* “How do we connect the dots? There is no other way that we know of to connect the dots. … Taking these programs off the table is absolutely not the thing to do.”–National Security Agency Chief Gen. Keith Alexander in pleading for the retention of the NSA’s bulk-collection (global phone and Internet records) programs.
* “Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people. … There is nothing in the (November apostolic) exhortation that cannot be found in the social doctrine of the church.”–Pope Francis.
* “Americans of all persuasions desperately need a rebirth of a strong, two-party Washington. And an end to the dysfunction that is Hate City. That means America needs Republican leaders who will embrace the Mandela leadership credo the world celebrated (last) week, and put their country’s prosperity ahead of their own. That’s not socialism. It’s patriotism.”–Martin Schram, McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
* “Literally, there are people choosing, ‘Do I want to go work for General Motors and design vehicles, or do I want to go do movies?’ It’s the same talent.”–Mary Barra, newly named CEO of General Motors Co.
* “We try to leave the politics out in the hallway when we make these decisions. … Are you going to allow your people to have additional Medicaid money that comes at no cost to us, or aren’t you? “–Jack Dalrymple, the Republican governor of North Dakota.
* “If we had a conservative majority in the Senate, Republicans wouldn’t need to compromise our principles to avoid another government shutdown.”–Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
* “Senator Rubio strikes me as a person not only highly attuned to criticisms of him from the base, but overly reactive to them, adjusting and responding moment by moment.”–Peter Wehner, Commentary.
* “Senator Rubio spent time looking at all the (federal health care) options and decided to enroll through the D.C. exchange for coverage for him and his family. Senator Rubio is following the law, even though he opposes it.”–Rubio spokeswoman Brooke Sammon.
* “Thank you, Sen. Rubio, for your endorsement of the new health care law.”–Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist.
* “Rick Scott wanted voters to think he had changed his stripes, but all he did was prove that he is willing to say anything to win re-election.”–Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).
* “While some of the decrease in November can be attributed to seasonality, the depth and breadth of the decrease provides strong evidence that we are entering the ninth inning of this foreclosure crisis with the outcome all but guaranteed.”–RealtyTrac Vice President Daren Blomquist on the national foreclosure scene, including the Tampa Bay area where foreclosure activity fell by 29 percent last month.
* “If we don’t find a cure soon, we won’t be growing oranges in Florida much longer.”–Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., on the federal government’s involvement in the fight against citrus greening disease.
* “This also highlights the fact that we’ve got to take another step in modernizing the relationship between the United States and Cuba. We have got to move on from this Cold War policy that does not encourage greater engagement and dialogue. It is time now.”–U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, on the announcement of the 11th weekly flight from TIA to Cuba.
* “It’s exciting that this early on, before the flights even launch, that Copa is already having to move to bigger planes to accommodate the demand.”–TIA spokeswoman Emily Nipps on passenger demand exceeding expectations for Copa Airlines new TIA-to-Panama City, Panama route.
* ” This is just fantastic for the Tampa Bay area. This is so exciting. This is huge.”–Tampa Bay Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer on news that Tampa was selected to host the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship game.
* “If this constrained road system is not addressed, then the job site is going to become irrelevant.”–Hillsborough County Economic Development Director Ron Barton.
* “There’s definitely a focus by this administration on inequality and on poverty, so that’s really important to us back at home.”–St. Petersburg Mayor-elect Rick Kriseman, who was among a group of newly elected mayors who met with President Barack Obama at the White House.
* “The truth is this flood insurance problem is affecting people with very modest incomes, and nobody can really prove otherwise. What’s going on in Congress now is just not right.”–Pam Dubov, Pinellas County property appraiser, on the impact of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.
* “We like being here.”–Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, whose Hawkeyes will play in the Outback Bowl, noting that the on-campus temperature back in Iowa City was minus-5 degrees the day he was in Tampa.