* “Our nation’s reliance on cyberspace outpaces our cybersecurity.”–Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
* “I don’t think there’s any doubt now that the NSA or other agencies monitor or record almost every telephone call made in the United States, including cellphones, and I presume email as well. We’ve gone a long way down the road of violating Americans’ basic civil rights, as far as privacy is concerned.”–Former President Jimmy Carter.
* “We are looking for progressively faster growth as the year goes on.”–Doug Handler, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight.
* “The gun lobby in America, led by the NRA, has bullied this nation’s politicians into cowardly silence. Even when 20 young children are blown away in their classroom.”–Piers Morgan, in concluding his final CNN show.
* “There is no greater freedom than to survive and protect our families with all the rifles, shotguns and handguns we want.”–NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre.
* “If we require people to serve on juries, we can require them to vote–yes, compulsory voting, just like in Australia and Belgium.”–Thomas Geoghegan, author of Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?
* “There is no question this shakes your confidence. If it doesn’t, you’re arrogant.”–New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on the toll taken by the bridge-closure scrutiny.
* “He cares about Ukraine. But he’s not caring about Venezuela.”–Gov. Rick Scott, characterizing President Obama’s foreign policy priorities.
* “The only way Rick Scott wins is if he convinces people that Charlie Crist is actually worse than him. And that’s going to be a tough sell, because people like Charlie Crist and they don’t like Rick Scott.”–Former Republican state legislator Paula Dockery.
* “Ideology is the only thing stopping House Republicans from moving forward on this issue. Not expanding health care is the wrong thing for Florida.”–House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston, on House Republicans reluctance to reconsider Medicaid expansion.
* “States such as North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee have ramped up recruitment of relocating boomers. No Florida state agency is assigned to attract relocating retirees.”–Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida state director.
* “It’s shaping up to be a feel-good movie. The lead actor is solid payroll job growth across sectors… .”–UCF economist Sean Snaith, on Florida’s recent jobs growth spurt.
* “Research has revealed that at least 164 voucher-accepting private schools in Florida teach creationism.”–Brandon Haught, author and communications director for Florida Citizens for Science.
* “I would note, as a practical matter, that if the Legislature is really concerned about school safety, it should reinstate capital improvements for schools in its budgets. Our Legislature has cut the dollars for things like better fences, more secure entrances and other measures than can help us keep schools safer.”–Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins, executive director of the Hillsborough County Teachers Association, in response to Legislative proposals that would allow limited exceptions to the concealed weapons ban in public schools.
* “Instead of me spending another $50 million to build another parking garage, why don’t we come up with a new way to get people to the airport?”–Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano, on the merits of a shuttle from downtown to TIA.
* “We have been talking about modernizing transit for 30 years, and we are still not getting it done. … We are losing pace to every other metro area.”–Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch.
*”There is a tremendous skills gap. Kids have been pointed toward college, and everybody thinks manufacturing doesn’t exist in the U.S. anymore.”–Roy Sweatman, president of Tampa-based Southern Manufacturing Technologies.
* “He may be the best recruiting tool that anybody has in the NFL.”–Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ general manager Jason Licht, referring to Bucs’ head coach Lovie Smith.