Old Fogey's Quotes for Saturday

"If we leave, they will follow us here. That's really different from other wars we've been in. If we leave, okay, so they suffer in other parts of the world, used to be the old mantra. This one is different. This war is, if they leave, they're coming after us. As a matter of fact, they'll be more emboldened to come after us. They will be able to find more recruits to come after us."
King George the Bogeyman
Purge of the Unbelievers
[It shouldn't be too long before the Bushies start telling us to hide under our school desks.]

"We need a new direction, not just a new slogan."
Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), a conservative Democrat, referring to King George the Decider's new plan to win in Iraq.
Pelosi, Reid Urge Bush To Begin Iraq Pullout
[The big debate these days is whether Bush is cynical politician or a stupid ideologue. Does he actually believe that we can "win" in Iraq or is he simply in a holding pattern until somebody takes the fall for the defeat? Another way of putting it is whether Rove or Cheney is ascendant. You know what, it doesn't matter. The Decider can listen to both--they are saying the same thing. And anyone else who is not "on message" has just been given a one-way ticket out.]

“The default answer when people ask you to do things should be ‘no.’ ”
Rep. Barney Frank, (D-Mass), offering advise to freshmen representatives
Sea of Fresh Faces in Capitol
[It seems like a no-brainer to me. If you are unsure as to whether an invitation or gift is illegal, then legal or not, it is probably unethical.]

"We don’t know if human beings have free will. We just know that human beings in Washington appear not to."
Maureen Dowd in NYTimes Select editorial (only available to subscribers)
Monkey on a Tiger
[Democrats need to realize before 2008 that the public did not vote in a new cast for an old play. Just because Repubs abused their power, doesn't mean the Dems should follow suit. Give the opposition more of a voice, and the public will recognize more quickly just how big of bullies our opponents were. At the same time, the American people just might become a little less jaded about their government.]