* “There’s a fundamental disconnect with a particular section of young Britain and sections of the political establishment.”–Matthew Goodwin, politics professor at the University of Nottingham.
* “What we’re seeing on the streets in Britain right now is something we may be starting to see here. The cause was not injustice … (it was) greed, selfishness, a respect and even lust for violence, and a lack of moral grounding.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.
* “Before, Saudi (Arabia) was seen as the main anti-Arab Spring power and interested mostly in preserving the status quo in the region. Now, you have the Saudis actively and openly against the Syrian regime. The reason, of course, is Iran.”–Christopher Davidson, a Gulf-affairs experts at Durham University
in Britain.
* “We’ve let our five basic pillars of growth erode since the end of the Cold War — education, infrastructure, immigration of high-I.Q. innovators and entrepreneurs, rules to incentivize risk-taking and start-ups, and government-funded research to spur science and technology.”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.
* “I’m embarrassed by all of us. I’ve never seen a worse Congress in my whole political life.”–Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).
* “The real question, even in purely fiscal terms, isn’t whether we’ll trim a trillion here or a trillion there from deficits. It is whether the extremists now blocking any kind of responsible policy can be defeated and marginalized.”–Paul Krugman, New York Times.
* “My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.” —Warren Buffett.
*“I think the moment we can get some of our Republican friends to stopinterpreting closing loopholes as raising taxes, we’ll get home free on this.”–Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., one of the six Democrats on the supercommittee tasked with proposing $1.5 trillion in savings over the coming decade.
* “You are essentially having a world where you have 25 million people who are underemployed and 2 percent of the population doing better than they ever have. Why wouldn’t that lead to some sort of social unrest? Why wouldn’t people use the latest technologies to effect that?”–Jonathan Taplin, director of the
innovation lab at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications, in commenting on flash mobs morphing from mass dance routines and street pillow fights to chaos and crime.
* “Obama’s an incumbent below 50. Don’t confuse the Republican Congressional ratings with the presidential ratings. The Republicans in Congress won’t be running against Obama.”–Democratic strategist Mark Penn.
*“If we want to beat Texas, we need to play like Texas. It’s time to put Florida’s future first — it’s time to close the Internet sales tax
loophole.”–Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
* “What happens in Pinellas stays in Pinellas; what happens in Hillsborough stays in Hillsborough. But that has to change.”–Ronnie Duncan, chairman of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority.
* “If someone else wants to take over, I’ll support them, but I just don’t have the time or money. It’s sad, because there’s still a lot of support for it.”–Mary Ann Stiles, chairwoman of Elected County Mayor Political Committee Inc., in announcing that her group will not be seeking to put the county mayor issue on the ballot in the 2012 general election.
* “I am from St. Louis, and I thought they were supportive. The support here has been bigger and better.”–Timothy Roberts, chief executive of Ybor City-based, technology company Savtira Corp., on plans to add 265 jobs.
* “Everyone keeps calling the Rays a regional asset, but my folks (city taxpayers) have real skin in the game. If the Rays attempt to leave the city and county, my city will suffer irreparable harm.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.
* “Youngry.”–Bucs coach Raheem Morris’ term for his “young and hungry” defense.