Verbatim: Aug. 11, 2003

"The Iraqis had over two decades to develop these weapons. And hiding them was an essential part of their program." DAVID KAY, who is overseeing the Bush Administration's hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, after testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Kay says that Iraqis who were involved in weapons programs are helping inspection teams

"I take personal responsibility for everything I say." President George W. Bush, at a Rose Garden press conference, when asked how a now widely discredited claim that Iraq sought to buy uranium in Africa made it into his January State of the Union address

"Oh, come on now. Does anybody here at the table think we're going to be down below 100,000 forces in the next calendar year?" SENATOR JOE BIDEN, at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, scolding Administration officials for claiming they couldn't predict how many troops would be needed in Iraq in the future

"I dare say, we of the church in the United States could not have imagined just how important this gesture of asking forgiveness would be for us." THE REV. SEAN P. O'MALLEY, in a homily during his installation as Archbishop of Boston, on repentance for widespread sexual abuse among priests

"What is the international community waiting for? The final disaster?" FREDERIC BARDOU, country director of Action Against Hunger, on the lack of international intervention in war-torn Liberia as civilian food supplies run short

"Somewhere in this group is the next Karl Rove." KARL ROVE, President Bush's political strategist, in a speech to 200 college Republicans

"It's going to get ugly." DAVID GEST, on his divorce from Liza Minnelli, to gossip columnist Cindy Adams

Sources: Los Angeles Times; www.whitehouse.gov New York Times (2); AP; Washington Post; New York Post