Verbatim

By Melissa August, Harriet Barovick, Elizabeth L. Bland, David Robinson and Rebecca Winters Monday, Nov. 18, 2002
    • "I am a member of al-Qaeda, and I pledge bayat [allegiance] to Osama bin Laden." ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI, accused Sept. 11 conspirator, attempting to change his plea to guilty at his trial

    "An infectious greed seemed to grip much of our business community." ALAN GREENSPAN, Federal Reserve Chairman, testifying to Congress about the decline in investor confidence

    "It would be unthinkable to deprive people of my expertise." HARVEY PITT, embattled SEC head, defending his ability to run an agency overseeing companies that were once his clients

    "I want you to disregard all the opposing counsel has said ... I think they should be handcuffed, chained to a fence and flogged ... And if they lie again, I'm going to go over there and kick them in the crotch." JAMES TRAFICANT, Democratic Congressman from Ohio, to the House panel that found him guilty of nine ethics violations

    "They are entitled to set up their own rules the way they want them." TIGER WOODS, when asked how he felt about the Augusta National golf club not having any women as members Sources: Washington Post, New York Times (2), AP, New York Times