* “A cyber-Pearl Harbor.”–Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s characterization of what could loom as a result of Iranian computer attacks.
* “For the United States, supporting democratic transitions is not a matter of idealism. It is a strategic necessity.”–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
* “If you think politics is ugly now and that the truth has been a casualty in the campaign, just wait for November. If it is another squeaker, the election truthers will be front and center.”–Richard L. Hasen, professor of law at the University of California Irvine and author of “The Voting Wars: From Florida 2000 to the Next Election Meltdown.”
* “No matter their ideology, many voters increasingly inhabit information bubbles in which they are less likely to hear their world-view contradicted.”–Michael Scherer, Time magazine.
* “We don’t collect news to inform us. We collect news to affirm us. It used to be that we disagreed on the solution but agreed on the problem. Now we don’t even agree on the problem.”–Frank Luntz, Republican pollster.
* “If he (Mitt Romney) has been telling the truth about his beliefs and intentions for the past year or so, he’s plainly unacceptable. But if he’s been faking it–if he’s actually the classic moderate Republican businessman we suspect and not the conservative zealot he plays on TV–then it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he won. ‘Not the end of the world’ is not much of an endorsement, and not meant to be.”–Michael Kinsley, Bloomberg News.
* “Although individual contributions to a particular candidate remain severely restricted–no more than $5,000–the amount someone can pour into a super PAC is limitless. The means by which the country finances its campaign is utterly broken.”–Joe Nocera, New York Times.
* “The court–the next president will get one or two Supreme Court nominees. That’s how close Roe vs. Wade is.”–Vice President Joe Biden.
* “Water is the most important issue facing Florida now and facing Florida forever. Water–you better pay attention to it.”–Former Florida Gov. Reubin Askew.
* “No fair, impartial court means no justice, no freedom.”–Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince.
* “I want to make myself very clear. I very much support the aquarium. The aquarium is an economic-development engine for the city. It’s one of the reasons we located down here. But in my opinion, they are not staying to their mission by switching gears here and going to an event facility.”–Troy Manthey, president and chief executive officer of Yacht StarShip, on The Florida Aquarium’s $15 million expansion plans that include an event center.
* “There’s a love affair this community has with this theater. I’m confident we’ll get there.”–Tampa Theatre president John Bell on the $150,000 fundraising campaign to buy a digital projector and matching sound equipment.