Verbatim

'We are not changing because of interference by a few clowns.'

JIANG YU, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, calling the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honor of jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo "flagrant interference in China's sovereignty"

'I think I'll serve as Secretary of State as my last public position.'

HILLARY CLINTON, saying she would like to return to her roots as an advocate for women and children and is not contemplating a repeat run for President in 2012

'This is one sweet dollar of vindication.'

AARON AND CHRISTINE BORING, celebrating a $1 settlement with Google. The couple accused the company of trespassing when photos were taken of their home for Google's Street View feature

'Caning in Malaysia has hit epidemic proportions.'

SAM ZARIFI, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director, after the release of a report urging the country to halt the practice; upwards of 10,000 people are caned in Malaysia every year

'The people of Kentucky didn't elect me governor to debate religion. They elected me governor to create jobs.'

STEVEN BESHEAR, governor of Kentucky, announcing plans to provide tax incentives to a group building a Bible-based tourist attraction that includes a full-size replica of Noah's ark

'What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark [in the sea] to hit tourism ... is not out of the question.'

MOHAMED ABDUL FADIL SHOUSHA, Egypt's South Sinai governor, claiming that Israeli foreign-intelligence agency the Mossad could be behind a series of shark attacks in the Red Sea

'It would be difficult to conceive of a proposition more inconsistent with the Constitution.'

JAMEEL JAFFER, an ACLU lawyer, decrying a judge's decision to throw out a lawsuit that sought to block the U.S. government from trying to kill Anwar al-Awlaki (right), a U.S. citizen and Muslim cleric accused of planning attacks with al-Qaeda in Yemen

TALKING HEADS

Ed Kilgore

On why Obama will not face a serious primary challenger in the 2012 election, in The New Republic:

"It's very doubtful that the grab-bag of complaints floated by the Democratic electorate--Obama's legislative strategy during the health care fight; his relative friendliness to Wall Street; gay rights; human rights; his refusal to prosecute Bush administration figures for war crimes or privacy violations--would be enough to spur a serious challenge. And while Afghanistan is an increasing source of Democratic discontent, it's hardly Vietnam."

--12/1/10

Andrew Bacevich

Advising the U.S. to be firmer with Israel, in the Los Angeles Times:

"The United States today finds itself in the position of a suitor proffering his beloved ever more munificent gifts while receiving in return ever more perfunctory tokens of affection ... A first step toward restoring U.S.-Israeli relations to health is to withhold further gifts unless fully earned and fully deserved."

--12/5/10