* “When you have a unique circumstance in which genocide is threatened, and a country is willing to have us in there, you have a strong international consensus that these people need to be protected and we have a capacity to do so, then we have an obligation to do so.”–President Barack Obama’s rationale for using military force to protect Iraqi refugees from Islamic State insurgents.
* “Iraq should be one of the wealthiest countries on earth, with its human capital, strategic location, vast oil and gas reserves and two major rivers in an otherwise barren region.”–Ali Khedery, former special assistant to five American ambassadors in Iraq.
* “We do think we should have a steady improvement in our relationship with the Vietnamese military .”–Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit in Ho Chi Minh City.
* “Would U.S. government function better if presidents were limited to one term, perhaps of six years? The unfortunate, bipartisan experience with second terms suggests the issue is worthy of debate. The historical record helps make the case for change.”–Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and former economic advisor to President Barack Obama.
* “The $64,000 question is, will mainstream Republicans break from the Tea Party? If they do, it will be good for the country and bad for the Democrats.”–Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.
* “Republicans always saw libertarians as nice to have around in case they wanted to score some weed, and we always knew where there was a party. And for a while it made sense to bunk up with them.”–Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason, the monthly libertarian magazine published bythe Reason Foundation.
* “It’s (libertarianism) a completely closed and airless ideological system that doesn’t respond well to reality.”–David Frum, political commentator and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
* “‘Politics’: ‘Poli’ a Latin word meaning ‘many’ and ‘tics’ meaning ‘bloodsucking creatures.'”–Robin Williams.
* “In police work there are times we have to become soldiers and control through force and fear. But we have to come back to being a public servant as quick as we can to establish that normality and that ethical stature with communities, because they’re the ones who give us the authority to do our police work.”–Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Michael Downing.
* “Florida leaders and citizens have worked for years to make the Sunshine State a world-class location to start or run a business, a family-friendly destination for tourism, and a desirable place to raise a family or retire. Allowing large-scale marijuana operations to take root across Florida, under the guise of using it for medicinal purposes, runs counter to all of these efforts.”–Former Gov. Jeb Bush.
* “The goal here is not to steal from each other. The goal is for Florida ports to steal from other states’ ports.”–Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Anath Prasad, presiding at a meeting of Port Tampa Bay and Port Manatee officials.
* “A healthy economy and a healthy environment are mutually beneficial and not mutually exclusive.”–Holly Greening, Tampa Bay Estuary Program executive director.
* “I’m not sure we have enough time to sell this, and I’m not sure we have time to really do the leg work that needs to be done to generate the voter buy-in to get this passed.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist on the challenges involved in a 2016 transit referendum.
* “They (GOP activists) don’t represent the general public. They are people interested in and involved in party politics, and they’re very, very partisan. Greenlight Pinellas will create jobs and stimulate our economy. That’s what Republicans want.”–Republican Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala.
* “This is a day I have wanted for a very long time. Not just one year or two years, but 20 years.”–Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn at the official opening of Water Works Park.
* “I think I have sometimes been maybe a little too outspoken.”–Hillsborough County school board member April Griffin.
* “Based on our projected growth, we need lots of people. … We’re creating a brand in the world that Tampa is a high-tech place.”–Tony DiBenedetto, CEO of Tribridge, the Tampa-based technology services company.
* “This is how we create our destiny. We don’t create our destiny by building more subdivisions.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
* “The business community, with a focus on the bottom line, is miles ahead of the political leadership on the issues of diversity and has been for years. … People will go where they believe talent and hard work shape their destiny, not prejudice.”–Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida/Equality Florida Institute.
* “ED12 is about supporting this community, not government picking winners or losers.”–Joy Randels, founder and director of the local chapter of Startup Grind, in reference to the 1-year-old Hillsborough County Economic Development Innovation Initiative (ED12).