Actual Dan Quayle Quotations

"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I
have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could
converse with those people." -- J. Danforth Quayle


"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." -- J. Danforth
Quayle


"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a
mother and child." -- Vice President Dan Quayle


"Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts."
-- Vice President Dan Quayle


"Mars is essentially in the same orbit... Mars is somewhat the
same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen
pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there
is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we
can breathe." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 8/11/89


"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is
being very wasteful. How true that is." -- Vice President Dan
Quayle


"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I
mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century.
I didn't live in this century." -- Vice President Dan Quayle,
9/15/88


"I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom
and democracy - but that could change." -- Vice President Dan
Quayle, 5/22/89


"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice
president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle, 12/6/89


"May our nation continue to be the beakon of hope to the world."
-- The Quayles' 1989 Christmas card. [Not a beacon of literacy,
though.]


"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle, 11/30/88


"We don't want to go back to tomorrow, we want to go forward." --
Vice President Dan Quayle


"I have made good judgements in the Past. I have made good
judgements in the Future." -- Vice President Dan Quayle


"The future will be better tomorrow." -- Vice President Dan
Quayle


"We're going to have the best-educated American people in the
world." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/21/88


"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive
positions and have a tremendous impact on history." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle


"I stand by all the misstatements that I've made." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle to Sam Donaldson, 8/17/89


"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a *part* of NATO. We
have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a *part* of Europe." --
Vice President Dan Quayle


"Public speaking is very easy." -- Vice President Dan Quayle to
reporters in 10/88


"I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle


"I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle


"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to
the polls." -- Vice President Dan Quayle


"When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the
riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and
simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame.
Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame." --
Vice President Dan Quayle


"Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not
having it." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 5/20/92 (reported in
Esquire, 8/92)


"Murphy Brown is doing better than I am. At least she knows she
still has a job next year." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 8/18/92


"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not
occur." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/22/90


"For NASA, space is still a high priority." -- Vice President Dan
Quayle, 9/5/90


"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our
children." -- Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/18/90


"The American people would not want to know of any misquotes that
Dan Quayle may or may not make." --Vice President Dan Quayle


"We're all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten
you on the mistakes we may or may not have made." --Vice
President Dan Quayle


"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the
impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -- Vice
President Dan Quayle


"[It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system." --
Vice President Dan Quayle