”To master the mysteries of taxation, one must learn how to shear a sheep without its bleating.”
–Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, on the difficulties of selling his tax reform plan to his countrymen.
”The first lady is a distinguished citizen of this nation. She`s a great lady and she obviously is a lady of strong convictions.”
–New White House chief of staff Howard Baker, clarifying what he meant when he said Nancy Reagan could be a dragon when she gets her hackles up.
”If I could be president, I`d like to be president. I`m immodest enough to think that I could be a good one.”
–Gov. Jim Thompson, after ruling out plans to run for president or vice president in 1988.
”How do you `phase out` illegal activity? That`s kind of like `phasing out` the robbing of 7-Elevens.”
–Former Texas Gov. Mark White, on the admission by current Gov. Bill Clements that he approved continuing payments on a phase-out basis to football players while he was chairman of the Southern Methodist University board of governors.
”This country has enough problems without inflicting me on it.”
–Iconoclastic billionaire businessman H. Ross Perot, on speculation that he`s interested in running for president.
