He's going to have to pull some strings.

Ohio prison inmate Robert Kirkpatrick, predicting he'd have trouble accepting a mistakenly sent Republican Party invitation to a $2,500-a-plate fundraiser with President Bush, unless the president used his influence.

Amtrak pretended it was on a glide path to self-sufficiency.

Amtrak president David Gunn, in a letter to Sen. John McCain. Mr. Gunn says the railroad will have to shut down service nationwide next month unless it receives a $200 million loan in the next few weeks.

While he's doing 18 holes, we're preoccupied with ... a $6 billion hole.

New York City council deputy majority leader Bill Perkins, complaining that while the council and city hall were locked in budget negotiations, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was golfing.

Usually I get a sharp stick.

Hollywood screenwriter John Ridley, on a National Public Radio sweatshirt that NPR originally gave to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, who returned it, citing federal ethics rules against accepting gifts. The network gave the shirt to Mr. Ridley, an NPR commentator, who said he typically doesn't receive such nice gifts.

I'm not authorized to be frustrated.

U.S. homeland security director Tom Ridge, on his troubles in dealing with the turf-conscious bureaucrats. He said he is "authorized to be patient and persistent" in coordinating all the government's anti-terror efforts.