Category: Media Watch

* “Where once (Vladimir Putin) seemed out of step with the liberalizing West, he now seems to be the vanguard of a new generation of leaders–in Turkey, Hungary, Italy and even America–who are challenging it. He offers no coherent or comprehensive ideology, as Communism once did, but rather an amorphous model for protecting national sovereignty against international organizations.”–Steven Lee Myers, author of “The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin.”

* “He is a fervent believer in pre-emptive war.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times, on John Bolton, Donald Trump’s new national security adviser.

* “(Bolton) generally disparages international law.”–Amnesty International.

* “The full truth is that it’s stone-cold stupidity on his part if he actually did.”–Attorney Paul Rosenzweig, formerly part of Ken Starr’s independent counsel team, on whether Trump lead lawyer John Dowd floated the idea of a pardon for Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.

* “The president divides the Right while he unifies the Left.”–Jonah Goldberg, National Review.

* “A shallow, lazy ignoramus.”–Updated assessment of the president by former Trumper-turned-critic Ann Coulter.

* “I think Trump is royally pissed about the Mueller subpoena of the Trump Organization records. He fears the nakedness of his true business activities  being revealed far more than the shame of ‘Access Hollywood’ or Stormy Daniels.”–Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio.

* “As I prepare to leave government, I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not have to be this hard to serve your country.”–Dr. David J. Shulkin, former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

* “Without Facebook, we wouldn’t have won.”–What Theresa Hong, a member of the digital arm of the Trump presidential campaign, told the BBC.

* “We must demand that legislators and regulators get tougher. They should go after Facebook on antitrust grounds.”–University of Virginia media studies professor Siva Vaidhyanathan, the author of “Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy.”

* “One thing our campaign was never able to move beyond was the vexing issue of Hillary’s emails. … I have weathered a lot of political crises, but never encountered one quite like this. It was a box we could never get out of.”–Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri, author of “Dear Madam President.”

* “Much of what’s going on with Oprah Winfrey and (actress-New York gubernatorial candidate) Cynthia Nixon–and what went on with Trump–is about the lazy deference to celebrities in these fame-mad times.”–Frank Bruni, New York Times.

* “What Cambridge Analytica did was, in many ways what Facebook was optimized for–collating personal information about vast numbers of people in handy packets that could then be used to try and sell them something.”–Will Oremus, Slate.

* “We made mistakes. There’s more to do. And we need to step up and do it.”–Mark Zuckerberg, in a post on, uh, Facebook.

* “We should be concerned about automated driving. We should be terrified about human driving.”–Bryant Walker Smith, University of South Carolina technology analyst.

* “But they’re tiny steps.”–U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s characterization of the Florida Legislature’s steps toward gun reform.

* “It’s shocking, and it’s embarrassing.”–Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist, the former governor of Florida, on this state’s stance on felon voting rights that have resulted in an estimated 1.5 million disenfranchised voters.

* “When unemployment gets this low, it becomes increasingly difficult to see further decreases. I think it will drift a little lower, but we are certainly closing in on full employment in the labor market.”–UCF economist Sean Snaith, on Florida’s unemployment rate of 3.9 percent for the sixth straight month. The February unemployment rate for Tampa Bay was 3.6 percent.

* “It is ours for the taking. We put our minds to it, together, collectively, as a group, five to 10 years from now we will be the leader in Florida, if not the Southeast, in terms of startup activity entrepreneurialism, which will do wonders for the culture of the area and the growth of this area overall.”–Jeff Vinik, speaking at the Synapse Innovation Summit at Amalie Arena.

* “Our vision is to inspire a transformative, truly walkable district connecting downtown Tampa and (the)West Shore Business District.”–Nicholas Haines, CEO and master developer of Bromley Cos., on plans for Midtown Tampa, a $500 million, mixed-use project at the southeast corner of I-275 and N Dale Mabry Highway.

* “We think Tampa is the next great Florida market. And if you look at Tampa and put a pin down in the center of it all, it’s just a spectacular site.”–Reid Boren, managing partner of Two Roads Development and a partner with Larry Feldman on the 50-plus-story Riverwalk Place on South Ashley Drive, site of what was once to be the Trump Tower Tampa project.

* “I have one fundamental role … to make sure it’s real BRT. That’s what I’m dedicated to doing.”–Jim Holton, chairman of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, in advocating for a bus rapid transit line that uses dedicated lanes for the full St. Petersburg to Tampa route.

* “It’s an experiment worth pursuing. The problem for us is the cost.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn on police body cameras.

