Verbatim

‘We are also human beings, and sometimes we catch a cold.’ MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, President of Iran, on rumors that he is seriously ill

‘It’s making use of an alternative energy that’s God-given.’ STEPHEN SCOTT, senior fellow at Elizabethtown College, in Pennsylvania, on the decision by some Amish communities to begin using solar energy

‘There were certainly war crimes committed, certainly not by us.’ MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI, Georgia’s President, denying that his armed forces targeted civilians during their August attempt to reclaim the South Ossetia region

‘The Americans are not interested in our bad guys.’ SENIOR PAKISTANI OFFICIAL, saying U.S. operations are targeting only militants involved in strikes on American troops in Afghanistan rather than those causing violent unrest in Pakistan

‘When Candidate A says it’s raining and Candidate B says it’s sunny, a journalist should be able to look outside.’ CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN anchor, on accusations of bias in the network’s coverage of the presidential campaign

‘If you’re not fearful, you’re crazy.’ JAMIE DIMON, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, on concerns about an impending credit-card crisis

‘I’ll go ahead and agree with you on that.’ SAMUEL WURZELBACHER, the Ohio resident known as Joe the Plumber, when asked at a rally for John McCain if a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for “the death of Israel”

Back & Forth:

Sports

‘The weather, it kept changing.’

Major League Baseball commissioner BUD SELIG, on suspending Game 5 of the World Series between Tampa Bay and Philadelphia because of torrential rain

‘Well, yes, sir. We call that Earth.’

PHIL SHERIDAN, columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, saying the game should have been played to its end despite the unfavorable conditions

Sex Offenders

‘Since we have made it increasingly difficult for sexual predators to hurt Missouri children, it is no surprise that they did not like this law.’

Missouri Governor MATT BLUNT, after a federal judge blocked parts of a state bill requiring sex offenders to remain in their homes on Halloween night and avoid any contact with children related to the holiday

‘Once people have completed their sentences, you can’t go back and punish them for the same crime.’

ANTHONY E. ROTHERT, ACLU attorney representing the four convicted sex offenders who had filed suit, saying the law violates their constitutional rights

Media

‘They are a mouthpiece for the Republican Party.’

Former NBA star and ex-Republican CHARLES BARKLEY, during a CNN interview, blasting Fox News for its “corrupt” coverage of national politics

‘He obviously needs the steady paycheck to pay off his consistent gambling debts.’

FOX NEWS SPOKESMAN, referring to Barkley’s notorious gambling habit and his contract as a sports analyst for TNT, which is owned by CNN’s parent company

Sources: Washington Post; Christian Science Monitor; BBC; New York Times; The Daily Show; New York Times; Fox News

For daily sound bites, visit time.com/quotes