Quotes of the day

Our automobile industry could be much more “American” if we really cared to make it so. But we don’t. Our behavior as investors and consumers is usually more rational than the claims we offer up in politics and in public discourse.--Tyler Cowen

We're Living In Odd Times When Miss California Gets Tougher Questions Than the President.--Dennis Miller

It's the Spock plot strands that give the new "Trek" its best shot at once again commanding the zeitgeist. Spock's cool, analytical nature feels more fascinating and topical than ever now that we've put a sort of Vulcan in the White House.--Steve Daly

I grew up on 'Star Trek'—I believe in the final frontier.--Barack Obama

The interesting caveat is [the Obama sensation] is a style of leadership more effective running a law review than running a country.--Ron Klain

But in a still-dangerous world, in which one's listeners now have names like Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong Il, Putin, Hu Jintao, Netanyahu, Sarkozy and Merkel, the costs for the rest of us of being "misinterpreted" for a compulsive lack of clarity could be high. As back in January 2007, the key question remains: Is this Hamlet-like style of leadership suited for conducting the presidency of the United States? More bluntly, is it leadership? As he heads towards the next 1,300 days, Mr. Obama might consider trying a different gift that served an earlier Democratic president, Harry Truman, quite well once in office: Plain speaking.--Daniel Henninger

[Jon Stewart] is certainly not the only American who would take that view [that dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima is a war crime], but it's a useful reminder that the most vocal and popular criticism of the Bush administration's war on terror policies comes from people who, if they were being as honest as Stewart, would also judge Lincoln (suspension of habeas), FDR (internment), and Truman (use of nuclear weapons) as war criminals or tyrants or worse.--Michael Goldfarb

I see these “revise and extend” stories most every time they let Biden out in front of the cameras.--Stephen Green

Jake, I understand what [Joe Biden] said. And I'm telling you what he meant to say.--Robert Gibbs, President Obama's press secretary

[Bill Clinton] is a fan of this [10 girls for every 1 guy] ratio.--Nouriel Roubini