* “We can’t tolerate this anymore.”–President Barack Obama to mourners in Newtown, Conn.
* “It appears that many modern-day Republicans oppose the United Nations for the same reason their colleagues in post-World War I America opposed the League of Nations. They distrust the rest of the world, and they are afraid that the United States loses something when it participates in the international community of nations as an equal rather than as a global superpower.”–David Lee McMullen, visiting assistant professor of history at USF.
* “The worst error politicians can make is to spin themselves. It’s time for the GOP to face the hard truth, no matter how painful. The Republican brand is dying, many of our strategists are incompetent, and we still design campaigns to prevail in the America of 25 years ago.”–Mike Murphy, Time magazine.
* “I don’t know if we fall off the cliff, but I think we’re at least going to jump out of a tree.”–Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
* “It’s not going to be fatal to support legalizing illegal immigrants who came here when they were very young. But any bill that has a broader amnesty in it would end his presidential prospects.”–Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, on how immigration proposals would impact the presidential scenarios of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
* “We do not have a business brand.”–Enterprise Florida CEO Gray Swoope.
* “We had a really good election. Sixty-two of 67 counties performed very well. But it doesn’t take but one county to not quite meet the standards for Florida to get a reputation.”–Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner.
* “What I’m worried about is misbehavior, mismanagement.”–Gov. Rick Scott explaining why he wants Citizens Property Insurance to have its own inspector general.
* “We are not going forward with a (casino) petition drive effort and there have not been any petitions gathered.”–Brian Ballard, lobbyist for Malaysia-based Genting Group.
* “He is a champion of the testing mania, unchecked expansion of charter schools and voucher programs and has proven to advance the Jeb Bush education agenda that has drawn fire from teachers, parents and experts in the field.”–Florida Education Association president Andy Ford in deploring the appointment of Tony Bennett as Florida’s education commissioner.
* “What I would tell my friends on the other side of the aisle is when it comes to Charlie Crist, be careful what you ask for–you may get it.”–Republican state Sen. Tom Lee.
* “People want to do business with people they know.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, upon returning from the trade mission to Colombia.
* “Women are better at wrapping gifts. I was thinking about why that is. Look at them. They wear bows and ribbons. They ARE presents. Meanwhile, men wear baseball caps and oversized team jackets. That’s the fashion equivalent of a gift bag.”–Comedian Jimmie Kimmel.