These folks need to stop scaring everybody." Democrats concede the political stakes on the health-care issue are very high, both for the president and for the Democratic majorities in Congress.

VOA: standard.2009.07.31

The Syrians straddle the fence between the order of conservative nations on the one hand and this alliance with Iran on the other and it would make perfect sense for Bashar al-Assad to pose as the mediator with the Iranians, which means: hey,if you folks think I'm bad, think of the Iranians,they're much worse, but I have credit in their bank and I can deal with the Iranians."

VOA: standard.2009.03.18