* “There will always be change. And I think you want to see change. I want to also see different ideas.”–President Donald Trump.

* “Our country learned about trade the hard way when the 1929 recession worsened into the Great Depression. Politicians tried to help workers with protectionism like the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930. Our trading partners retaliated, global trade decreased, the Depression was lengthened and everyone lost. The lesson: Trade wars have no winners.”–Alan Green, economics department chairman at Stetson University.

* “When it comes to Mr. Mueller, he is following the evidence where it takes him, and I think it’s very important he be allowed to do his job without interference, and there are many Republicans who share my view.”–Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

* “Public life on the whole has remained surprisingly calm. A significant factor in keeping the peace has surely been anticipatory catharsis: The widespread expectations of a big Democratic wave in the coming midterm elections are containing and channeling that indignation, helping to maintain order.”–Charlie Savage, author of “Power Wars: The Relentless Rise of Presidential Authority and Secrecy.”

* “(Trump’s) poorly briefed, malleable, crass and dishonest, and all he cares about is how he comes across in the press. Which makes it damn-near impossible for any self-respecting conservative to understand him, anticipate his positions or trust him on policy.”–Florida-based, Republican consultant Rick Wilson.

* “The upset in Pennsylvania wasn’t just a harbinger of likely Democratic gains to come. It also showed the bankruptcy of all the political strategies Republicans have used to distract voters from an unpopular agenda.”–Paul Krugman, New York Times.

* “Trump should be primaried in 2020.”–Former Florida Congressman David Jolly.

* We have witnessed abuse, harassment, troll armies, manipulation through bots and human-coordination, misinformation campaigns and increasingly divisive echo chambers. We aren’t proud of how people have taken advantage of our service or our inability to address it fast enough.”–Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey.

* “Not since Albert Einstein has a scientist so captured the public imagination and endeared himself to tens of millions of people around the world.”–Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York, on the passing of physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking.

* “He doesn’t know anything about state government or the issues facing the people of Florida. He can’t talk about that. He has to talk about Mueller and Deep State conspiracies and the Wall and hitting all the usual right-wing, populist trigger phrases.”–Florida GOP strategist Mac Stipanovich on why Republican Congressman–and Florida gubernatorial candidate–Ron DeSantis has to rely on Fox News appearances to close the gap with Adam Putnam.

* “Hey, Tom, this is Denney Pate with FIGG bridge engineers. Calling to, uh, share with you some information about the FIU pedestrian bridge and some cracking that’s been observed on the north end of the span, the pylon end of that span we moved this weekend.”

* “We have learned an awful lot from our delivery pilot. The concept of saving time is just as important as saving money.”–Tom Ward, Walmart’s vice president of digital operations, after using Tampa Bay as one of its test areas for grocery delivery.

* “We came out very well. Certainly an improvement over last year.”–Brandon Wagner, head of legislative affairs for Hillsborough County, on how Gov. Scott’s veto pen impacted county priorities. Hillsborough’s top (veto-surviving) priority was $5 million for Big Bend Road.

* “When the day’s done, we’re a Tampa Bay area company, and maybe a derivative of that is we’re a St. Pete company.”–Jabil CEO Mark Mondello, on the electronics manufacturer’s plans to invest an estimated $67 million expanding its corporate headquarters in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg.

Last week’s opening skit of “Saturday Night Live” was awful. It was an awkward, unfunny reach: Call it “Robert Mueller Meets The Bachelor.” Granted, it can’t be Alec Baldwin every week, but this, frankly, was worse than humorless and cringe-worthy.

More problematic, it was also grist for the Trump millers who complain about the biased mainstream media. Defending satire, especially the quality, spot-on variety, is not an issue. It’s part of a society-prodding, literary tradition across the ages. But when it comes across as badly scripted, pro forma cheap shots, it does a disservice to the media, which has more than enough to contend with these days.

* “What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way. It was a surprise to us that he was so forward-leaning.”–Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on the Administration’s response to Kim Jong Un’s proposed summit-meeting with Donald Trump.

* “The Secretary did not speak to the President and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve and still believes strongly that public service is a noble calling.”–Steve Goldstein, under-secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, on the firing of Rex Tillerson. Goldstein was subsequently fired as well.

* “We are not going to have this meeting take place until we see concrete actions that match the words and the rhetoric of North Korea.”–White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

* “Our policy is pressure. … It’s impacted Kim Jong Un’s behavior. It’s impacted his conduct.”–Deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah.

