SMART QUOTES

"The streets are safe in Philadelphia. It's only the people who make them unsafe."

Frank Rizzo, ex-police chief and mayor of Philadelphia

"After finding no qualified candidates for the position of principal, the school board is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of David Steele to the post."

Philip Streifer, Superintendent of Schools, Barrington, Rhode Island.

"I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law."

David Dinkins, New York City Mayor, answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes.

"It depends on your definition of asleep. They were not stretched out. They had their eyes closed. They were seated at their desks with their heads in a nodding position."

John Hogan, Common-wealth Edison Supervisor of News Information, responding to a charge by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector that two Dresden Nuclear Plant operators were sleeping on the job.

"I was a pilot flying an airplane and it just so happened that, where I was flying, made what I was doing spying."

Francis Gary Powers, U-2 reconnaissance pilot held by the Soviets for spying, in an interview after he was returned to the US.

"I didn't accept it. I received it."

Richard Allen, National Security Advisor to President Reagan, explaining the $1000 in cash and two watches he was given by two Japanese journalists after he helped arrange a private interview for them with First Lady Nancy Reagan.

"He didn't say that. He was reading what was given to him in a speech."

Richard Darman, director of OMB, explaining why President Bush wasn't following up on his campaign pledge that there would be no loss of wetlands.

"I do exactly as my father did. He did not imitate and I do not imitate."

After Rabbi Noah succeeded his father Rabbi Mordechai as Rav of Lechovitz, his hasidic followers soon noted that he did many things quite differently. The reponse above was the answer, when Rabbi Mordechai was asked about this. [Eugene Borowitz, Frances Weinman Schwartz]

"They gave me a book of checks. They didn't ask for any deposits."

Congressman Joe Early (D-Mass) at a press conference to answer questions about the House Bank scandal.

"I was under medication when I made the decision not to burn the tapes."

President Richard Nixon.

Adapted from http://www.smart-words.org/quotes-sayings/smart-quotes.html