“It allowed everybody to believe that this Sarah Palin-like president — because,

“It allowed everybody to believe that this Sarah Palin-like president — because, let’s face it, that’s what he was — was going to be protected by this national-security elite, tested in the cauldrons of fire.”

Lawrence Wilkerson

A top aide and later chief of staff to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, saying President George W. Bush was surrounded by experienced advisers like Vice President Dick Cheney and Powell who played damage control for the president.

“This year was a total disaster. Nobody expected it to fall as much as it did.”

Tsuyoshi Nomaguchi

Japanese securities strategist noting that 2008 was the worst year on record for Japanese stocks.