Sometimes our opponents' words speak for themselves. Given the opportunity, public figures often reveal their motivations, agenda and prejudices all on their own. And NOW will be there to pass it along when they do.

• Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott, describing Sen. Strom Thurmond, who waged a 1948 presidential campaign as a segregationist and was quoted saying that "all the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, our schools, our churches":
  "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."
  Washington Post, Dec. 7, 2002

• Gov. Jeb Bush in an Oct. 3 meeting with Republican lawmakers in Pensacola, Fla., referring to the arrest of two women, the care givers of a missing 6-year-old girl, on allegations of welfare fraud:
  Bush first said he had "some juicy details" about the women and went on to say, "As [Graham] was being arrested, she told her co-workers, 'Tell my 'wife' I've been arrested.' The wife is the grandmother, and the aunt is the husband," Bush explained, making quote marks with his fingers to emphasize the word "grandmother." "Bet you don't get that in Pensacola," Bush added.
  Pensacola News-Journal, Oct. 4, 2002

• House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), speaking at a Sept. 20 GOP campaign roundtable in Florida:
  "I always see two Jewish communities in America. One of deep intellect and one of shallow, superficial intellect." Armey went on to say that conservatives hold "occupations of the brain" while liberals work in "occupations of the heart." When criticized for his comments, Armey replied: "Liberals are in my estimation just not bright people . . . as opposed to the hard scientists."
  USA Today, Sept. 25, 2002

• Alan Keyes, former presidential candidate and host of his own MSNBC show, speaking about sexual abuse in the Catholic church:
  "...We don't need to hear more voices encouraging the bishops to believe that homosexual behavior is somehow compatible with Catholic doctrine when it is not. We don't need more voices that are going to somehow get them to believe that all kinds of sex outside of marriage and apart from God's plan of procreation are to be regarded as joyful and wonderful and somehow consistent with Catholic teachings. It is those corrupting voices that exactly kept them from understanding the gravity of what they were tolerating."
  Transcript of MSNBC's "Alan Keyes is Making Sense," April 23, 2002

• George W. Bush, in a letter to Kenneth Lay, Enron CEO, on his birthday in 1997, contradicting reports that the two were not close:
  "Dear Ken, One of the sad things about old friends is that they seem to be getting older — just like you! 55 years old. Wow! That is really old. Thank goodness you have such a young, beautiful wife. Laura and I value our friendship with you. Best wishes to Linda, your family, and friends. Your younger friend, George W. Bush."
  Reprinted in USA Today, February 26, 2002

• U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, in a Feb. 19 speech at a Christian broadcasters' convention:
  "Civilized people — Muslims, Christians and Jews — all understand that the source of freedom and human dignity is the Creator. Civilized people of all religious faiths are called to the defense of His creation. We are a nation called to defend freedom — a freedom that is not the grant of any government or document, but is our endowment from God."
  The Washington Post, Feb. 20, 2002

• Scott Garman, founder of Stop Hating Men, speaking at a Senate hearing in Concord, N.H., in favor of establishing a commission on the status of men:
  "Men as a class have never had much power."
  The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News, Web edition, Feb. 14, 2002

• Gary Bauer, former president of the Family Research Council, crediting George W. Bush with Pat Robertson's decision to resign as president of the Christian Coalition:
  "I think Robertson stepped down because the position has already been filled ... [Bush] is that leader right now."
  The Washington Post, December 23, 2001

• Marshall Wittmann, formerly with the Christian Coalition, now with the Hudson Institute, referring to George W. Bush:
  "He is the leader of the Christian right." [italics theirs]
  The Washington Post, December 23, 2001

• Ralph Reed, former leader of the Christian Coalition and now chairman of the Georgia GOP, discussing the religious right's satisfaction with Bush in the White House:
  "You're no longer throwing rocks at the building; you're in the building."
  The Washington Post, December 23, 2001

• Elliott Abrams, Senior Director at the National Security Council, and a former Iran-Contra player pardoned by George Bush Sr.:
  "Religion is now one of the organizing principles behind American policy."
  In an introduction to the book "The Influence of Faith: Religious Groups and Foreign Policy," Rowman and Littlefield, 2001

Updated Dec. 12, 2002