Verbatim

The question isn’t whether the president is a socialist. It becomes what’s to the left of socialists.

— Rep. Steve King (R-IA), quoted by the Iowa Independent, dodging the question of what’s to the right of idiocy.

Verbatim

Now, the president, with all the vast nuclear experience that he acquired as a community organizer, as a part-time senator and as a full-time candidate, all that experience, still no accomplishment to date with North Korea and Iran.

— Sarah Palin, practicing her special brand of snark in a speech at the Southern Republican Leadership Council.

Verbatim

Greg has — frequently gets in with a group of people that have really radical ideas and that are not consistent with myself or the rest of the family and — which gets him into problems. And apparently I would say this must be another one that somehow he’s gotten onto either by — I’d say Fox News or all of those that are really radical, and he — that’s where he comes from.

Eleanor Giusti, whose son, Greg Giusti, was arrested for threatening House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Verbatim

He promised me he would endorse me—shook my hand—at my house—looked in my eye—twice—in front of my wife—then did not. I take very seriously if you give your word in politics you keep your word. Having said all that I wouldn’t have gotten in this race unless I thought there was a really terrific candidate on the other side … I think even if Charlie wasn’t in the race I would be endorsing Marco.

— Rudolph Giuliani confirming that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist reneged on his promise to endorse the former mayor and backed John McCain, who considered Crist as a potential running mate, instead. Giuliani is supporting former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate Republican primary.

Verbatim

“Looks like that fair-y, balance-y thing isn’t workin’ out too well for Sarah.”
“Sarah can see cancellation from her porch.”
“How many reasons does an individual need before they stop paying for cable and just learn to read?”
“Fox has always been about pushing the republican image and message, even if it means losing ratings. Palin will probably have a show on Fox for as long as she wants, even if the ratings are in negative numbers.”
“Great! Now Sarah has another opportunity to quit – this time, it could be to *save* her show!! GO SARAH!! I mean, really…just …go. Away. Far away.”
“How’s that Dopey-Derangey thing workin for ya!”
“Guess the quitter/bitter thingy isn’t working.”

Some of the comments registered on the ThinkProgress post, “Palin’s Talk Show Debut Garners Weak Reviews, Lower-Than-Expected Ratings.”

Verbatim

“Well, I think that is a fairly silly comment to make. I think Michael Steele’s problem isn’t the race card, it’s the credit card.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, alluding to GOP Chair Michael Steele’s assertion that people like himself and Pres. Obama, who are black, “have a slimmer margin of error” and therefore too much is being made of lavish RNC spending of donor money. While there’s no doubt Steele is correct that powerful blacks face additional scrutiny, the White House seemed to say, “Hey, don’t drag us into this, pal. You’re on your own.”

Verbatim

It appears that the residents of the C Street house are the beneficiaries of subsidized housing.

Nick Baumann, writing in Mother Jones about an ethics violation complaint filed against the members of The Family, a secretive Christian cult based in D.C., whose members include most of the Republicans in Congress caught cheating on their partners in the past 24 months. The complaint charges that Family members pay $950 per month, including housekeeping and some meals, to stay in the cult’s house, while nearby accommodations cost from $1,750 up, without meals.

Verbatim

Real American Stories features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith’s interview fit that criteria. However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career.

— FOX News spokesdick showing just how spiteful the network can be when someone calls Sarah Palin to task for her now well-known untruthiness. LL Cool J, aka James Todd Smith, objected on Twitter that Palin was showing clips from a 2008 interview he gave to someone else in the promos for her new FOX reality show.

Verbatim

I want to express my appreciation to President Obama for picking up my book, getting it on the front page of The New York Times .

— Mitt Romney, in an interview with Politico, commenting on a photo taken of President Obama in an Iowa City book store.