One former aide quoted Jackson as saying "it drives him nuts" when contractors who criticized Bush wanted consideration for government contracts.

"I am the one who negotiated everything," an aide to Mr. Mobutu quoted the President as saying.

Cristyne Lategano, Mr. Giuliani's press secretary, said this week that her aides had mistakenly quoted from an earlier draft of the letter.

"The four of us down here are for doing this, so let's go," a senior Democratic aide quoted Mr. Hastert as saying.

A top aide, Henk Herrenberg, quoted him as saying that the army would respect the outcome, but "that regardless of the results, the revolution will continue."

The aides quoted Mr. Greene as saying: "I'm going to kill that woman.

"The Swiss are again playing with words, attacking marginal issues and ignoring the central issues," an aide quoted Mr. Burg as saying.

(Note: whenever an aide quotes a boss's phrase - it was the aide's phrase.)

"Saudi Arabia is now one of the fronts in the battle against terrorism," an aide quoted the ambassador as telling them.

"No," an aide quoted Mr. Bielecki as replying.