* “Why is it that everybody is so eager to use military force after we’ve just gone through a decade of war at enormous cost to our troops and to our budget? And what is it exactly that these critics think would have been accomplished?”–President Barack Obama, in response to those advocating the funneling of weapons to Ukrainian soldiers.
* “Clearly the Russians have declared NATO as an adversary, so we have to begin to view Russia no longer as a partner.”–Alexander Vershbow, deputy secretary-general of NATO.
* “The Republican Party will adapt, evolve or die.”–Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., at Harvard’s Institute of Politics.
* “Trickle-down economics could have been true. It just happened to be wrong.”–Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century.
* “Universities and colleges are institutions of learning and research that do not have customers; instead they have multiple stakeholders, including students, faculty, administrators, parents and the public. … In business, the bottom line is measured in profits; at a university the bottom line is measured in the extent to which we promote the common good through research and teaching.”–John W. Traphagan, professor of religious studies at the University of Texas.
* “Too many of today’s graduates are more familiar with the Kardashians than the Kennedys, with Lady Gaga than Lady Macbeth. To further highlight our misplaced priorities, a Google search for Justin Bieber produces 400 million hits–more than 10 times as many as a search for William Shakespeare.”–Daniel Burnett, press secretary of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
* “Be wise, because the world needs more wisdom. And if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would.”–British author Neil Gaiman, at a commencement speech at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts.
* “In a very, very, very deep place I’m secure. And on the surface, secure. But somewhere in there, I need 20,000 screaming people a night to feel normal.”–U2’s Bono.
* “Americans are both deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion.”–Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy.
* “House Republicans actually give John Boehner a harder time than they give me. Which means orange really is the new black.”–President Barack Obama, at the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner.
* “There is a belief, which is just not true, that women are just in bad occupations and if we just put them in better occupations, we would solve the gender gap problem.”–Claudia Goldin, Harvard University labor economist.
* “Walgreen Co. is considering a move to Switzerland after buying a stake in Swiss pharmacy company Alliance Boots GMBH. Yes, your corner drugstore would like to take your copay, bill your Medicare policy and then pay its taxes in Switzerland.”–Al Lewis, Wall Street Journal.
* “We need to see people other than ourselves in order to empathize. If we don’t live around others, we do ourselves and our society damage because our ability to relate becomes impaired. … It’s nearly impossible to commiserate with the unseen and unknown.”–Charles M. Blow, New York Times.
* “It turns out that several of the states with the most fiercely contested midterm races also boast some of the highest sign-up numbers for Obamacare. … In Florida, some 983,000 people are now signed up. … This is in a state where the Democratic candidate for governor, Charlie Crist, is running on a very pro-Obamacare message.”–Greg Sargent, Washington Post.
* “I don’t regret that decision at all.”–Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, on leading the House’s opposition to Medicaid expansion.
* “One person’s turkey is another person’s eagle.”–Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Coral Gables.
* “When you become too engrossed in pet projects, the system finds a way to utilize that to get you to do other things. When you don’t care about a pet project, it’s easier to stand on your principles.”–Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation.
* “My vote against the budget is symbolic for what’s unfinished.”–Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach.
* “That park is vastly underutilized, inefficient and the neighborhood deserves better. It blocks the river completely and is not as safe as it could or should be.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, on Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.
* “Quite frankly, it’s less than luxurious, and it’s very difficult to be here all day.”–Rays’ manager Joe Maddon, on having to play a split doubleheader in Boston, where Fenway Park’s visitors’ clubhouse is notoriously small and cramped.