As they see it.

• Position: Quotations from several distinguished people about different topics - Brief article

"If the media had to say bovine spongiform encephalopathy every time, this is not a story that would have hung around. Mad cow disease, well that sounds cool."

--Alabama regional livestock extension agent Gerry Thompson to The Huntsville Times

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"I consider this cruel and unusual punishment to be forced to sit here and listen to it."

--Mississippi Representative Roger Ishee to the Clarion Ledger on the use of readings of entire bills in order to delay legislative action.

"Make it chicken potpie .... We got too many damn things to worry about besides pie."

--Florida Representative Dwight Stansel, a pecan farmer, to the Miami Herald about another lawmaker's efforts to make key lime pie the official pie of Florida.

"Cows may come and cows may go but the bull in this place goes on forever."

--Sign posted in an office near the Colorado House floor.

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"If elections don't feature opponents or if one side always tends to win, it makes it hard to have the real give-and-take that democracy demands."

--Don Kettl...