"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been." --President Gerald Ford



"My fellow astronauts..."

--Vice-President Dan Quayle, beginning a speech at an Apollo 11 anniversary celebration.



"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life."

--Orrin Hatch, Senator from Utah, explaining his support of the death penalty.



"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese."

--Charles de Gaulle, ex-French President



"I stand by all the misstatements."

--Dan Quayle, defending himself against criticism for making verbal gaffes



"Gerald Ford was a Communist"

--Ronald Reagan in a speech. He later indicated he meant to say 'Congressman'.



"Outside of the killings, Washington D.C. has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."

--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington D.C.



"We found the term 'killing' too broad."

--State Department spokesperson on why the word 'killing' was replaced with 'unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of life' in its human rights reports for 1984-5



"This is a great day for France!"

--President Richard Nixon while attending Charles De Gaulle's funeral



"This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected."

--California Governor Pat Brown, discussing a local flood



"It's not listed in the Bible, but my spiritual gift, my specific calling from God, is to be a television talkshow host."

--James Baker, televangelist.



"The chairs in the cabin are for the ladies. Gentlemen are not to make use of them till the ladies are seated."

--Instructions posted in a river cruise ship, Suir River, Ireland.



"The exports include thumbscrews and cattle prods, just routine items for the police."

--U.S. Commerce Department spokesman on a regulation allowing the export of various products abroad.



"What he does on his own time is up to him."

--Harlon Copeland, Sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, when one of his deputies was caught exposing himself to a child.



"Facts are stupid things."

--Ronald Reagan, misquoting John Adams in a speech to the Republican convention.