* “In the Cold War the United States aimed at containment; in the post-Cold War (the thrust) was transformation. The Cold War involved the defense of the West; post-Cold War foreign policy aspired to the political and ideological extension of the West.”–Michael Mandelbaum, author of “Mission Failure: American and the World in the Post-Cold War Era.”
* “As President Obama has noted about Cuban policy, we know what hasn’t worked. Maybe it’s time to try something different for Puerto Rico, too.”–James Gibney, Bloomberg View.
* “The president has seven or eight months left in the White House. He would like to believe that everything that he has done and is doing is written in stone, but the reality is I think you’re going to see a rather dramatic reversal.”–Florida Republican Rep. Mario Díaz -Balart, on the president’s efforts to normalize relations with Cuba.
* “It’s exactly the wrong time to blow up NAFTA. We would be doing China an enormous favor.”–Economist Gordon Hanson of the University of California, San Diego.
* “Cruz has gone from the insufferable nemesis of Republican traditionalists to their last, best hope, and the likes of Mitt Romney, Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush have now given him endorsements–or approximations thereof–that will go down in political history as some of the most constipated hosannas ever rendered.”–Frank Bruni, New York Times.
* “Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet–he’s a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr. Trump.”–Donald Trump campaign statement.
* “God bless the great state of New York.”–Ted Cruz.
* “Some Americans are eager to follow a man who tells them to punch whomever they don’t like in the face. Donald Trump doesn’t exhibit a classically fascist ideology. But he is a rabble-rouser who has found his rabble.”–James Traub, author of “John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit.”
* “We’re in a new world where attitude seems to count more than facts.”–Bob Schieffer, CBS News.
* “The post-1968 reforms abolished the system whereby governors, bosses and other party poo-bahs decided things. In the modern era, to reach down to the No. 3 candidate–a distant third–or to parachute in a party unicorn who never entered the race in the first place would be a radical affront to the democratic spirit of the contemporary nominating process. A parachute maneuver might be legal, but it would be perceived as illegitimate and, coming amid the most intense anti-establishment sentiment in memory, imprudent to the point of suicide.”–Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post.
* “In our republican system, it is parties that choose nominees; not primary voters.”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “He’s (Trump) at risk of having the nomination denied to him because grass-roots party activists fear he’s so widely disliked that he can’t possibly win.”–Ari Fleischer, press secretary to President George W. Bush.
* “Conservatives do not need to be ‘liberal-lite’–no ideology has a monopoly on good ideas. On the other hand, when your base is the Ku Klux Klan, Ted Nugent and people sucker-punching strangers at rallies, it’s a sign that a little self-reflection is overdue.”–Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald.
* “I would like to see a woman elected.”–Vice President Joe Biden.
* “I want our next president–whoever she or he might be–to be somebody who is interested in women in Afghanistan and who will continue U.S. policies.”–Laura Bush.
* “The Sanders campaign has brought out a lot of idealism and energy that the progressive movement needs. It has also, however, brought out a streak of petulant self-righteousness among some supporters. Has it brought out that streak in the candidate, too?”–Paul Krugman, New York Times.
* “I think Jeb Bush broke some really important federal campaign finance laws and, having seen him get away with it, candidates in both parties are going to do the same thing in coming election cycles. Our view is that under well-established, long-existing campaign finance laws, Jeb Bush was a candidate for many months before he admitted it publicly.”–Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center.
* “It would be ironic if the next president happens to be a Democrat and chooses someone who is far to Judge Garland’s left.”–Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
* “In Wyoming, Nevada and Delaware, it’s possible to create these shell corporations with virtually no questions asked.”–Matthew Gardner, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
* “We desperately need train service between Tampa and Orlando now! Have you driven that stretch lately? It is dangerous and congested. Tourists and Floridians are competing with semi-trucks for what has become a crowded and tight space. How will our state be in 15 years with 30 million residents? We had better plan now before it is too late.”–Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of the Florida Bankers Association.
* “I’m concerned that weakening protections will lead to a decline in the manatee population. I urge you to withdraw this proposal.”–U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, to the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about keeping manatees on the federal endangered species list.
* “Don’t tell me what political party you belong to. Tell me what your solution is.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
* “We are actively talking to cruise lines about what we can offer them. It helps that we have such a rich cultural connection in Tampa. Our goal is to increase cruise capacity in Tampa overall, and Cuba is one way for us to do that.”–Greg Lovelace, director of cruise marketing at Port Tampa Bay.
* “The sports market is a great market to bring fans to town, who will prolong their stay and spend money on our attractions. Our mission is to put heads in beds in our hotels and further economic development.”–Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, on Tampa becoming a “sports destination.”
* “That there was NO cell service for anyone. That was the true step back in time.”–Rays owner Stu Sternberg, on what his favorite moment in Cuba was.