Beau Biden, son of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, offering advice before the Democratic vice-presidential nominee's send-off speech to his son and other members of the National Guard as they prepared for deployment to Iraq

Sugule Ali, a spokesman for Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukrainian weapons-bearing ship, warning that the pirates would go down with the hostages if the Ukrainians decide to destroy the ship rather than give in to ransom demands for $20 million

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, explaining to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow why he voted against the Sept. 29 bailout bill. He also declined to support the revised Oct. 3 version.

Tennessee Rep. Zach Wamp, explaining why he changed his "blue collar" vote against the Sept. 29 Wall Street bailout bill to a favorable vote on Oct. 3, when a revised version passed the House 263-171

Sen. Ted Stevens, joking to a contractor about his wife's home improvement wishes in a 2000 thank-you note released as part of his ongoing federal trial in which he faces charges that he accepted $250,000 in free renovations from an Alaskan businessman

Defense attorney Yale Galanter, on his client O. J. Simpson, who was convicted of robbery and kidnapping, and now faces life in prison

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, on the McCain campaign's choice to withdraw from Michigan and focus resources elsewhere

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, speaking at a Connecticut fund-raiser about how his successor, Michael Bloomberg, can improve if he succeeds in his bid to extend term limits and remain in office