* “I met her first in the Congress. She ran in a tough district, on the slogan ‘Finally, a tough Democrat.’ She got elected and she was liked. That’s a good place to begin in politics.”–Walter Mondale reminiscing about Geraldine Ferraro.
* “The Ryan budget will put all future arguments in the proper context: the current welfare state is simply unsustainable and anybody who is serious, on left or right, has to have a new vision of the social contract.”–David Brooks, New York Times, on the budget-reform proposal of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
* “The new Census shows huge Hispanic population growth. What do the numbers mean for Republicans? Demographic devastation, unless they act fast. … The trend toward Democratic dominance is inexorable unless the Republicans can engage Hispanics with a more appealing immigration policy and–by showcasing leaders such as Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval–a more inclusive face.”–Mark Halperin, Time magazine.
* “I agree with (Minnesota Congresswoman) Michele Bachmann 99 percent of the time on policy issues. But just like Dorothy, I’ve been to Oz and I’ve looked behind the curtain.”–Ron Carey, who quit as Bachmann’s chief of staff last summer.
* “What we learn from history is that people don’t learn from history.”–Warren Buffett.
* “The lesson for other groups is that effort counts. Asian-American students are working harder, doing better and getting ahead.”–Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, on a new study underscoring how significantly Asian-American students outpace their peers.
* “The president didn’t get just a great advocate and great cheerleader but also a great strategist who’s going to be a very valuable member of the team.”–Miami lawyer Kirk Wagar, a top DNC fundraiser, on President Obama’s choice of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, as the next leader of the Democratic National Committee.
* “He (Sen. Marco Rubio) clearly has to be on a very short list for vice president, if he’s interested. Barack Obama showed us that you don’t need a long resume to capture a nomination. You just need to capture an imagination.”–Democratic consultant Victor Kamber.
* “Today (Rick) Scott is a four-letter word to many Florida voters, but political popularity can change with time. Nonetheless, the fact that Scott is as unpopular as the state Legislature … is evidence of the depth of his problem. It is exceedingly rare for an unindicted governor or president to ever be seen as poorly by the electorate as his Legislature or Congress.”–Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
* ” It’s probably the strongest antifederalism we’ve had since Jim Crow days or a vote to secede.”–State Sen. Thad Altman, R-Viera, on the Florida Legislature using the federal government as a foil for broad policy shifts.
* “If a city wants to host a national political convention, then they also have to be prepared to host a protest. We believe that we could add something to the planning process.”–Michael Pheneger, president of the ACLU in Florida, on Tampa’s preparations for the 2012 GOP convention.
* “I would really want to support this. I just would want to see this (ticket) money used in a directed way.”–Tampa City Council member Yoli Capin, who sided with the minority when council voted to install red light cameras at high-traffic intersections.