Political Bloopers
"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been."
--President Gerald Ford
"My fellow astronauts..." --Vice-President Dan Quayle, beginning a
speech at an Apollo 11 anniversary celebration.
"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life." --Orrin Hatch, Senator from Utah, explaining his support of the death penalty.
"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese." --Charles de Gaulle, ex-French President
"I stand by all the misstatements." --Dan Quayle, defending himself against criticism for making verbal gaffes
"Gerald Ford was a Communist" --Ronald Reagan in a speech. He later indicated he meant to say 'Congressman'.
"Outside of the killings, Washington D.C. has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington D.C.
"We found the term 'killing' too broad." --State Department spokesperson on why the word 'killing' was replaced with 'unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of life' in its human rights reports for 1984-5
"This is a great day for France!" --President Richard Nixon while attending Charles De Gaulle's funeral
"This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected." --California Governor Pat Brown, discussing a local flood
"It's not listed in the Bible, but my spiritual gift, my specific calling from God, is to be a television talk show host." --James Baker, televangelist.
"The chairs in the cabin are for the ladies. Gentlemen are not to make use of them till the ladies are seated." --Instructions posted in a river cruise ship, Suir River, Ireland.
"The exports include thumbscrews and cattle prods, just routine items for the police." --U.S. Commerce Department spokesman on a regulation allowing the export of various products abroad.
"What he does on his own time is up to him." --Harlon Copeland, Sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, when one of his deputies was caught exposing himself to a child.
"Facts are stupid things." --Ronald Reagan, misquoting John Adams in a speech to the Republican convention.
Originally published November 14, 2002.
