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"From the bottom of our hearts, we are sorry."
EHUD OLMERT, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, apologizing to Egypt after tank soldiers on the border in Gaza shot and killed three Egyptian policeman they mistook for Palestinian militants

"Our government is also committed to unconditional dialogue with anyone and everyone in the state who abjures violence."
MANMOHAN SINGH, Indian Prime Minister, on his government's recent troop withdrawals aimed at calming tensions in Kashmir, during a visit to the disputed territory

"He was a natural, and he made it look easy. Oh, how I hated him for that."
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, on Bill Clinton's political skills, at the opening of Clinton's presidential library in Arkansas

"If you drive a Volvo and you do yoga, you are pretty much a Democrat. If you drive a Lincoln or a BMW and own a gun, you're voting George Bush."
KEN MEHLMAN, manager of Bush's re-election campaign, characterizing the divide in the electorate

"I was willing to let him have a respectable exit ... and he abused that as he had been abusing his position. It just got me nuts."
MICHAEL EISNER, Disney CEO, testifying about ex-president Michael Ovitz in a shareholders' suit to win back some of Ovitz's $140 million severance package

"People think they can all be pop stars, high-court judges, brilliant TV personalities or infinitely more competent heads of state without ever putting in the necessary work or having natural ability."
PRINCE CHARLES, describing an employee who has charged the prince's household with sex discrimination and unfair dismissal