Old Fogey's Quotes for Tuesday

Back from Paris to face a plethora of political dysfunction

"I think the next 48 hours are critical in how this is handled."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and an important social conservative leader, regarding the Foley scandal
After Foley, New Fears For the GOP
[I dunno, but it seems to me that Perkins' focus on the imminent spin, rather than the incident itself, says a lot about this "family values" icon and his priorities]

"There's really no effective spin you can put on the Foley scandal, no way that even the Republican Party's image-making geniuses can make people feel good about a 52-year-old man discussing masturbatory techniques with a male teenager via instant message."
Eugene Robinson in WaPo editorial
No Spinning Past This Scandal
[Of course the most creative attempt was Gingrich's claim that the leadership didn't move more quickly out of fear of being accused of gay bashing. Some right wing bloggers have even used the example of Barney Franks against the Democrats. What?!? The issue is pedophilia, not openly professed homosexuality, you nitwits]

"If you listen closely to some of the leaders of the Democratic Party, it sounds like _ it sounds like _ they think the best way to protect the American people is, wait until we're attacked again."
King George the Corrupt and/or Clueless
Bush Says Democrats Shouldn't Be Trusted
[Do you think the leader of the free world just might be hearing voices that don't exist? It would explain a lot of his actions better than anything else so far]

"'Where's George Washington? Where's Thomas Jefferson? Where's John Adams, for crying out loud?' For a president to ask that question about Iraq, that tribal stew, is enough to cause one to ask it about the United States."
George Will in WaPo column regarding Bush's reported questions about the Iraqi leadership
The Leaders We Have
[Is it any surprise that a president who seemed proud that he had never traveled outside the US should view the world as full of little baby Americas just waiting to be born?]

"There’s only so long that housing prices can go up without sustained increases in income to support them.”
Christopher Jones, vice president for research at the Regional Plan Association
Across Nation, Housing Costs Rise as Burden
[Now that's truly profound! Sadly, among today's economists, the evident is often disregarded. There are a lot of things that can't be sustained without increases in income]