*Even as the FBI continues its investigation into the cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, these steps underscore that we will employ a broad set of tools to defend U.S. businesses and citizens, and to respond to attempts to undermine our values or threaten the national security of the United States.”–Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, in announcing new, targeted sanctions against North Korea.
* “Our commitment to Afghanistan endures. … We are not walking away.”–Gen. John Campbell, U.S. commander of the outgoing International Security Assistance Force combat mission, as the 13-year NATO combat mission in Afghanistan formally ended. Gen. Campbell will lead the new NATO “support mission” that technically began Jan. 1.
* “In many segments of American Jewry, one is free to disagree with the president of the United States but the prime minister of Israel is sacrosanct. How patently absurd!”–Daniel Zemel, liberal Zionist and head rabbi of Washington’s Temple Micah.
* “I like what Obama did. … He took an economy in crisis in 2009, intervened, relaunched growth and created jobs, all things that Europe has not succeeded in doing.”–Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
* “We’re now the No. 1 producer of oil in the world. We’ve surpassed Saudi Arabia.”–Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
* “The only real threat to American democracy comes from Americans themselves. If our politicians continue to yield to pressure from extremists not to compromise and remain mired in gridlock, the majority of decent Americans may in frustration come to view an authoritarian government as a lesser evil that has to be tolerated.”–Jared Diamond, author and UCLA geography professor.
* “I haven’t used the veto pen very often since I’ve been in office. Now, I suspect, there are going to be some times where I’ve got to pull that pen out.”–President Barack Obama.
* “There’s no obvious wind for him in the state. There’s nothing to make people say, ‘Hey, he’s really doing something.’ Voters in New Jersey know that the guy’s got other things on his mind.”–David Radlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Institute poll, on the declining popularity of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
* “Those who judge a Bush-Clinton (2016 presidential) race to be a tired retread or disturbingly dynastic should consider the more novel and dynamic alternatives. A Warren-Cruz race would be less of an electoral choice than a national trauma.”–Michael Gerson, Washington Post.
* “The opposition to it was really either political or ideological. I don’t think that holds water against real flesh and blood and real improvements in people’s lives.”–Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, on why his state accepted federal Medicaid-expansion funds.
* “If Scalise is going to be crucified–if Republicans want to throw Steve Scalise to the woods–then a lot of them better be looking over their shoulders.”–Former KKK leader David Duke in warning Republicans about their reaction to a 2002 speech that House Majority Whip Scalise (R-La.) made to a white nationalist group.
* “She is a central banker who believes that it’s O.K. to talk about unemployment as much as you talk about inflation.”–Jon Faust, economist and former special adviser to the Federal Reserve board, on Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen.
* “I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that … We are summoning the demon.”–Elon Musk the co-founder of Tesla Motors and the founder of SpaceX.
* “A lot less rhetoric and a lot more dialogue.”–What New York Police Commissioner William Bratton called for to defuse the tension between police officers and the population they protect.
* “If I don’t run, it won’t be because Jeb is running.”–Sen. Marco Rubio.
* “The Republicans become introspective after presidential year losses, and we become introspective after off-year election losses.”–Former Democratic State Sen. Dan Gelber.
* “I am ecstatic. I was really waiting for this to happen and hoping it would happen.”–The reaction of Hillsborough County Clerk of Court Pat Frank to U.S. District Judge Robert Hinckle’s decision that all 67 Florida counties may issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
* “When future historians of Tampa set out to write a history of Cubans in Tampa, they will discover that Tampa history is Cuban history.”–Gary R. Mormino, professor emeritus of history at USF St. Petersburg.
* “We’re going to go full blitz into marketing the destination as an events capital.”–Hillsborough County tourism chief Santiago Corrada.
* “It’s pretty much the same old story that we’ve been trying to get people to pay attention to. But for some reason, driving impaired seems to be a socially acceptable way of dying in our state.”–Hillsborough sheriff’s DUI Sgt. Troy Morgan.
* “As this market grows, that becomes increasingly more important.”–Wade Elliot, vice president of marketing and business development at Port Tampa Bay, on the impact of the year-old I-4 connector.
* “…It’s because they want the rest of downtown for expansion. I think that’s their purpose.”–Pinellas County Commissioner Pam Seel’s take on why the Church of Scientology would work behind the scenes to oppose the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s plans to move to downtown Clearwater.