Verbatim: Feb. 21, 2005

"Let them bomb Japan with that nasty missile. Their missile cannot load a nuclear warhead."

SHINTARO ISHIHARA, Governor of Tokyo, responding to the statement by North Korea that it had developed nuclear weapons

"If the invaders reach Iran, the country will turn into a burning hell for them."

MOHAMMAD KHATAMI, Iranian President, on the 26th anniversary of the Iranian revolution, on pressures from the U.S. to abandon its nuclear program

"If the butler in the White House as a federal employee can have this option, why can't his neighbor?"

PRESIDENT BUSH, explaining to House Republicans why he wants to model his Social Security reform on the savings plan offered to federal workers, according to a senior Administration official

"You can't jam change down the American people's throat."

DENNIS HASTERT, House Speaker, warning against rushing to pass the President's proposal to overhaul Social Security and instead advocating a public-education campaign that could take as long as two years

"Everybody goes down."

RICHARD SCRUSHY, former HealthSouth CEO, to an aide two years ago referring to what would happen if the company's financial statements were made public, according to a secretly recorded tape played at Scrushy's fraud trial

"Let's leave this hypothesis up to the Pope's conscience."

JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS, papal spokesman, when asked whether the Pope has thought about resigning

"I imagine he responded to the blinding talent, but beyond that, I'm not sure."

TOM WOLFE, author, answering a question about why President Bush liked his racy novel, I Am Charlotte Simmons

"It was a change-of-life thing. Instead of buying a new motorcycle, I got back with my partner."

CHEECH MARIN, on why he is teaming up again with Tommy Chong; the comedy duo has not been together onstage since 1981

Sources: New York Times; Reuters; TIME; Chicago Tribune; AP (2); International Herald Tribune; TIME