* “Iran is the safest and most stable country of the entire region.”–Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking to a forum of business leaders in Rome.
* “Just as the United States is doing its part to remove impediments that have been holding Cubans back, we urge the Cuban government to make it easier for its citizens to start businesses, engage in trade and access information online.”–National Security Council spokesman Ned Price.
* “The possible links, only recently suspected, have rapidly changed the risk profile of Zika (virus) from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions.”–World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan.
* “Primaries have not become the democratic remedy (Theodore) Roosevelt was hoping for. Yes, voters have much more say now than they did in 1912, but primary contests have often pushed the parties toward their respective extremes, particularly the Republican Party, while the cost and length of campaigns skyrocketed. ‘Let the people rule’ remains more an aspiration than a reality in American politics today.”–Ari Berman, author of “Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America.”
* “Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nominee and the next president of the United States will not be chosen by the media, will not be chosen by the Washington establishment.”–Ted Cruz.
* “We finished second, and I have to say I am just honored.”–Donald Trump.
* “A big sigh of relief.”–Hillary Clinton.
* “Sen. Sanders’ self-described position as a socialist does not work in the general election.”
–Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis of Tampa.
* “New Hampshire voters reset elections. Next Tuesday we are going to surprise the world.”–Jeb Bush.
* “His (Donald Trump’s) campaign rallies are orgies of self-absorption, dominated by juvenile insults of those who criticize him and endless boasting about his poll numbers. He’s a narcissist, a huckster and an opportunist.”–Conservative commentator Cal Thomas.
* “No matter how carefully you choose a celebrity, they’re polarizing. Not everybody loves Justin Bieber.”–Peter Daboll, chief executive of Ace Metrix, on the calculated risk of celebrities in Super Bowl commercials.
* “Our language is stronger than in 2014 and it shows. The people of Florida are compassionate. We will win this election for the really sick people in our state.”–Orlando attorney John Morgan, on news that a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana had gained enough signed petitions to qualify for the November ballot.
* “Florida–The Future is Here.”–New slogan of Enterprise Florida. It replaces “Florida–the Perfect Climate for Business.”
* “It will enhance the liberty interests of our citizens, and it will ensure that we have safe communities.”–State Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, the sponsor of House Bill 163 that allows gun owners with concealed-weapons permits to carry their weapons openly.
* “We want people to die with the disease (cancer), not from it.”–Dr. Thomas Sellers, Moffitt Cancer Center director.
* “We’ve been given the opportunity to participate in Hillsborough County, but the overriding goal for all of us is to keep the team here. We’ll put our best foot forward, but when it’s all said and done, if they were to choose Pinellas after being allowed to look, that would be a regional decision.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn on the Rays stadium-site search.
* “Tampa Bay just opened a chapter that could be really positive in that (stadium search) process.”–MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
* “(Open carry) threatens public safety, tourism, economic development, job creation and our quality of life. Moreover, I believe it is a foolish and ineffective solution to the gun violence epidemic sweeping our nation. More guns do not equate to safer streets.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
* “Bring it on, Gilligan!”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn to Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla Capt. J. Rex Farrior III.
* “It would afford amazing views of the water and the bluff, and because of that I think it would be both a transportation and tourism activity.” Whit Blanton, executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, on preliminary talks about a gondola transportation system to carry beachgoers straight over the congestion on the Clearwater Memorial Causeway.