* “The reality is that they’re on the verge of a choice between having a nuclear program or an economy. There’s nothing like no money in your wallet to straighten your senses.”–Cliff Kupchan, senior analyst on the Middle East at the Eurasia Group, on the pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.
* “There is no time for political games. The country must be governed. We will cooperate with our European partners to boost growth and tackle the torturous problem of unemployment.”–Antonis Samaras, leader of the conservative New Democracy party that finished first in the Greek election.
* “Economic growth and fiscal discipline are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand.”–Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
* “After the fall of Communism and the reunification of the two Germanys, the country had to learn to act like a real sovereign state again. Now we need to learn the next lesson: to use German power wisely and with a good portion of humility.”–Clemens Wergin, foreign editor of the German newspapers Welt and Welt am Sonntag.
* “He has total respect for her. She’s very Midwestern in her own way: She tells him exactly what she can and can’t do, will or won’t do.”–Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Froman on the relationship between President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
* “In America as in Europe, Republicans argue, the welfare state is failing to provide either security or dynamism. The safety net is so expensive, it won’t be there for future generations.” —David Brooks, New York Times.
* “Standing a few feet away from Jerry Sandusky, as he laughed and reminisced with friends in the front row of the courtroom, made me want to take a shower. Just not in the Penn State locker room.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
* “Being a mayor–that’s a real job. And they know where you live. You, among any group of elected officials, have seen up close and personal the negative impact of this god-awful recession we inherited.”–Vice President Joe Biden at last week’s U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering in Orlando.
* “In the short run, infrastructure investment would stimulate business growth and employ otherwise unemployed resources of labor and equipment. In the longer run, when these assets are in good working order, they would support faster growth of the economy, a prerequisite for bringing down the national debt and putting workers back on the path to higher after-tax incomes.”–Charles O. Kroncke, associate dean of the USF College of Business.
* “Is it symbolic that (Rick) Scott and Romney aren’t spending more time together? Yes. Is it surprising? No.”–Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
* “If my opponents want to debate me, that will only help Sen. Nelson.”–U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV.
* “We’ve been losing millions in revenue each year since the housing market tanked in 2008, but we have cut marginal routes and cut people to maintain an above-average service–more than many transit systems have been able to do. We are now down to essential services. Any cuts beyond this are going to be painful and they won’t go unnoticed.”–Steve Feigenbaum, HART official who oversees schedules and routes.
* “A test is not necessarily the answer to a problem.”–Hillsborough County School Board Chairwoman Candy Olson.
* “As our family looks to deepen its roots in this community, I believe establishing the company’s home base here is a natural step. We continue to remain bullish on Tampa Bay and its future, and we look forward to opening our operation downtown later this summer.”–Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik who is relocating his investment firm, Vinik Asset Management, to downtown Tampa.