"He deserves my silence."

George W. Bush, in his first speech since leaving the White House, on why he would not criticize President Obama. "I love my country a lot more than I love politics," Bush said. "I think it is essential that he be helped in office."

"You can call it cherry pie, but it's a war."

Cully Stimson, who served in the Pentagon under former President George W. Bush, on the Obama administration's refusal to use the phrase "war on terror." Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, for instance, substituted "man-caused disasters" for "terrorism" in testimony before Congress. "I would expect that she would not use that silly expression to a family member who suffered the loss of a loved one to an IED explosion," Stimson said. "Terrorists are terrorists."

"They're not allowed to show my speech at Gitmo anymore."

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on his televised response to President Obama's speech before Congress in February, comparing it to torture. Jindal's speech received almost universally negative reviews.

"It's the tiniest of baby booms. This is not an earthquake; it's a slight tremor."

Fertility researcher S. Philip Morgan of Duke University on the record number of births in the United States during 2007. There were more than 4.3 million births, 40 percent of which were out of wedlock.

"You sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line."

Daniel Hannan, a Conservative member of the European parliament from South East England in a speech directly to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Hannon said Britain is "in the worst condition of any G20 country" and told Brown "you are the devalued prime minister of a devalued government."

"I love history, but there comes a time when you have to adjust."

Thomas V. (Mike) Miller, president of the Maryland Senate, on his desire to appoint a commission to change the state song. The song, written in 1861, urges Maryland to secede from the union, calls Abraham Lincoln a despot, and includes a reference to "Northern scum."