Good, bad and ugly quotes of 2008

PANAMA. Big time white collar criminals, battling politicians, a lame duck president, big expectations for the next administration, and a collapsing economy. Lots of opportunity for great quotes from the likes of cheer leader Sarah Palin who, on reflection rivaled some of the mouthings of former US Vice President, Dan Quale.

Do you remember him? the man who allegedly told a Latin American audience that he apologized for not speaking their language, as he hadn’t studied Latin in school.

If that’s not true, he made equally bad blunders, but today we are looking back on some of the utterings of 2008, from among the rich, famous and infamous. We will not forget a perpetual source of pieces of folk wisdom, the entertainment industry, that including multi-millionaire sports jocks and their trainers.

Sarah Palin: Unable to name some of the newspapers she reads she told CBS “All of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years.”

On her ambitions:

“If there is an open door in 12 or four years later... then I’ll plow through that door.

John McCain: On Sarah Palin’s famed $150,000 shopping spree: “She lives a frugal life ?. She is a role model to millions of Americans.”

Miguel Bernal: battling to become mayor of Panama: “This government is an accomplice to the robbery of Panamanians.”

Caroline Kennedy: on her ambition to replace Senator Hillary Clinton: “I would be honored to be considered for the position of US senator.”

Fidel Castro: “Without a doubt Obama is more intelligent, cultured and level headed. McCain is old, bellicose, uncultured, of little intelligence and not healthy.”

Charles Ogletree , Harvard Law Professor on the inclusion of Lawrence H. Summers in the Obama cabinet: “Barack thinks with his mind open. Larry thinks with his mouth open.”

Barack Obama, US president elect, on global warming: “The time for delay is over. The time for denial is over.

On Iraq:“I will call in my Chiefs of Staff, my national secrity sppsrstus, and we will start executing a plan that draws down our troops

Bernie Ecclestone , Formula 1 boss: “(Lewis) Hamilton is a young man doing his best and I get upset with people who say he’s an arrogant bastard.”

Pietro Lo Monaco. on his Italian soccer team’s ploy of dropping their shorts to block the goalkeeper’s vision: “Good taste is relative.”

David Letterman: “Halloween — It’s the dead walking among the living? They’re dead but they’re walking around. No, wait a minute, that’s the McCain campaign.”

Britney Spears , with a twenty-something’s view on aging: “I go to be at, like, 9.30 every night. I don’t go out or anything, you know what I mean? I just feel like an old fart.”

Senator Ted Stevens: on his conviction for hiding more than $250,000 in gifts: “I will fight this unjust verdict with every ounce of energy I have.”

Patrick Fitzgerald , prosecuting attorney, on charges laid against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich: “(His) conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.”

Lisa Madigan , Illinois Attorney General on the State Governor: “Mr Blagojevich is unable to distinguish between his financial interests and his official duties.”

Warren Buffet on scams like the $50 billion Bernard Maddoff ponzi scheme: “Wait till the tide goes out, and then you’ll see whose naked.”

Jerry Reisman on Bernard Madoff’s business contacts: “In a social setting that’s where it always happened. Country clubs, golf courses, locker rooms.”

Mitchell Zuckoff , professor at Boston University on the Bernard Madoff ponzi: “There has been nothing like this, nothing that we could call truly global.”

Robert Mugabe , Zimbabwe’s president on calls for him to step down: “I will never, never sell my country. I will never, never, never surrender.

Aldo Dasci Zuazua, Monterrey, Mexico, security minister on police shooting-up a car carrying a family of six: “It was an error in police procedure.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi ’ s alleged confession for throwing his shoes at Predident George W. Bush: “It is too late now to regret the big and ugly act that I perpetrated.”

Fitz Henderson, president of General Motors, on the decision of the big three automakers to fly to Washington by private jets: “It certainly was not our finest hour.”

President George W. Bush: on talk of a recession: ”The economy is sound.”

On Iraq: “I think I was unprepared for war.”