* “Characteristically disgusting, offensive and outrageous.”–White House spokesman Tommy Vietor characterizing the anti-Israeli comments at the United Nations of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
* “I see these protesters in countries like Egypt. They’re all burning American flags. If you hate us so much, how do you have a large supply of American flags on hand?”–Jay Leno.
* “The Republican Party and apparently Mitt Romney, too, has shifted toward a much more hyperindividualistic and atomistic social view–from the Reaganesque language of common citizenship to the libertarian language of makers and takers.”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “I have a record. I’ve demonstrated my capacity to help the 100 per cent when I was governor.”–Mitt Romney.
* “They (Republicans) want to talk about the people at the front of the plane, but they forget that wherever this plane is going, we’re all going there together.”–Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker addressing a Hillsborough County Democrats’ fundraising dinner.
* “It’s harder to turn out a vote against someone than a vote for someone.”–Roger Simon, Politico.
* “I grew up in a religious environment, and I’m proud of it. I was going to be a priest; I’m proud of it. And I thank God I believe in God or I would probably be enormously angry right now.”–Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
* “It’s still very much a toss-up. It’s a turnout game.”–Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research on the state of the presidential race in Florida.
* “Florida is the future, today.”–Former President Bill Clinton on Florida’s demographics.
* “What we’re seeing is that our participation in the labor market is declining.”–Amy Baker, the Florida Legislature’s top economist.
* “I’ve been a broker for 30 years, and I have never seen more demand from the tenant side of the business.”–Kevin Chadwick, owner of seven Keller Williams franchises in the Tampa Bay market.
* “That means move over Johns Hopkins. USF is here. Move over, NYU and Michigan. USF is among you. Move over, Duke. …USF is in this very elite group.”–University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft in announcing that USF has now broken into the top 50 public and private universities in the nation in federal research dollars.
* “I’ve never met anyone at the university level, particularly at medical schools, that leads with that type of innovation, energy–and just tenacity.”–Rep. Will Weatherford, incoming Speaker of the state House, describing Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the USF Morsani College of Medicine.
* “This is allowing for a whole new conversation with the global container shipping companies. They see lots of interesting potential to not only load and discharge containers from this market but also to extend their reach beyond Florida.”–Wade Elliot, Tampa Port Authority’s senior director of marketing, on the implications of building the I-4 “Connector” and a 2-mile railway loop on Hooker’s Point.
* “We feel very confident that we will get out of this and prosper.”–Phil Alessi, owner of the 100-year-old Alessi Bakery that recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
* “Nobody accomplishes things alone.”–Tampa Bay business icon and philanthropist Gus Stavros.
* “Anxiety lives in the future.”–Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon.
* “I’d be a liar to say I’m not afraid (of a lengthy lockout). Especially as a group right now, the organization from top to bottom are very enthusiastic about the momentum we have with our fans and the building, the new players we acquired this summer. There is so much positive stuff going for us, it would be sad if (the lockout) were long.”–Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher.