* “It is my hope that this meeting will mark the beginning of a new journey where we seek the things that unite, so as to overcome the things that divide.”–Pope Francis at the “prayer summit” with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
* “My hope is that we don’t have to exercise them because Mr. Putin’s made some better decisions.”–President Barack Obama’s reference to the possible need for additional economic sanctions on Russia.
* “America’s with you. That is not hyperbole.”–Vice President Joe Biden to newly inaugurated Ukrainian President Petro O. Poroshenko.
* “We have long engaged–and all other countries in the West have long engaged–in hostage swaps where the West always comes out on the short end. And the reason is that we put a value on an individual human life the way that the barbarians at the other end of the table don’t.”–Conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer on Fox News.
* “We can argue about how. But let’s not argue about what’s going on. The science is compelling. … The baseline fact of climate change is not something we can afford to deny.”–President Barack Obama.
* “The world looks to be a safer place today. If you lend money out, the ECB (European Central Bank) has money for you.”–Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in New York.
* “There is skepticism that maybe Jeb Bush wants too much government in people’s lives. I don’t know that he will ever win over the limited-government conservatives.”–Republican strategist Greg Mueller.
* “I thought I had acted in good faith and made the best decision I could with the information I had. And I wasn’t alone in getting it wrong. But I still got it wrong.”–Hillary Clinton on her 2002 vote authorizing military action in Iraq.
* “I really have no idea what proposals Clinton will run on, what arguments she’ll make. … It’s not her policies that make her formidable; it’s the multitudes that ‘Hillary’ the brand and icon now contains.”–Ross Douthat, New York Times.
* “George H. W. Bush does indeed deserve enormous credit for being the champion of the cap and trade program for sulfur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain. … So if pressed, I would call it a bipartisan idea that was championed by a Republican president.”–Eric Pooley, author and spokesman for the Environmental Defense Fund.
* “Hitting what you aim at.”–What gun control in Texas means, according to Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
* “The whole industry was set up for people who smoked frequently. It needs to learn how to educate new users in the market. We have to create a culture of responsibility around edibles, so people know what to expect to feel.”–Andrew Freedman, Colorado’s director of marijuana coordination.
* “Florida is a place where we like to work. Rick Scott’s been the gift that keeps on giving.”–Brad Woodhouse, president of American Bridge, a Democrat-supporting super PAC.
* “What happened was Harry Potter–there’s no doubt about it.”–Anthony Crocco, Central Florida regional director of Metrostudy, a new-industry consulting firm, on the Florida tourism surge that has helped reignite the state’s economy.
* “I think you can make a very strong argument that among the major Florida markets, the one with the most potential is Tampa.”–Anirban Basu, CEO of the Baltimore-based, Sage Policy Group, in a recent speech to the CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Economic Summit in Tampa.
* “The IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) effect continues. They are still continuing to market and promote this destination.”–Visit Tampa Bay president and CEO Santiago Corrada.
* “I would say it’s not irreparable, but he’s on thin ice.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan on the relationship between the county commission and Rick Homans, president and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough County Economic Development Corp.
* “When you’re in the arts, you get used to being the stepchild, the also-ran. When something like this happens, you go, ‘Oh, you do know we exist! It’s just fantastic. We’re very happy.”–Judy Lisi, president of the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, on the big boost in Florida’s arts budget–from $12.7 million to $53.6 million. The Straz came away with $500,000 for renovations plus $150,000 for general operations–three times more than it was allocated last year.
* “We assume they are counting the people stuck in traffic on I-4.”–Kevin King, chief-of-staff- to St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, in response to census information showing Orlando (255,000) has now surpassed St. Petersburg (250,000) in population.
* “We’re having a record year–on top of our record year last year.”–David Downing, deputy director of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
* “This is going to be like the buggy whip. It’s going to be obsolete.”–Joanne Hurley, Pasco County School Board member, on the issue of eliminating the concept of graduation valedictorians and salutatorians.