Last week's quotables

From Condoleezza Rice—“I’m proud” we invaded Iraq

From Manhattan Institute's Sol Stern--"I guess it's all politics, Leo"

“I’m not enough of a historian to wade into that issue”—Fordham’s Eric Osberg, in response to Thomas Sowell’s absurd claim that the teachers unions were responsible to Hitler’s victory in France.

Best quote this week comes from no less than Barack Obama on Huffington, trying to explain to critical supporters, why he voted for the FISA legislation, which gives federal immunity for com companies who illegally spied on the public:

I learned long ago, when working as an organizer on the South Side of Chicago, that when citizens join their voices together, they can hold their leaders accountable. I'm not exempt from that. I'm certainly not perfect, and expect to be held accountable too. I cannot promise to agree with you on every issue. But I do promise to listen to your concerns, take them seriously, and seek to earn your ongoing support to change the country.

Yes, it's pretty thin. But it shows that he has to pay attention and be accountable to his base when that base acts powerfully, the way we should.

Just so we remember what we're up against, I'm reminded of Dick Cheney, who responds differently to criticism. Remember when Cheney was told that recent polls show about two-thirds of Americans opposing the war in Iraq , he basically replied, “f**k ‘em if they can’t take a joke.”