Quotes of the Morning: Options on the Table

“Paul Wolfowitz resigned as president of the World Bank on Thursday, ending a protracted battle over his stewardship prompted by his involvement in a high-paying promotion for his companion.”
-Reuters, May 18, 2007

“Wolfie is quitting? Why Wolfie, why? You were weathering this all so well.. Ok, not so well, but at least as well as Alberto, and God knows that he’s not going anywhere no matter what he does.”
-Skippy

“The Bush administration softened its support for World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz Tuesday, signaling a willingness to replace him if the bank's executive board does not fire him and accepts some blame for the ethics controversy engulfing the institution.
‘All options are on the table,’ said White House spokesman Tony Snow. ‘Members of the board (and) Mr. Wolfowitz need to sit down and figure out what is in fact going to be best for this bank.’"
-Washington Post, May 16, 2007

“Aaaaah! They were going to attack the World Bank! That has to be what they were saying! I recognize the language.”
-Skippy

Q: The Pentagon is calling for the development of low-yield nuclear weapons that could be used against China, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. Can you explain why the United States is considering this new policy, and how it might figure into the war on terrorism?
THE PRESIDENT: I presume you're referring to the nuclear review that was recently in the press. Well, first of all, the nuclear review is not new. It's gone on for previous administrations. Secondly, the reason we have a nuclear arsenal that I hope is modern, upgraded, and can work, is to deter any attack on America. The reason one has a nuclear arsenal is to serve as a deterrence.
Secondly, ours is an administration that's committed to reducing the amount of warheads, and we're in consultations now with the Russians on such a -- on this matter. We've both agreed to reduce our warheads down to 1,700 to 2,200. I talked with Sergey Ivanov yesterday, the Minister of Defense from Russia, on this very subject.
I think one of the interesting points that we need to develop and fully explore is how best to verify what's taking place, to make sure that there's confidence in both countries. But I'm committed to reducing the amount of nuclear weaponry and reducing the number of nuclear warheads. I think it's the right policy for America, and I know we can continue to do so and still keep a deterrence.
Q: Why a policy, though, that might go after a country like Libya or Syria?
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, we've got all options on the table, because we want to make it very clear to nations that you will not threaten the United States or use weapons of mass destruction against us, or our allies or friends.
-Press Conference with George ‘Dubya’ Bush, March 13, 2002

“In a stern warning to Iran, President Bush said ‘all options are on the table’ if the Iranians refuse to comply with international demands to halt their nuclear program, pointedly noting he has already used force to protect U.S. security.”
-Associated Press, August 13, 2005

“If the World Bank didn’t suck it up and accept some blame here for Wolfie cheating the system, well, that’s a nice bank you’ve got there. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it.”
-Skippy

“Wolfowitz and the Bush administration were seeking a face-saving deal with the board that would allow him to resign under his own terms and escape some blame for the furor involving his girlfriend’s compensation.
[…]
Behind the scenes negotiations took place on Wednesday for an exit package for Wolfowitz, but they failed to produce a resolution. Wolfowitz and his attorney, Robert Bennett, has said repeatedly that Wolfowitz won’t resign with a cloud of what they believe are unfair charges hanging over him.”
-Associated Press, May 17, 2007

“Dang straight! Wolfie should not be resigning with that kind of thing hanging over his head. He should be resigning with this kind of thing hanging over his head..”
-Skippy

“There are other differences that suggest that peacekeeping requirements in Iraq might be much lower than our historical experience in the Balkans suggest. There has been none of the record in Iraq of ethnic militias fighting one another that produced so much bloodshed and permanent scars in Bosnia.”
-Paul Wolfowitz, February 27, 2003

"There's a lot of money to pay for this. It doesn't have to be U.S. taxpayer money. We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon."
-Paul Wolfowitz, March 27, 2003

“.. or maybe he should be remembered for his intense concern regarding weapons of mass destruction..”
-Skippy

“Disarming Iraq of its chemical and biological weapons and dismantling its nuclear weapons program is a crucial part of winning the War on Terror.”
-Paul Wolfowitz, January 23, 2003

“..or his lack of concern regarding weapons of mass destruction.”
-Skippy

“I'm not concerned about weapons of mass destruction.”
-Paul Wolfowitz, July 21, 2003

“For bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction [as justification for invading Iraq] because it was the one reason everyone could agree on.”
-Paul Wolfowitz in Vanity Fair interview, May 28, 2003

“Either way the World Bank should remember this.. Screwing with people who know where the bodies are buried in the Administration is not a wise thing to do.. They aren’t backing down on Alberto ‘Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges’ Gonzales, and he lied to Congress.
You have made the Administration look foolish… If I was on the board of the World Bank I’d be sleeping with one eye open.”
-Skippy