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They Said It: The Most Memorable Quotes of 2008

by Mary Richard | December 15, 2008 at 06:40 pm

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Sarah Palin lost the election, but won the memorable quote list, along with her comedian counterpart Tina Fey of Saturday Night Live fame. They took the two top spots in this year's most memorable quotes, compiled by Fred Shapiro, of Yale Book of Quotations fame.

1."I can see Russia from my house!" Comedian Tina Fey, impersonating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, broadcast Sept. 13

2. "All of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years." Palin, responding to a request by CBS anchor Katie Couric to name the newspapers or magazines she reads, broadcast Oct. 1

3. "We have sort of become a nation of whiners." Former Sen. Phil Gramm, an economic adviser to Sen. John McCain, quoted in The Washington Times, July 10

4. "It's not based on any particular data point, we just wanted to choose a really large number." Treasury Department spokeswoman explaining how the $700 billion number was chosen for the initial bailout, quoted on Forbes.com Sept. 23

5. "The fundamentals of America's economy are strong." John McCain, in an interview with Bloomberg TV, April 17

6. "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency." The Treasury Department's proposed Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, September 2008

7. "Maybe 100." John McCain, discussing in a town hall meeting in Derry, N.H., how many years U.S. troops could remain in Iraq, Jan. 3

8. "I'll see you at the debates, bitches." Paris Hilton in a video responding to a McCain television ad, August 2008

9. "Barack, he's talking down to black people. ... I want to cut his ... off." The Rev. Jesse Jackson, overheard over a live microphone before a Fox News interview, July 6

10. (tie) "Cash for trash." Paul Krugman discussing the financial bailout, New York Times, Sept. 22.

10. (tie) "There are no atheists in foxholes and there are no libertarians in financial crises." Krugman, in an interview with Bill Maher on HBO's Real Time, broadcast Sept. 19

10. (tie) "Anyone who says we're in a recession, or heading into one — especially the worst one since the Great Depression — is making up his own private definition of 'recession.'" Commentator Donald Luskin, the day before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, The Washington Post, Sept. 14

Shapiro's The Yale Book of Quotations, with about 13,000 entries, was issued two years ago after six years of research. He is the associate librarian and lecturer in legal research at Yale Law School.

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Mary Richard

at 19:15 on December 15th, 2008

Priceless, huh? : >) I've gotta add here ... McCain might have said ""The fundamentals of America's economy are strong." in April, but the the one that 'takes the cake' was when he said it the morning of the market collapse in September. I remember watching, and thinking "what planet is he on?"

Albert Milliron

at 01:30 on December 16th, 2008

For number five, Barney Frank stated, Freddie Mac is fundamentally Strong.

The writer seems to have forgotten some doosees. Like when Speaker Pelosi said. I am investing in Natural Gas to get away from Fossil Fuels. I wonder if the writer only listens to Republicans when they speak. It appears that Republicans are the only ones who say dumb stuff. 70% GOP

Good article and funny. My comments don't apply to your writing. I was speaking of the Sun Times Author

Jarrett Martineau

at 10:43 on December 16th, 2008

Amazing! Thank God for Sarah Palin.

(...or maybe that should be Sarah Palin thanks God for Sarah Palin?)

Amy Judd

at 12:08 on December 16th, 2008

I like number 8 personally..

158

at 18:51 on December 16th, 2008

Good collection.

''7. "Maybe 100." John McCain, discussing in a town hall meeting in Derry, N.H., how many years U.S. troops could remain in Iraq, Jan. 3''

Immediately followed by, ''As long as no Americans are being killed or wounded.''