Perspectives

"All these techniques have now been ruined!"
Karl Rove, former adviser to George W. Bush, on the Obama administration's release of Bush memos laying out a handbook for torture

"Well, I think it was a nice gesture to give me a book. I'm a reader."
U.S. President Barack Obama, on his gift from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent," which shot to bestseller status

"I want young faces, new faces, to renew the image of Italy."
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is preparing four female novices on his roster of European Parliament candidates—among them a reality-TV star and a Miss Italy contestant—by giving them seminars on European history and NATO

"It shouldn't be a big surprise that a huge pot of honey attracts a lot of flies."
Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, on the 20 criminal probes into securities fraud, tax violations and other crimes associated with the TARP bailouts

"I only want one more chance in piracy, to increase my cash assets. Then I will get married and give up."
Somali pirate Dahir Mohamed Hayeysi, who has taken part in three hijackings and claims he's raised enough money to start his own business and buy some luxury cars

"Now that the economy is bad, they throw us a bit of cash and say goodbye."
Wellington Shibuya, a Latin American worker in Japan, one of hundreds of thousands of blue-collar immigrants whom the government is offering money to leave the country and never return

Quotation Sources: Fox News, BBC, Times of London, Los Angeles Times, BBC, New York Times

© 2009