“We drove over to the house on West Point with our hats in our hands and ate as much crow as they would allow.”

– Spokane County sheriff’s Capt. Bruce Mathews, describing officers’ actions after they found out that a search warrant issued in an obscene-call case was executed at the wrong address.

“It’s been a long time coming to have such a derogatory word taken off our maps.”

– Coeur d’Alene Indian tribal council member Norma Peone, speaking about a renewed effort to change the official names of 13 Inland Northwest geographic features that now include the word “squaw.”

“I can assure you, you don’t need a secret decoder ring to decipher what he’s saying.”

– White House aide Dan Bartlett, responding to speculation that President Bush’s speeches contain secret messages to the religious right.

“We stick guys in jail and cut off their outside contact. Why can’t we let them know what’s going on? It’s an insidious process of creating a permanent underclass.”

– Spokane County Public Defender John Rodgers, after jail officials in Spokane decided to stop providing inmates with newspapers.

“If we want to talk fair, why in the world are coaches paid seven-figure salaries?”

– Washington State University President V. Lane Rawlins, explaining why it isn’t necessarily unfair if his $514,450 annual compensation rises faster than the income of faculty members.

“This is absolutely what scares our guys on patrol to death. None of us want to be responsible for shooting a 12-year-old.”

– Spokane County sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan, after deputies arrested a student who had a realistic looking air gun in his car at Mt. Spokane High School.

“If he doesn’t do it the right way, it will destroy him.”

– Political analyst Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, describing the political risks faced by Eastern Washington Congressman Richard “Doc” Hastings, chairman of the House’s ethics committee, as it undertakes a probe of how House leadership handled the Mark Foley scandal.

“This is to absolutely ensure that Joseph Duncan will not under any circumstance profit from his evil ways.”

– Coeur d’Alene lawyer Chuck Lempesis, explaining why he had filed a lawsuit against murder suspect Duncan on behalf of Steve Groene, whose son and ex-wife are among the three people Duncan is accused of killing.

“If they conduct a nuclear test, it will not be forgiven.”

– Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, regarding North Korea’s announcement it would conduct a nuclear weapons test.