* “Of all these (Far East to Middle East) countries, India, which has fought a border war with China, is the most natural anchor for a U.S. partnership. It’s not just our inherent affinities–democratic, English-speaking, free-market, dedicated to the rule of law. It is also the coincidence of our strategic imperatives: We both face the common threat of radical Islam and the more long-term challenge of a rising China.”–Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post.
* “We dominate the world in two disparate areas: defense technology and entertainment. In nearly all else, we are slipping.”–Llewellyn King, executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS.
* “The more reactionary sectors in the United States are sharpening their teeth.”–Fidel Castro.
* “The time has come to reduce military operations. The time has come to reduce the presence of, you know, boots in Afghanistan … to reduce the intrusiveness into the daily Afghan life.”–Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on the need for the U.S. to reduce the visibility and intensity of its military operations in Afghanistan.
* “Some Democrats read the election returns as symptoms of health because things could have been worse. ‘Happily, we have leprosy, not cholera.'”–George Will, Washington Post.
* “It will take a revived patriotism to motivate Americans to do what needs to be done. It will take a revived patriotism to lift people out of their partisan cliques. How can you love your country if you hate the other half of it?”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “You can’t have a coherent conversation about deficit reduction if tax increases are off the table, and the country is still at war.”–Bob Herbert, New York Times.
* “To stand before the public and rub raw this anti-tax sentiment, the Republican Party, as much as it pains me to say this, should be ashamed of themselves.”–David Stockman, former Reagan Administration budget director, on 60 Minutes.
* “They now have a defined responsibility. I think people will hold them accountable as they hold us accountable.”–President Obama adviser David Axelrod on Republicans now that they are the House majority.
* “In both its comedy bits and its musical interludes, the ‘Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear’ scarcely missed an opportunity to drive home its points. Namely, that political dialogue in this country is out of control, stoked to fever pitch by politicians and media figures who’ve found a formula for success in exploiting the nation’s legitimate fears and philosophical differences.”–Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald.
* “If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.”–Jon Stewart.
* “Other than the candidate’s financial wherewithal, we had nothing else on our side.”–Top Rick Scott campaign strategist Tony Fabrizio.
* “Running for office as a political outsider was a good campaign strategy this year. Trying to govern as an outsider is a whole different story. …(Gov.-elect) Rick Scott is delusional if he thinks GOP insiders are looking for an outsider to lead them in some bold new direction.”–Carl Hiaasen, The Miami Herald.
* “I feel for people who want help with their pain. But (medical) marijuana is not in the best interest for the state of Florida, and my job is to decide what is best for the state.”–State Rep. Ron Reagan, House speaker pro tem.
* “It’s our schedule. They say we’re beating teams we’re supposed to beat. Before the season, we weren’t supposed to beat anybody.”–Jeff Faine, center for the (surprisingly 6-3) Bucs.