Verbatim

'Everyone guessed wrong.' JOE BIDEN, Vice President, acknowledging that the Administration's $787 billion economic-stimulus plan has failed to reduce the unemployment rate

'We want our votes to be counted because we want reforms, we want kindness, we want friendship with the world.' ALI REZA, one of hundreds of thousands of Iranians who gathered in Tehran to protest the country's June 12 election result

'I use whatever tools I have to be able to get back at these people.' LUIS DOMINGUEZ, a Cuban exile who masqueraded as a woman online to dupe Fidel Castro's son into an Internet relationship

'No one knows where the line is, but we just keep pushing.' WAN YANHAI, a gay-rights advocate in China, after the government canceled several events planned for Shanghai's first gay-pride festival

'I make up stories.' KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying he lied when he claimed to know Osama bin Laden's whereabouts while being waterboarded during a CIA interrogation

'If there is no justice from the authorities, there will be vengeance from the people.' ROBERTO ZAVALA, whose child was one of 46 to die in a June 5 fire at a Mexican day care, blasting local officials for failing to punish anyone for the tragedy

'If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it.' JOHN ENSIGN, U.S. Senator from Nevada, apologizing for having an extramarital affair with an aide

Back & Forth:

Terrorism

'It's almost as if he's wishing that this country would be attacked again in order to make his point.' CIA Director LEON PANETTA, on former Vice President Dick Cheney's persistent criticism of the Obama Administration's approach to combating terrorism. Panetta dubbed Cheney's approach "gallows politics"

'I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted.' CHENEY, who also said "the important thing is whether the Obama Administration will continue the policies that have kept us safe for the last eight years"

Religion

'Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me.' THE REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT, President Barack Obama's former pastor, referring to members of the Administration who he claims have restricted his access to Obama since the President took office

'I apologize for the way I framed my comments. I misspoke, and I sincerely meant no harm or ill will to the American Jewish community or the Obama Administration.' WRIGHT, saying he was "disturbed and deeply saddened" that his remarks sparked controversy. The White House declined to comment

LEXICON

Funemployed n.--

People who have found they enjoy being out of work

USAGE: "The funemployed write blogs, issue regular updates on social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and devote entire websites to helpful advice and encouragement on how to make the most of the U.S. government's $475 weekly dole check." --Times of London, June 14, 2009

Sources: AP; New York Times; BBC; New York Times; Los Angeles Times; CNN; Politico

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