1987. Lt. Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration. Colonel North was being questioned by a senator.
"Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?" the senator asked.
North replied, "Yes, I did, sir."
The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, "Isn't that just a little excessive?"
"No, sir."
"No? And why not?" the senator asked.
"Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir."
"Threatened? By whom?" the senator questioned.
"By a terrorist, sir," Colonel North answered.
"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?"
"His name is Osama bin Laden, sir," North replied.
At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. "Why are you so afraid of this man?"
"Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of," the colonel answered.
"And what do you recommend we do about him?" asked the senator.
"Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."
The senator disagreed with this approach, and the conversation headed in other directions.
By the way, that senator was Al Gore. I guess that's why I'm not surprised.