Out of date, perhaps, but who wasn't these days? Out of date, but loyal to his own time. At a certain moment, after all, every man chooses: will he go forward, will he go back? There was nothing dishounorable in not being blown about by every little modern wind. Better to have worth, to entrench, to be an oak of one's own generation.

Those who are not with Mr. Bush are against him. Worse, they are with the enemy. Which is odd, because I'm dead against Bush, but I would love to see Saddam's downfall -- just not on Bush's terms and not by his methods. And not under the banner of such outrageous hypocrisy.

It's the oldest question of all, George. Who can spy on the spies?

There's one thing worse than change and that's the status quo.

If there is one eternal truth of politics, it is that there are always a dozen good reasons for doing nothing.

During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.

There is no such thing as a secure writer: every novel is an impossible mountain.