* “A territorial, social, ethnic apartheid has spread across our country.”–French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
* “… Something else is also at work, and it needs to be discussed. It is the struggle within Arab and Pakistani Sunni Islam over whether and how to embrace modernity, pluralism and women’s rights. That struggle drives, and is driven by, the dysfunctionality of so many Arab states and Pakistan. … But you don’t see this in the two giant Muslim communities in Indonesia and India.”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.
* “The alternative would be massive U.S. deployments in perpetuity, which would create its own blowback and cause probably more problems than it would potentially solve.”–President Barack Obama, on the role of U.S. drone strikes to take out terror targets.
* “We need more boots on the ground.”–Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
* “He expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran. Two words: ‘Hell no!’ … We’re going to do no such thing.”–House Speaker John Boehner’s response to President Barack Obama’s threat to veto any new Iranian-sanctions legislation.
* “More than two decades after the presumptive end of the Cold War, Russian spies continue to seek to operate in our midst under cover of secrecy.”–U.S. Attorney Preet Bharra, after three Russians in New York were charged with spying.
* “According to a new poll, nearly six out of 10 Republicans want Mitt Romney to run for president. So do 10 out of 10 Democrats.”–Conan O’Brien.
* “In a Republican primary, every candidate is going to say, ‘I’m the most conservative guy who ever lived.’ You know what? Talk is cheap.”–Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
* “Climate change is real and not a hoax.”–Wording of a measure drafted and introduced into the U.S. Senate by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., which was passed 98-1.
* “It’s basically a 20-percent-off sale on the whole Eurozone for Americans.”–Adam Goldstein, CEO of airfare search site Hipmunk, on the impact of a plunging euro on American tourists.
* “Caution: Walk in large groups. We (heart) N.O.P.D. We just need more.”–New signage throughout New Orleans’ French Quarter.
* “It’s a beautiful day, let’s play two.”–The mantra of the late Ernie Banks, known as “Mr. Cub.”
* “I’m really bullish about the U.S. economy and bullish about the economy for Florida looking forward.”–Scott Brown, chief economist with Raymond James Financial.
* “China will be in our future. Within five years they will be the dominant source of travelers in the world.”–Susannah Costello, vice president of global brand at Visit Florida.
* “Overall, the Tampa Bay (housing) market continues to see strength in sales in light of increased employment figures, the press given to the downtown (Tampa) district and the increased interest in Tampa Bay by foreign investors.”–Kurt Gleeson, managing broker of the South Tampa office of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.
* “I don’t think they have a prayer, not a chance of being re-elected after this.”–Jan Platt, former Tampa City Council member and former Hillsborough County commissioner, on the prospects of school board members who voted to fire Superintendent MaryEllen Elia.
* “We have to think about bringing jobs in, but also have to invest in infrastructure with light rail.”–Chuck Sykes, president and CEO of Sykes Enterprises.
* “A seamless city calls for blurred lines. In fact, it is a requirement. And I am pleased to see lines and boundaries throughout the city being eliminated at a rapid pace.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.
* “You just think of what even one more day can bring. You’re talking upwards of 1,000 people a day possibly that we’re bringing here.”–Kathy Greif, The Salvador Dalí Museum’s marketing director, on the impact of extending the current Dalí-Picasso exhibit another week.