‘Barack Obama is the worst President in history.’
BEN QUAYLE, son of the former Vice President and a candidate for Congress in Arizona, in a campaign ad asking, “What’s happened to America?” and saying that “somebody has to go to Washington and knock the hell out of the place”
‘He is a little bit old.’
FABIO CAPELLO, coach of England’s national football team, saying that he doesn’t plan to pick 35-year-old midfielder David Beckham for any more competitive matches but is open to the star’s competing in one last exhibition match
‘They said, “We love each other no matter what happens.”‘
NADIR KHAN, an Afghan farmer and Taliban sympathizer, on the public confession of a couple prior to their death by stoning in Kunduz province; the pair were killed by the Taliban as punishment for having an affair and eloping
‘I want to be able to say what’s on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful.’
LAURA SCHLESSINGER, radio host, announcing her decision to quit her show at the end of the year following complaints over her use of the N word 11 times during a recent call
‘The President didn’t send me over here to seek a graceful exit.’
DAVID PETRAEUS, commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, saying that the American-led coalition could fulfill its mission given appropriate time and resources; he argued against any withdrawal of forces in July 2011, a date previously set by President Obama
‘We cannot permanently live in the past.’
BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, Malawian President, on the country’s new flag, after the government warned that anyone displaying the old flag would face arrest and prosecution; the new one features a full sun as opposed to a rising sun
‘He said he prefers blueberry.’
TIFFANY KELLEY, an employee of Pepper’s Café and Deli in Big Rapids, Mich., where a young woman squashed an apple pie into Senator Carl Levin’s face during a Q&A session; she apparently disagreed with him on foreign policy
TALKING HEADS
Sandip Roy
Describing “the new colonialism” that underlies the book (and recent film) Eat, Pray, Love, on Salon.com
“I couldn’t help wondering, where do those people in Indonesia and India go away to when they lose their passion, spark and faith? I don’t think they come to Manhattan. I wonder if there could be an exchange program for the passion-deprived, a sort of global spark-swap.”
–8/13/10
Parag Khanna
Writing about the emergence of megacities, in Foreign Policy:
“The 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by the city. In an age that appears increasingly unmanageable, cities rather than states are becoming the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built. This new world is not–and will not be–one global village, so much as a network of different ones.”
–September-October 2010
Laura Vanderkam
Commenting on the backlash against keeping one’s own lawn, in USA Today:
“While a field of green, closely cropped grass is the default landscape for a ‘nice’ neighborhood, there’s no reason it has to be … at least if we value the planet and our time … Lawns are incredibly inefficient, and not just from an environmental perspective. Maintenance requires time and money … The best approach is for all of us to start thinking of lawns as a fashion–a fashion like wearing the feathers of rare birds in hats was once a fashion. Fashions can change when enough people decide they are ridiculous or wasteful.”
–8/16/10
For daily sound bites, visit time.com/quotes
Sources: Quayleforcongress.com ITV; New York Times; CNN; New York Times; BBC; Lansing (Mich.) State Journal
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Contact us at letters@time.com