Notable Quotables - 07/11/1988
Iranian Air Disaster
"Don't we really
owe two countries an apology tonight? One, of course, Iran, for killing 290 of
their innocent civilians, and the other one, of course, the Soviet Union, for
having accused them of a terrorist act when they did something remarkably
similar to us several years ago?"
- The New Republic Editor Michael Kinsley on CNN's Crossfire,
July 4.
"There are
differences, but it's hard to escape the parallels. Both sides shot without
clearly identifying the targets, and both sides blamed the civilian plane for
being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
- Reporter Robert Schakne, CBS Evening News, July 4.
Reagan Record
"President Reagan was unfair to the poor."
"He was a rich man's President."
"He had a negative view on women's rights."
"He was unfair to blacks."
"He didn't know what he was doing."
"He was unfair to the middle class."
"He was unfair to
old people."
- Statements people were asked to agree or disagree with in Washington
Post/ABC News poll released June 30.
Bill Moyers
"When pressed to
define American television at its best, I find myself frequently mentioning
the name of Bill Moyers."
- New York Times television critic John O'Connor, June 27.
Glasnost
"It is a totally
different world. Moscow is right now an open city. It is just as open as
Washington, D.C."
- William Lord, former Executive Producer of ABC's World News Tonight,
quoted in the Washington Post by Tom Shales.
"Reagan called them
the Evil Empire, but they let him in. I just told it the way it is in movies.
So much for glasnost."
- Rambo III star Sylvester Stallone after being denied access to
East Berlin at the request of the Soviets.
Defense Spending
"It costs your
household $21,000 dollars a year. That's what your household is sending to the
Pentagon. These statistics, incidentally, do not come from any particular
radical left or right-wing organization. This is from the Center for Defense
Information."
- Phil Donahue, June 27.
"The Center for
Defense Information (CDI), the favorite military and strategic think tank of
disarmament activists, congressional liberals and isolationists."
- Michael Johns writing in the Spring Policy Review.
Campaign '88: Dukakis
"'I have a
favorable view of him,' [Boston Globe] political reporter Chris Black
says [of Michael Dukakis.] 'My outlook and ideology can't be divorced from my
copy, but as a reporter I try to be dispassionate.' She says she occasionally
drops an 'adjective or phrase' so her stories won't appear too favorable to
Mr. Dukakis. Ms. Black expects the governor will win in November. 'I would
love to come to Washington,' she says."
- Excerpt from Wall Street Journal story by Monica Langley. Quoted
in the "Take Two" column, July Washington Journalism Review.
"It's a message
that's neither liberal nor conservative in the traditional sense. It's a
message that simply says it's time for a change."
- Reporter Bill Whittaker on Dukakis' campaign theme, July 1 CBS Evening
News.
"Perhaps the
greatest indicator of his moderate strategy will be his choice of a running
mate. All the prime contenders come from the moderate wing of the Democratic
Party."
- Whittaker, July 2.
"George Bush wants
to convince voters that Michael Dukakis is a big spender who will raise taxes,
coddle criminals, and disarm America. In other words, a 'liberal.' But does
the dreaded 'L' word stick to Dukakis? Probably not."
- Newsweek table of contents summary of lead story in the July 4 issue.
"Dukakis cloaks
crucial memos in jail site case"
- Washington Times, June 24.
"Dukakis
Capitalizes on Governorship: Appearances Stress Executive Experience"
- Washington Post, same day.
"Economists call
Dukakis fiscal policy indefensible"
- Washington Times story on Foundation for Economic Research report,
July 5.
- Washington Post and New York Times: No story
Campaign '88: Bush
"Moments later,
Atwater took a stage to blast 'Tax Hike Mike.' He twisted Dukakis' position on
national defense, distorted the tale of how a convicted killer, Willie Horton,
fled the Massachusetts furlough program, and he did his best to fulfill his
reported vow to 'strip the bark off the little bastard.'"
- Boston Globe reporter John Aloysius Farrell, July 3.
"Republican
strategists call Bush's hard line on taxes good politics...Good politics, but
perhaps not good economics. Many experts believe that whoever is elected
President will have to raise taxes to reduce the federal deficit."
- Reporter Lisa Myers, NBC Nightly News, June 29.
Nicaragua
"Sandinistas choke
peace in its crib, group says"
- Washington Times page one
story on Nicaraguan Permanent Commission on Human Rights report, June 20.
- Washington Post and New York Times: No story
- L. Brent
Bozell III; Publisher
- Brent H. Baker, Tim Graham; Editors
- Jim Heiser, Richard Marois, Patrick Swan, Dorothy Warner; Media Analysts
- Cynthia Bulman; Administrative Assistant
