“It wouldn’t quite be fair to say September 11, like, made my career.”
— Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani defending his credentials. Prior to 9/11, Giuliani was best known for announcing his intended divorce to the public — and his second wife — in a press conference. (C-SPAN, 11/04)
“I just don’t believe the international world is ready for a woman president.”
— Linda Dunbar, a 57-year old voter from the Cleveland suburbs. The international world has had 91 women presidents, prime ministers and governors-general since 1945. (Wall Street Journal, 11/8)
“If you don’t want to get remarried, maybe move in with somebody you like.”
— Jianguo Liu, an ecologist at Michigan State University, responding to a new study showing that divorced U.S. households exacerbated global warming by using an extra 73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2005. (Los Angeles Times, 12/4)
“Grandma was right.”
— Dr. Ian Paul, author of a Penn State University College of Medicine study showing that honey calms children’s coughs more effectively than cough medicine. (Associated Press, 12/4)
“Everything about ethanol is good, good, good.”
— Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa championing the corn crop product that is a windfall for Iowa farmers but a disaster in every other way.
“Before I go out, I put a slice of bologna in each of my shoes. So when I’m on stage, I feel funny.”
— Steve Martin in his new memoir, Born Standing Up, recalling his response to stand-up show audience members when asked how he managed to be so funny.