* “I think both the Iranian and the Israeli governments recognize that when the United States says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say. I don’t bluff.”–President Barack Obama.
* “Since Ronald Reagan went home, the United States has attacked or invaded Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq again, and Libya. How have Americans benefited from all this war? How have the Chinese suffered these 20 years by not having been in on the action?”–Patrick J. Buchanan, author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?”
* “Debt-ridden Greece and export-driven Germany are trapped in a bad marriage, but for now, at least, are sticking it out for the sake of the European Union.” Rachel Donadio, New York Times.
* “Santorum is not a Catholic, but a papist.”–Garry Wills, cultural historian.
* “How telling that Santorum equates moderation with indifference to issues rather than an appreciation for their nuances. Then, again, nuance is one of those elitist words. You know, something you may learn in college.”–Ruth Marcus, Washington Post.
* “The Republicans, with their crazed Reagan fixation, are a last-gasp party, living posthumously, fighting battles on sex, race, immigration and public education long ago won by the other side. They’re trying to roll back the clock, but time is passing them by.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
* “Republicans being against sex is not good. Sex is popular.”–GOP strategist Alex Castellanos.
* “We are called to be very active, very informed and very involved in politics.”–Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
* “Nothing energizes Republicans like rising energy prices. …Funny, I don’t hear Republicans rail against speculators. Could that have anything to do with the fact that hedge funds and money managers are bankrolling the GOP as never before?”–Robert Reich, former secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton.
* “A single gaffe is a political flesh wound. A series of gaffes that confirm a damaging stereotype is potentially fatal. These (Romney) blunders not only reinforce a traditional Republican weakness, they threaten to diminish a large Republican advantage–Barack Obama’s dramatic disconnect with blue-collar whites.”–Michael Gerson, Washington Post.
* “About 1.5 million American children were home-schooled in 2007, the latest year for which the Education Department provides an estimate. When their parents were asked why, they most commonly cited moral and spiritual reasons. … The likelihood is already strong, when you rear kids, that you’ll turn our rough copies of yourself, whether you mean to or not. Home schooling is like firing up a Xerox machine to seal the deal.”–Frank Bruni, New York Times.
* “It’s happening right down to county commission level, this moving so far to the right. I mean Pinellas County stopping fluoride? Are you kidding me? I thought that went out with the John Birch Society.”–Florida Democratic Chairman Rod Smith.
* “I’m worried that our emphasis is on the wrong thing. If we’re trying to grow business, we should be focusing on what generates business activity, and the type of business activity we need is not what got us into this mess.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, in opposing a proposal to suspend transportation impact fees charged to new construction projects for up to a year.
* “They’re like an amoeba. They’ll rise and fall.”–County Commissioner Sandra Murman on the recent opening of an internet cafe in downtown–after the Commission voted to abolish the businesses in other parts of the county.
* “Tampa is on a roll, and we’re beginning to demonstrate, not with analysis and paper, but with aircraft and people flying that this market is viable.”–TIA CEO Joe Lopano.
* “We can’t compete with the Charlottes, the Atlantas and the Raleigh-Durhams of the world if we can’t get people through the permitting process.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
* “We need to get the corporations that have two tickets for half the games to buy six tickets for all the games.”–Rays President Matt Silverman.
* “They should expect a very demanding coach.”–Mohamed Sanu, a potential first-round draft choice from Rutgers, on what Buc players can expect from new head coach Greg Schiano, formerly of Rutgers.