The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Quoteworthy
“We
are going to energize the country! We are going to get Brexit done.”—New
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“If
it leaves the European Union, Britain will become a middling provincial
country, whose fortunes will be subject to the whims of others. Trump probably
won’t care. Churchill would have been horrified.”—Ian Buruma, former
Luce Professor of Democracy, Human Rights and Journalism at Bard College.
“This
landmark agreement will put the coyotes and smugglers out of
business.”—President Donald Trump, after a “Safe Third Country”
agreement was signed with Guatemala. The agreement would require migrants who
cross into Guatemala on their way to the U.S. to apply for protections in
Guatemala instead of at the U.S. border.
“I
think if you look at Amazon, although there are certain benefits to it, they’ve
destroyed the retail industry across the United States, so there’s no question
they’ve limited competition.”—Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
“No,
I’m not trying to run out the clock. We will proceed when we have what we need
to proceed—not one day sooner.”—Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressing
impeachment priorities at her final weekly press conference before the House’s
six-week summer recess.
“An
impeachment could return Trump to power. The highchair king from Fifth Avenue
would exult in his victimhood and energize his always-ready-to-be-aggrieved
followers.”—Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
“The
Democrats apparently are intent on fighting Trump on his own ground,
challenging him to a duel in the one thing he’s actually pretty good at:
Putting on a show.”—Kevin Williamson, the National Review.
“Most
Democrats are more animated by the racism, the policy differences and the
behavior than they are by the possibility of impeachment.”—Democratic pollster Mark
Mellman.
“While
a lot of work may have been done in the House, very little of it has become
law. Nice bills that don’t become law become nothing.”—Rep. Jeff Van Drew,
D-N.J.
“Our
freedoms are under attack because the radical left will stop at nothing until
socialism has spread from coast to coast.”—Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
“The
word ‘socialist,’ to Republicans at least, has evolved to mean anything the
other side is for.”—Catherine Rampell, Washington Post.
“The
debate that we are currently having in this campaign and all over this country
has nothing to do with health care, but it has everything to do with the greed
and profits of the health care industry.”—Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“Putting
climate first is critical: History shows that if an issue is not the top
priority of an Administration, it’s not likely to get done.”—Washington Gov.
Jay Inslee, a Democratic candidate for president.
“I’m
not trying to restructure society. I’m just trying to take care of the issues
that wake people up in the middle of the night.”—Sen. Kamala Harris.
“This
is just the start of climate action in this Congress. Americans overwhelmingly
support climate action, and we’re going to deliver.”—Congresswoman Kathy
Castor, chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
“There
are no small government conservatives left in Washington. These big government
Republicans are bankrupting us.”—Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning
Joe” and a former Republican congressman from Florida.
“AGI
has the potential to shape the trajectory of humanity.”—Sam Altman, CEO
of OpenA1, a start-up founded by Elon Musk that is intent on creating Artificial
General Intelligence that rivals the human brain. Microsoft has announced that
it is investing $1 billion in OpenA1.
“Turn-out
helps me.”—John Morgan on why he likes the 2020 ballot chances of the
initiative he’s backing for a $15 minimum wage.
“Education
is just as important to us as enforcement is.”—Florida Highway Patrol spokesman
Sgt. Steve Gaskins, on why FHP troopers were told in June to issue
written warnings through the end of the year to those caught texting while
driving.
“I
am extremely proud that Florida is the first and only state in the country to
have all county election offices using the ALBERT sensor.”—Florida Secretary of
State Laurel M. Lee on the implementation of ALBERT network monitoring
sensors that can detect and alert officials to cyber threats.
“This
system empowers every teacher and every staff member to call for
help.”—Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Jeff Eakins, in
announcing the school district’s “CrisisAlert” system that will provide about
27,000 district employees with hand-sized transponder ID badges that can send
emergency messages to school resource officers and administrators.
“We
can’t be called to account to address all of the ills that the Sierra Club
believes is happening because of climate change. What we’re doing is
substantially reducing the carbon dioxide that’s going to be coming from the
facility.”—Larry Curtin, attorney representing Tampa Electric, on TECO’s
move forward with its plan to convert part of its Big Bend Power Station to
natural gas.
“The
market here is not driven by flight capital or investment.”—Anthony Soloman,
owner of the Ronto Group that is planning to build the 22-story Altura Bayshore
condo.
“We
cannot continue to fund transportation and other essential services from
general revenue.”—Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill.
“You
guys have a lot to look forward to.”—Chris Klauda, senior director of
STR Inc., a tourism research firm, on the post-recession explosion of Tampa Bay
tourism.