"Freedom is not self evident. Freedom must be fought for. Freedom must be defended time and again.’’ -- Chancellor ANGELA MERKEL of Germany, on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
"To pretend that now the House has passed this bill is real progress - it’s at the expense of women’s access to reproductive rights.’’ -- Senate candidate MARTHA COAKLEY, on health care bill passed by the House containing an amendment that restricts coverage for abortion
"If she’s not going to vote for any bill that’s not perfect, she wouldn’t vote for any bill in history. She would have voted against Medicare, the Civil Rights bill. . . . Realism is something you have to deal with in Washington.’’ -- Rival MICHAEL CAPUANO, on Coakley’s remarks. He later said he would vote against the measure if it still has an antiabortion provision
"The problem is, sometimes the dog does eat your homework.’’ -- PHIL MALONE, director of the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, on viruses disseminating child porn onto computer systems of unsuspecting people
"I went against my free-market instincts.’’ -- Former president GEORGE W. BUSH, on bailing out Wall Street before he left office
"Joe Perry, you are a man of many colors. But I . . . am the rainbow!’’ -- STEVEN TYLER of Aerosmith, on not leaving the band
"Voters have a tendency to quickly grow tired of pugnacious governance.’’ -- KARL ROVE, adviser to George W. Bush, on the White House practice to “reward friends, punish enemies, and jam the opposition’’
"Somebody should have been paying attention.’’ -- Specialist BRIAN HILL of Nashville, who attended the Fort Hood memorial 
