Verbatim

  • 'I don't want my son Mirwais to be a foreigner. I want Mirwais to be Afghan.'

    HAMID KARZAI, Afghan President, tearing up as he denounced an attack by militants that killed a deputy provincial governor and five other people on Sept. 28; Karzai spoke of his fear that the violence in his country will cause young people to leave

    'I feel like David against Goliath, but I've got five rocks, and I haven't thrown one yet.'

    EDDIE LONG, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., saying he will fight allegations that he coerced young male church members into having sex with him

    'We have to wage peace.'

    IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, who is behind the contested plan to build an Islamic cultural center near New York City's Ground Zero, saying the project is meant to curb extremism by creating a platform for moderate Muslims

    'People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up.'

    PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, admonishing apathetic Democratic voters who plan to sit out midterm elections and warning that doing so would derail the party's agenda for years

    'China has come with warnings before, but they have no influence on the committee's work.'

    GEIR LUNDESTAD, director of the Nobel Institute, on China's attempt to dissuade it from awarding the Peace Prize to jailed Chinese dissident writer Liu Xiaobo

    'Sesame Street will not be brought to you by the number 34 or the letter D.'

    RUSSELL BRAND, fiancé of singer Katy Perry, whose segment on the show with the character Elmo will not be broadcast because of complaints over her cleavage-baring outfit

    'Israeli government policies are not supported by all Jews.'

    RICHARD KUPER, a member of the group Jews for Justice for Palestinians, which dispatched a supply boat to the blockaded Gaza Strip; the vessel was intercepted by Israeli forces without incident

    TALKING HEADS

    Stephen Colbert

    The Comedy Central satirist, speaking before Congress about the lack of immigration reform:

    "America's farms are presently far too dependent on immigrant labor to pick our fruits and vegetables ... This is America. I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, then sliced by a Guatemalan and served by a Venezuelan in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian."

    --9/24/10

    Jonathan Holslag

    Writing in the Financial Times about the recent clash between China and Japan over disputed waters:

    "China flexes its muscle at a moment when other powers feel less confident about their future and are under pressure to stand strong. In such a climate, distrust could turn into a self-fulfilling prophesy, because it weakens the position of moderate leaders, stirs mutual fear of aggression and, above all, strengthens the belief that shifts in the balance of power inevitably lead to greater global rivalry."

    --9/27/10

    Roger Cohen

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