In their words

“I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances.”

– President-elect Barack Obama, telling reporters at his first press conference since the election that he has talked with all the living ex-presidents as he prepares for his presidency.

“This isn’t affirmative action. This is winning.”

– Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley, reflecting on last week’s election of Sen. Barack Obama as the United States’ first black president.

“That’s small for the state but huge for us.”

– Chief Executive Officer Dennis Hession of Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, on the decision to close the historic Campbell House in Browne’s Addition following a cut of $52,000 in state funds.

“What’s his name? I can’t say it.”

– 114-year-old Gertrude Baines, the daughter of former slaves, saying in Los Angeles that she never expected to live long enough to vote for a black candidate for president.

“That’s what gives it its zing.”

– U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, as the high court talked about the association between sex and some of the allegedly profane words at the heart of a case dealing with the broadcast of indecent language.

“Pal around together? What does that mean? Share a milkshake with two straws?”

– One-time Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers, now a professor of education at the Univeristy of Illinois-Chicago, whose political support for Barack Obama led to allegations that the Democratic nominee consorted with terrorists.

“It’s really high time that we concentrate on the 80-plus percent of young people that don’t get a four-year college degree. There are ways you can have a wonderful career in this life without having to go that far.”

– Chairman Paul Anderson of the Kootenai County Professional/Technical Campus Committee, following announcement of plans for a multi-district professional-technical education campus where students could learn job skills needed by local business and industry.