“What is so hard about the concept that Republicans choose the candidate of the Republican Party and Democrats choose the candidate of the Democratic Party?”

— Washington State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance, regarding public resentment of Washington’s new primary election.

“We all feel we are about 20 years behind and we need to get started on it.”

— Dallas Hawkins, chairman of the citizens committee that developed a $117 million street bond proposal for Spokane.

“With respect to the question of relationships, my general view is that freedom means freedom for everyone. People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.”

— Vice President Dick Cheney, commenting in Iowa that as the father of a lesbian he disagrees with President Bush on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages.

“They need a cheerleader. Every day I work with that project I confront issues I think are problems, but the course is set.”

— Tom Power, after resigning from the Spokane Public Facilities District board, the entity that oversees the expansion of the Spokane Convention Center. Power has been an outspoken critic of the handling of the expansion project.

“You don’t really pitch yourself as a celebrity when you’re down on the mat sweating and getting battered. Today I was a wrestler. Tomorrow a husband, a good one, I hope.”

— U.S. wrestler Rulon Gardner, after concluding his career by winning an Olympic bronze medal.

“For her, death wasn’t something to fear. It was like a graduation.”

— Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s son Kenneth, speaking about her death last week at age 78. She wrote the 1969 best seller, “On Death and Dying,” which outlined the emotional stages people go through when they face terminal illness.

“The military is going to be there forever. With your family you only have a certain amount of time. Kids grow up so fast.”

— Idaho National Guard First Sgt. Michael Kish, explaining why he chose to return home rather than stay with his unit for deployment to Iraq.

“It was kind of Animal House on the night shift.”

— One-time Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, chairman of the committee that investigated prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad.