* “The United States will not be imprisoned by the past–we’re looking to the future. I’m not interested in having battles that frankly started before I was born. The Cold War has been over for a long time.”–President Barack Obama on relations with Cuba.
* “We are willing to discuss everything, but we need to be patient–very patient. … I have told President Obama that I get very emotional talking about the revolution. I apologize to him because President Obama had no responsibility for this.”–Cuban President Raul Castro.
* “Part of what has always made the U.S.-Israeli relationship so special is that it has transcended party, and I think that has to be preserved. There has to be the ability for me to disagree with a policy on settlements, for example, without being viewed as … opposing Israel.”–President Barack Obama.
* “We’ve earned the right to be able to try and complete this without interference and certainly without partisan politics.”–Secretary of State John Kerry, in urging congressional opponents of an emerging nuclear deal with Iran to “hold their fire” until they see a final agreement later this year.
* “Everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion. … I’m hitting the road to earn your vote. Because it’s your time.”–Hillary Clinton, in announcing her presidential candidacy.
* “Yesterday’s over.”–Sen. Marco Rubio, playing the generational card in his announcement of his presidential run.
* “I always knew, despite my hopes to the contrary, that he would do real well in this business. Marco has a televangelical ability to communicate, and he is extremely disciplined. He could catch fire and he’s shown he’s able to do that.”–Former Florida Democratic Rep. Dan Gelber.
* “Under the watch of both parties, the poor seem to get poorer and the rich get richer.”–Sen. Rand Paul, Republican presidential candidate.
* “What unites the Republican Party, on the 150th anniversary of the murder of Lincoln, is that they are against the type of progressive legislation that gave rise to their party. Lincoln is an oil painting in the parlor, to be dusted off while Republican leaders plot new ways to kill things that he would have approved of.”–Timothy Egan, New York Times.
* “There’s no telling how far President Obama will go to dismantle our freedoms and reshape America into an America that you and I will not even recognize. And when he’s finished, he intends to go out with a coronation of Hillary Rodham Clinton.”–NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre.
* “This whole system is a joke. We’re in a world where you can give a candidate, say, $2,000. But you can spend $1 million on a Super PAC and that’s not corrupting? It’s ridiculous on its face.”–Meredith McGehee, policy director for the Campaign Legal Center.
* “That is how war robs you of your humanity–by putting you in a situation where you must either kill perfect strangers or be killed by them.”–Kaname Harada, 98, Japan’s “last Zero fighter.”
* “I don’t believe I should be out running for another office instead of running my office.”–Attorney General Pam Bondi, in formally announcing that she would not run for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
* “We are focused on tax cuts and not expanding Medicaid, so that’s where we are and that’s the posture we’re in. It was hard for me to say no (to $690 million in tax cuts) as a Republican. I’m sure it was hard for them (Senate) to say yes to Medicaid expansion.”–House Speaker Steve Crisafulli.
* “These new bed tax numbers show how well Tampa Bay’s story resonates with travelers across the country and the world. We truly have something for everyone, whether they love art, roller coasters, craft beer or our sparkling waterfront.”–Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, on the news that Hillsborough County set a record in tourism development taxes in March.
* “If necessary … we’ll go into the grocery business ourselves.”–Jeff Vinik, on his back-up plan if a big grocery store chain doesn’t commit to building a store in the Channel District.