Verbatim

'For years, only negative reports on farm diseases, monstrous murders, floods and landslides have been coming from our village.'

ZORAN BABIC, a councilman in the Serbian village of Zitiste, where a 10-ft. (3 m) bronze statue of Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone's famous movie character, was revealed on Aug. 18

'I'm a myth, I'm Beowulf, I'm Grendel.'

KARL ROVE, mocking accusations that he secretly controlled President George W. Bush when he was White House adviser. He said Democrats made him a scapegoat

'Sam really likes to hike, take picnics, look at the animals. Typical stuff.'

MARY BROWNBACK, wife of Republican presidential hopeful Sam Brownback, on the couple's plans to spend five days at their family home in Colorado. Brownback is the only candidate taking substantial time off from the campaign trail this summer

'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.'

THE REV. ALEXIA SALVATIERRA, quoting a 2nd century Christian theologian to explain why activist Elvira Arellano's Aug. 20 deportation to Tijuana would inspire a renewed fight for immigration reform. Arellano had found sanctuary in a Chicago church for a year in defiance of a deportation order

'Nobody's going to elect me President of the United States. What I'd like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I'm a citizen.'

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, New York City mayor, emphasizing that he will not run for President

'I didn't desert anybody ... I've been living on this mountain every day, living in a little trailer.'

BOB MURRAY, coal-mine boss, defending his efforts to find six trapped Utah miners

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Sources: AFP; Bloomberg; New York Times; TIME.com AP (2)