“While California burns, your EPA is sitting on a waiver request from that state that would allow it to combat global warming through the regulation of greenhouse gases in vehicle emissions. Few states understand the potential and current impacts of global warming better than the state of California, which has an obligation to protect its citizens against the economic and ecological impacts of climate change — impacts like wildfires, which are already on the rise due to global warming.”

–Friends of the Earth (FOE) Petition (author unknown)

Venue: Petition form, FOE website October 30 2007

Reference / Context Source: FOE

“For one thing, there isn’t actually any such thing as Islamofascism — it’s not an ideology; it’s a figment of the neocon imagination. The term came into vogue only because it was a way for Iraq hawks to gloss over the awkward transition from pursuing Osama bin Laden, who attacked America, to Saddam Hussein, who didn’t.”

–Columnist Paul Krugman

Venue: New York Times opinion column  October 29 2007

Reference / Context Source: New York Times

“REID: As you know, one reason that we have the fires burning in Southern California is global warming. One reason the Colorado basin is going dry is because of global warming …

Q: Senator, on the California fires you said that the reason the fires are burning in California is global warming?

REID: No. Here’s what — I didn’t say the reason the fires were burning in Southern California — that’s part of it. Everybody — I think most everyone recognizes that …”–Senator Harry Reid

Venue: Captol Building press conference October 27, 2007

Reference / Context Source: Lexis-Nexis

“There’s less than one percent of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than four of five percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you’re dealing with.” … “When you have children coming from dysfunctional homes, when you have children coming from homes where there’s no books, where the mother from the time they’re born doesn’t talk to them — as opposed to the mother in Iowa who’s sitting out there and talks to them, the kid starts out with a 300 word larger vocabulary at age three. Half this education gap exists before the kid steps foot in the classroom.”

– Senator Joe Biden

Venue: Washington Post Interview October 25 2007

Reference / Context Source: Washington Post

“I started just doing Google searches to try and figure out. You know, arson, arson, it was like crazy trying to figure out why is that being downplayed? Why is that, you know, just a small part of the story? And you know, every time I look for it what comes up, believe it or not, is that Blackwater wants to move to San Diego and build this giant complex in San Diego right where most of the evacuations are taking place and you know.

You just know wherever there is fire, this administration will be out there doing what it does best and that is fanning the flames, you know. It just spooks me, I can’t explain to you how creepy this whole thing is that you know, you’ve got these fires. Some of them are thought to be the work of arsonists and in the same breath you’ve got a community that’s on fire that just recently protested Blackwater West. Just recently said no to Blackwater and apparently you don’t do that.

I mean, I don’t even know what to think. You know, nobody is saying Blackwater set the fires, that is nobody that doesn’t want their house burned down. Nobody is saying that, but it is all so bizarre that this is America and you have to sort of sit there and wonder … arson, same place Blackwater West wants to be, people protesting. And then you find out that some of the guys that used to work for Blackwater are now in Schwarzenegger’s administration.

It’s all so creepy.”

– Air America host Randi Rhodes

Venue: Air America broadcast, October 24 2007

Reference / Context Source: Audio clip courtesy of ianschwartz.com

“Our country has hit a point where we have lost so much,”… “We have lost lives, we’ve lost sacred freedoms, we’ve lost financial stability; we’ve lost our position of respect on the world stage.”

– Actor / Director Robert Redford

Venue: Rome Film Festival

Reference / Context Source: Variety

“You don’t have money to fund the war or children. But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President’s amusement.”

– U.S. Representative Pete Stark

Venue: House of Representatives

Reference / Context Source: Congressional Record (PDF)

“I have a million ideas. The country can’t afford them all.”

– Senator Hillary Clinton

Venue: Boston Globe’s editorial board

Reference / Context Source: The Boston Globe