“I cannot see how we as a legislature can subsidize (basketball star) Ray Allen for $16 million a year when we cannot pay a starting wage for a teacher of $31,000.”

– Washington state Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, opposing state legislation to help fund a basketball arena wanted by the Seattle SuperSonics as the price for keeping the National Basketball Association franchise in King County.

“When a state like Montana tells the federal government to take a hike, it brings down the whole house of cards.”

– Barry Steinhardt, of the American Civil Liberties Union, after Montana became the first state in the nation (Washington was second) to reject the federal Real ID Act.

“They’ll probably get some auctioneer to read the names.”

– University of Idaho student Neal Bradshaw, quoted by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News about UI’s plan to forgo smaller department-by-department graduation ceremonies this spring and hold one commencement for all 1,700 graduates.

“Our troops won the war clearly, cleanly and quickly. But now they are stuck in a civil war.”

– Congressman David Obey, D-Wis., saying the political and diplomatic efforts now needed to solve the conflict in Iraq are beyond the capacity of military forces.

“If a person would give that up, are they really financially responsible?”

– Spokane Park Board President Frank Knott, stating that many north Spokane residents are hourly workers and therefore would have to sacrifice pay if appointed to the board, which meets during the day.

“If he was not, he certainly should have been, and we would encourage the state police to issue a citation.”

– Chief of Staff Tom Shea, commenting on the report that his boss, New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine, was not wearing a seat belt when the SUV in which he was being chauffeured by a state trooper – at 91 mph – was involved in an accident.

“These troops are in really difficult circumstances facing these insurgents disguised as civilians. But it isn’t going to solve anything to let loose a fusillade of bullets at everything you see.”

– Human Rights Watch researcher John Sifton, regarding the reaction by a platoon of Marine Special Operations troops alleged to have carried out a deadly 10-mile spree of gunfire after being ambushed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

“I think we all will agree – I think you’ve agreed – that this was poorly handled. I mean, how many times do you have to be flagellated over that?”

– U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting at which several members, including at least one Republican, urged Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to resign over his firing of eight U.S. attorneys.