The law enforcement official and the rest of the panel shifted uncomfortably as Islam discussed his hope that Rushdie be burned not in effigy, but in actuality; the only person to challenge his statements was the writer Fay Weldon.
Hagel faces fierce opposition from Republicans who have challenged his past statements and votes on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons.
And without direct reference to Mitt Romney, or the big business lobbyists who call for shredding the safety net while reducing corporate taxes, Obama slyly challenged his former opponent's outrageous statement that almost half of Americans are irresponsible "takers" who depend on the hard work of others.
Because he was one of the first Democrats to speak kindly of Mr. Ashcroft's selection as attorney general, Mr. Torricelli has been criticized by some abortion rights groups and was even publicly challenged about his statements by Kate Michelman, head of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.
When I challenged James about his statement, he replied (very briefly): "Can provide heating bills for comparable house in US and Devon, ratio 10 to 1. (10 time as costly in Devon)".
Elkann hinted at this challenge in his statement: "We are convinced of the huge potential that still lies ahead and particularly in the Economist's ability to seize the many development opportunities linked to the digitisation of the media industry".
Gerald Krovatin, Mr. Abreu's lawyer, challenged the prosecution in his statement to play the tape, which he insisted would show his client's innocence, while opening up Mr. Oriente to questioning about the litany of crimes and corruption he has admitted taking part in for decades before Mr. Abreu and Mr. Sires came on the scene.
When challenged with his 2004 statement that he "could not conceive of a life without writing", he replies: "I was wrong.
"Every week is going to be a challenge," Shaw said, his statement at once accurate and understated.
With his "spot resolutions," he challenged the statement of President James K. Polk that Mexico had started the war by shedding American blood upon American soil.
