* “We’re testing diplomacy; we’re not resorting immediately to military conflict. Tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but it’s not the right thing for our security.”–President Barack Obama.
* “In addition to Secretary of State John Kerry, we may also need a ‘Secretary of State Just for the Middle East.’ Because restoring the U.S.-Iran relationship and bringing it in from the cold after 34 years is such a wrenching shock to the Middle East system, it will require daily consultation and hand-holding with all our Arab and Israeli friends.”–Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times.
* “Politically, it’s probably a blessing in disguise for Brazil. It’s trying to portray itself as capable and transparent and all eyes will be watching. Brazil probably needs to turn outward, and these events are forcing it outward.”–Greg Michener, a professor at the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration in Rio de Janeiro, on the implications of international scrutiny focusing on Brazil as it prepares for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
* “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?”–Pope Francis.
*”I think both the presidential and vice presidential nominee should be a former or current governor. People who have done successful things in their states.”–Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
* “The next challenge for the (Affordable Care Act) law, as the White House knows, will be the outreach challenge of signing up enough young-and-healthy people to balance out its risk pools. That’s a challenge the White House spent quite a lot of time thinking about before this IT nightmare.”–Ezra Klein, Washington Post.
* “Democrats will run on the Affordable Care Act and win.”–Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, and chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
* “I don’t think anybody is looking back (to 2008). If Hillary runs for the nomination, she gets it. Period.”–L. Douglas Wilder, the nation’s first elected black governor from Virginia.
* “Consumers should be able to know whether there are other eyes surfing on the web with them.”–Eric T. Schneiderman, attorney general of New York, after Google agreed to pay $17 million to 37 states and the District of Columbia in a settlement over tracking consumers online without their knowledge.
* “The journalism world is changing. In the broadest terms, transparency has become more important; traditional objectivity less so. Within the whirlwind, journalists need to hold on tight to accuracy, intellectual honesty, rigorous reporting and fairness–values that can never go out of style.”–New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan.
* “Administrators who market (their verb, not mine) education as a passport to success instead of defining it as a pathway to knowledge are, essentially, advocating for the training of workers rather than for the education of citizens. … Some argue that the days of furthering or bettering oneself through a liberal arts education are gone, but that’s true only if ‘furthering and bettering’ means ‘making more money.’ If that’s the case, then let’s just teach our kids to write ransom notes.”–Gina Barreca, Hartford Courant.
* “It’s the cutest phenomenon ever.”–Lynn Quincy, senior health policy analyst at Consumers Union, on the strategy that insurers and advocacy group are using to get young adults to sign up for health insurance: appealing to their mothers.
* “I am tremendously worried, not about my political future. Health care should be a right in America, not a privilege.”–Rep. Joe Garcia, D-Miami.
* “In the 2012 session, the Republican-controlled Legislature failed to pass a bill allowing major casinos in South Florida. But the pro-expansion players are doubling down. … And based on the contributions to the governor’s political committee, they’re hoping he’ll be their ace in the hole.”–Former Florida state legislator Paula Dockery.
* “I was flabbergasted. It’s a perfect example of a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.”–Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer on Secretary of State Ken Detzner’s plans to eliminate remote voting sites for absentee-voter drop off.
* “Though I call myself socially liberal and a fiscal conservative, it is frustrating that there is no place for me in today’s politics.”–Raymond James chairman Tom James.
* “We know what this program is all about. I have total confidence in coach Muschamp and have made that clear. We’ve got to fix some things. When you have seasons like this, that’s what you do: You evaluate, you analyze and you fix things. You don’t panic.”–University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley regarding the status of head football coach Will Muschamp.
* “I’m from Montreal and I love going back there, but Tampa has always been my home.”–Former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier.