In their words
“Well, I look at it and see it is actually an affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well.”
— Vice President Dick Cheney in an interview with ABC News about British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s decision to bring 1,600 British troops home from Iraq.
“If a person calls to request information about an IP address and the time is not correct of when the person was logged on, then the information could lead to the wrong person’s identity. Or if a person requests the right time, but the provider gives you the wrong information, then the identity of the person can be incorrect.”
— Spokane police Detective Ty Snider, explaining how either the Police Department or Qwest could have been responsible for the mistake that resulted in the wrong person being arrested and jailed as a suspected cyberstalker. The Police Department accepted the blame a day later.
“In came this guy with a head of curly hair and very strong Southern accent and he was just talking to everyone and being so friendly. I thought, ‘How did someone with a Southern accent get to Coeur d’Alene?’ “
— Virginia Johnson, remembering her first meeting with North Idaho human rights activist Tony Stewart, who was her colleague on the North Idaho College faculty.
“It’s portable, and I don’t want to see it on eBay.”
— Washington state archivist Jerry Handfield, justifying heavy Washington State Patrol security for a 1777 letter, signed by George Washington, that is put on public display in Olympia each Feb. 22, Washington’s birthday.
“I never had a nickel to my name until I got out of the White House, and now I’m a millionaire, the most favored person for the Washington Republicans. I get a tax cut every year.”
— From a speech given last year in Kentucky by President Bill Clinton, who now makes millions in lecture fees.
“Every time somebody does something like this it further undermines public confidence that this isn’t just some good ol’ boy network.”
— Spokane County Commissioner Bonnie Mager, saying County Assessor Ralph Baker’s ill-fated attempt to hire the 23-year-old son of his top aide and political loyalist as a supervisor demonstrates the need for a county ethics commission.
“We have many athletes in the tribe. We have jumped through many hoops and jumped over many hurdles.”
— Former Spokane Tribal Chairman Joe Flett, alluding to the years of negotiation and litigation it took to reach agreement with the state of Washington on a gambling compact.
“I can see the big shapes. When I get about a foot and a half from someone, I can recognize their face. I can make out the pins with binoculars.”
— Spokane Valley bower Dick Hubbard, who, despite being 100 years old and having macular degeneration, still rolls games over 200.
“Using your child as a method of getting money out of companies while not doing any work is not good karma.”
— Chief Financial Officer David Cocchiara of Lancope Inc., which has sued Michael Ruffalo to recover thousands of dollars he received in paid leave over a phony claim that his son had died.