“Those records weren’t overlooked at the time. We just didn’t know they existed.”

— Spokane County Sheriff Mark Sterk, discussing the recent discovery of department records, previously thought shredded, about the investigation of former Deputy David Hahn, who was accused of child molestation in 1981.

“I’m not a hunter or a fisherperson or any of those wildlife adventurer things. I’m a breath-taker. It takes my breath away.”

— Actress and 15-year North Idaho resident Patty Duke, describing her attachment to the region and her interest in securing conservation easements in the St. Joe River Basin.

“Anytime wrongdoing occurs, I think it’s important that that wrongdoing be reported.”

— Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, asked at a press conference how he felt about the actions of former FBI official Mark Felt, who was revealed last week as the anonymous source Deep Throat of Watergate fame.

“There’s simply not enough forces here. There are not enough to do anything right; everybody’s got their finger in a dike.”

— A high-ranking U.S. Army officer, who asked the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer not to quote him by name so he wouldn’t be reprimanded for criticizing the troop levels assigned by the Pentagon to northwest Iraq.

“People just don’t understand what service is anymore.”

— Spokane jewelry store owner Penn Fix, reflecting on the retail forces that led to the decision by longtime downtown business Joel’s to close.

“What I need most now is someone who can say this is a good guy and this is a bad guy.”

— Marine Col. Stephen W. Davis, commander of Regimental Combat Team 2 in Haditha, Iraq, where U.S. forces struggle to weed out insurgents while providing stability.

“This is basically a battle over history and a battle over truth.”

— Television commentator Patrick Buchanan, former speech writer for President Nixon, arguing that Mark Felt, an ex-FBI official now identified as Deep Throat, was merely a Nixon hater who acted improperly by passing government secrets to reporters.

“Everything about this election was record-setting.”

— King County elections supervisor Dean Logan, testifying at the Wenatchee trial over Washington’s 2004 gubernatorial contest that heavy voter turnout and other complications contributed to numerous ballot-handling errors that have been identified.