In their words …

“This city was built on a lie, and people are starting to realize that.”

— Spokane Valley community activist Sally Jackson, explaining why she’s circulating a petition to dissolve the young municipality.

“It looks pitiful. It’s downright disgusting. It shows a total lack of pride by everyone in Spokane to allow it to stay like it is.”

— Spokane developer and Davenport Hotel owner Walt Worthy, talking about the unsightliness of Interstate 90 off-ramps leading into downtown Spokane.

“If he doesn’t quit whining about Patty Murray, I’ll have to call the w-a-a-a-mbulance.”

— Republican Reed Davis, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, talking about Congressman George Nethercutt two weeks before Tuesday’s primary election for the right to challenge Sen. Patty Murray.

“George ran a good campaign and has my full support in his race against Patty Murray.”

— Davis, on Wednesday, the day after Nethercutt won the Republican primary.

“It’s amazing to think just over a year ago he was behind bars…and being vilified throughout the country.”

— Attorney Eugene R. Fidell whose client, Army Capt. James J. Yee, a Muslim chaplain, who is to receive an honorable discharge after once being held in solitary confinement for two and a half months on espionage accusations that fell through.

“This week is John Edwards appreciation week.”

— House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, alluding to Democratic vice presidential candidate and trial lawyer John Edwards’ after the House approved a bill discouraging frivolous lawsuits.

“Whoever briefed you for this hearing and said that when you get in a tight spot over something you have said or done, keep repeating, ‘the record is the record,’ did you no great service.”

— Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to Porter Goss during a hearing on whether to confirm Goss as President Bush’s director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

“We don’t have a strategy. We can’t even decide what the problem is. Is it a tactic? An ideology? A group?”

Daniel Goure, an adviser to the Department of Homeland Security, describing the challenge of waging a war against terrorism.

“I think this is about ducking for cover.”

— U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., offering her interpretation of the Bush administration’s decision to delay a public comment period on a forest road-building plan that Cantwell opposes.