* “Good luck to us all.”–Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, whose reforms were opposed by ever-increasing populists, in announcing his plans to resign.
* “Because (Donald Trump) achieved success in business, it suggests that he is a clever man.”–Russian President Vladimir Putin.
* “If the Electoral College is to control who becomes our president, we should take it seriously by understanding its purpose precisely. It is not meant to deny a reasonable judgment by the people. It is meant to be a circuit breaker–just in case the people go crazy.”–Author and Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig.
* “Jill Stein is the friend who ruins your wedding but really shows up for you during the divorce.”–Comedian Morgan Murphy.
* “He’s a demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator.”–Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, on Donald Trump.
* “In terms of strengthening America’s global standing among European and Mideastern nations alike, the sense is that America has become somewhat irrelevant in the Middle East, and we certainly have the least influence in 40 years.”– Retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense.
* “The working assumption on behalf of all these foreign government officials will be that there is an advantage to doing business with the Trump organization. They will think it will ingratiate themselves with the Trump Administration. And this will significantly complicate United States foreign policy and our relationships around the world.”–Michael H. Fuchs, former deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
* “We’ve had good intentions behind our isolation policy toward Cuba, but the results have not changed. It’s time to try a new approach.”–Sen. John Boozeman, R-Ark.
* “I hope that we will have a great long-term relationship. I really liked him a lot and I’m a little bit surprised I’m telling you that I really liked him a lot.”–Donald Trump on President Barack Obama.
* “I found it an extremely interesting conversation, and to be continued, and I’m just going to leave it at that.”–Former Vice President Al Gore, after meeting with Donald Trump.
* “I’m on the transition team, and we’re doing everything we can to help (Trump) put the best people in place. … I think the whole country should be so proud of how hard he is up there working.”–Pam Bondi.
* “Release your tax returns, and I’ll stop.”–Alec Baldwin, responding to Donald Trump’s criticism of his SNL impersonation of the president-elect.
* “Trump promised to clean up the swamp, and a whole lot of his nominees have had their career in the swamp.”–Incoming Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.
* “Paul Ryan right now loves me, Mitch McConnell loves me. It’s amazing how winning can change things.”–Donald Trump.
* “What’s about the happen in Washington may be a little like the end of the Cold War–bipolarity gives way to multipolarity. A system dominated by two party-line powers gives way to a system with a lot of different power centers.”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “(Trump’s) Carrier shakedown is a short-term political victory that will hurt workers and the economy if it becomes the norm for the next four years.”–Wall Street Journal editorial.
* “Unions are a small minority (11.1 percent of the American workforce), but they still have a strong war chest that can be used for political purposes.”–Randel K. Johnson, senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
* “What we’ve been doing over the last 15 to 20 years simply isn’t working.”–Steven Chabinsky, a member of the Presidential Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity.
* “With the unemployment rate this low and wages rising, now is the real test of whether a stronger economy can bring people back into the job market.”–Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed, a job search website, commenting on a November unemployment rate of 4.6 percent–a nine-year low.
* “It’s always a good experience to get beat bad. It is humbling, and that’s not bad.”–Jeb Bush.
* “America needs talent–and these students, who have been raised and educated in the United States, are already part of our national community. They represent what is best about America, and as scholars and leaders they are essential to the future.”–Excerpt from an open letter from more than 350 college presidents, including USF’s Judy Genshaft, urging support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
* “If they have nine days of mourning, we’ll have nine days of celebration.”–Patsy Sanchez, USF’s director of diversity and inclusion, on reactions to the death of Fidel Castro.
* “All I’d say on that is that we’re going to honor the will of the voters, we’re going to protect the Constitution, and we’re going to protect the people’s state of Florida.”–Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran on the status of medical marijuana legislation, which hasn’t been filed yet.
* “The Senate has been a leader in making sure we’re not wasting … our children’s time taking tests we do not need.”–Florida Senate Appropriations Chairman David Simmons.
* “I want people, in the state of Florida at least, to know they have an ally in us. I don’t care if they voted for Clinton or Trump or the Green Party or anyone else. … If their civil rights have been violated, we will have their back.”–Hassan Shibly, chief executive director for the Council on American Islamic Relations Florida.
* “I think West Tampa is really very ripe for redevelopment. The fact that West Tampa has fairly affordable homes between the two largest employment centers–West Shore and downtown Tampa–is a huge advantage.”–Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik.