time Washington bureau chief Jay Carney: "That is unpardonable, and it reminds me also that there were figures because had Gerald Ford, whether or not movement conservatives respected him had he spoke out at the time, it would have had an impact." Exchange on ABCs This Week, December 31. |
| Impeach Entire Administration? |
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Former Nixon White House aide John Dean:
"[The Democrats are] going to have to stand up and find their spine and go
toe to toe with these people, or theyre not going to be back in 2008." Keith Olbermann: "The far end of what you suggest, obviously, would be impeachment, but the merits of that are at best arguable. I think we can probably both recall an occasion in which impeachment actually bolstered a Presidents popularity. But you wrote recently about impeaching not a President or a Vice President, but members of the Cabinet. How would that work? And is it a practical thing?" MSNBCs Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Jan. 3. |
| "Hooray" for Al Gore |
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"Al Gore, who is now in contention as a
possible presidential candidate and who is leading a campaign to recognize
the potential danger of global warming. Hooray that he is back." Newsweeks Eleanor Clift announcing her choice for "Best Comeback" in The McLaughlin Groups "2006 Year-End Awards" program, December 24. |
| Warm Day: "Are We Gonna Die?" | |
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"So Im running in the park on Saturday, in shorts, thinking this is great,
but are we all gonna die? You know? I cant, I cant figure this out....There
were record breaking temperatures across the, 72 in New York City, 69 in
Boston on Saturday. A lot of people wondering is it global warming or
something much simpler?" Co-host Meredith Vieira on NBCs Today, January 8. |
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| One Poll, Two Spins |
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"Looking ahead, optimism reigns. Seventy-two
percent of Americans feel good about what 2007 will bring for the country,
and an even larger 89 percent are optimistic about the new year for
themselves and their families, according to the poll." AP writer Nancy Benac in a December 30 dispatch headlined "AP Poll: Americans Optimistic for 2007." vs. "Another terrorist attack, a warmer planet, death and destruction from a
natural disaster. These are among Americans grim predictions for the United
States in 2007....Six in 10 people think the U.S. will be the victim of
another terrorist attack next year....An identical percentage think it is
likely that bad guys will unleash a biological or nuclear weapon elsewhere
in the world." |
| Bob Wants His Tax Increase |
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"President Bush said last week that he wanted
to work with the Congress to balance the budget in five years. But he also
rejected any tax increases, and obviously hes not in a mood to reduce
spending on the war. Is it possible to balance the budget under those
conditions?...Can you do it without raising taxes?...President Bush seems to
almost be daring Democrats to not fool with his tax cuts, to leave his tax
cuts in place. Do you see it that way?" Host Bob Schieffer questioning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on CBSs Face the Nation, January 7. |
| Andrea Cant See Any Bias | |
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Host Bill OReilly: "I just look at all your on-the-air talent, and the
Today show, and I love those guys, all right, theyre all liberal,
every one of them, all right." NBCs Andrea Mitchell: "I disagree....Thats not the way we approach the news....I cant tell you one liberal thinker." OReilly: "You can. Its Chris Matthews. Chris Matthews.... Hes on the Today show and on the Nightly News. Hes your main political commentator." |
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Mitchell: "As an analyst....I dont think hes a liberal thinker." OReilly: "Hes not? He worked for [Democratic Speaker] Tip ONeill. How much more liberal can you get?" Mitchell: "He worked for Tip ONeill how many years ago?...I dont think that it is fair to describe journalists as liberals or conservatives....I have to tell you that I dont feel that there is bias in what we do at NBC News. And I dont think theres bias in CBS or ABC." Exchange on FNCs The OReilly Factor, January 5. |
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| Keiths Marxist War Analysis | |
| "[You] have taken money out of the pockets of every American, even out of the pockets of the dead soldiers on the battlefield and their families, and have given that money to the war profiteers. Because if you sell the Army a thousand Humvees, you cant sell them any more until the first thousand have been destroyed, can you? The service men and women are ancillary to the equation. This is about the planned obsolescence of ordnance, isnt it, Mr. |
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Bush? And the building of detention centers? And the design of a $125 million
courtroom complex at Gitmo, complete with restaurants. At least the war
profiteers have made their money, sir. And we here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain." MSNBCs Keith Olbermann in a Special Comment directed at President Bush, January 2 Countdown. |
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| Get Brolins Tin Foil Hat | |
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Actor James Brolin: "Hey, weve got to start wondering. We all used to
hate each other, and you gotta start I mean, we all used to get along. We
were Americans. Now were split and arguing. So whos fault is that, and
whats going wrong, and think about the issues." Rosie ODonnell: "Good point, Mister." Joy Behar: "We know whose fault it is. Lets not pretend." Brolin: "And for starters, can I tell you to have a look at www.911weknow.com? And then wait until I see you next time." |
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Exchange on ABCs The View, December 6. The Web site Brolin touted
claims the World Trade Towers were not destroyed by hijacked airplanes. |
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