One of the lowest crime rates in the country

Had enough name calling, charges and counter charges, political attacks and misinformation? No, I didn't think so. The following sound bytes and quotes from past political seasons should help you fill in the blanks.

"The truth, which is what elections are all about, is that the tax burden of the middle class has gone up while the tax burden of the middle class has gone down."--John Kerry, quoted by the Associated Press, Aug. 25, 2004.

"I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure." -George W. Bush, Jan. 2001

"I've coined new words, like, misunderstanding and Hispanically." -George W. Bush, speaking at the Radio & Television Correspondents dinner, March 29, 2001

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know." —Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

When Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) told Rep. Peter Stark (D-Calif.) to "shut up" amid a dispute over legislation, Stark had this to say: "You think you are big enough to make me, you little wimp? Come on, come over here and make me, I dare you…You little fruitcake. You little fruitcake. I said you are a fruitcake."


"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."
— Hilary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents.

"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
— Democratic congressional candidate in Texas.

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
— former Vice President Al Gore

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix,"
— former Vice President Dan Quayle

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
— former President Bill Clinton

"It isn't pollution that is harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
— former Vice President Al Gore

Plus one of my favorite:
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,"
— Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, D.C.

But perhaps my alltime favorite political quote, which gets to the very essence of politics, follows.

When Earl Long swept an election in Louisiana and his opponent cried foul when he received only 3 votes in an entire parish and observed that he had more than 3 personal friends in that parish; old Earl opined, “That’s politics for you. One day you got friends, the next day you ain’t.”
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