* “I hate to see Gary go. I think he did a great job.”–Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, on the departure of White House economic adviser Gary Cohn.

* “Everybody wants to work in the White House. They all want a piece of the Oval Office.”–President Donald Trump.

* “Corporate America might complain, but the president is taking up the banner of Mr. and Mrs. America.”–Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, in defending President Trump’s tariffs plan.

* “Tariffs are taxes, and the American taxpayer will pay the cost of a trade war.”–Cody Lusk, president and CEO of the American International Automobile Dealers Association.

* “This is a fight for the soul of America. Really.”–Outtake from a millennials-targeting political ad paid for by billionaire, former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, who has called for Trump’s impeachment.

* “Trump combines the hedonism of the 1970s with the bigotry and racism of the 1950s: the worst of both worlds.”–Max Boot, senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

* “The press is fixated on all these White House departures. But spare a thought for all those still in the executive branch who would serve the country by leaving.”–Margaret Carlson, Daily Beast.

* “Let them call you racist. Let them call you xenophobes. Let them call you nativists. Wear it as a badge of honor. History is on our side.”–Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, speaking to France’s far-right National Front party.

* “The February employment report was unambiguously strong, confirming that the U.S. labor market is on fire.”–Michelle Girard, chief U.S. economist at NatWest Markets, on Labor Department reports that the U.S. added more than 300,000 jobs last month.

* “He’s playing chess and the Senate is playing checkers.”–State Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, on House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s negotiating methodology.

* “We told (Florida school districts) to put a school resource officer in every school, and then we don’t give them money to pay for it.”–State Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee.

* “My firm works all over the country. It’s nice to see it coming together in our own community. It’s about time.”–Lou Plasencia, CEO of the Tampa-based Plasencia Group, a hotel sales and consulting firm. He was commenting on news that Hillsborough County–with more than $600 million in hotel revenue last year–had now become one of nine Florida counties designated as a “high-impact” tourism destination.

* “There’s definitely a lot of enthusiasm.”–John Dingfelder, realtor and former Tampa City Council member, on the level of interest in real estate near the proposed Rays stadium site in Ybor City.

* “For a company of our size with our demographic, we think we would be an attractive headquarters to many cities and many states, but, honestly, we’re so happy here that we did not go through an Amazon-like process of having people bid for us. When you have a good thing, you stay with it.”–Kenneth Burdick, CEO of WellCare Health Plans, which announced that it was committing to keep its headquarters–and thousands of employees–in Tampa through 2030.

* “You are a part of America, and we don’t forget that. There may be some in Washington who  do.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, in his comments to Carlos Delgado Altieri, the mayor of Isabela, Puerto Rico. Mayor Altieri was in town to thank Tampa volunteers who helped his town recover from Hurricane Irma.

* “History has shown us that the more USF St. Pete is connected to Tampa, the less it thrives. I hope it’s different this time. I will certainly do all I can as mayor to ensure that.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, on the new state education bill that eliminates USF St. Petersburg’s autonomy by merging all of USF’s campuses.

* The Florida Strawberry Festival Soundstage is renowned for its acts that hearken to other eras. Which can mean a notably eclectic list of performers. For example, where else would you be hosting appearances by Engelbert Humperdinck, The Lettermen and Vanilla Ice?

* I’m still nobody’s go-to person when it comes to Oscar predictions–let alone movie critiques. Truth be told, I’ve never recovered from all the unfathomable praise lavished on “The Blair Witch Project.” And, yes, I still think it’s the biggest hoax since Piltdown Man.

Fast forward to the most recent case of cinematic cluelessness: The “Best Picture” Oscar awarded to “The Shape of Water.” I thought–and wrote a couple of months ago–that it should have been titled: “‘Dr. Strangelove’ Meets ‘The Creature From the Black Lagoon.'” It was overrated and over-hyped. That hasn’t changed. Maybe “The Shape of Water” should have won for “Best Bestiality Romance.”

* “Ballistic missile customers are the most concerning of North Korea’s partners and deserve the highest attention. Egypt is one of those.”–Andrea Berger, a North Korea specialist at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

* “Absolutely unacceptable.”–How Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau characterized President Donald Trump’s plan for tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States.

* “The president is going to quickly find out that you can’t start a trade war with your allies and expect them to work with you on other issues. The administration is squandering the little credibility they had with transatlantic partners.”–Jamie Fly, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund.

* “Please reconsider. You’re punishing the American taxpayers and you are making a huge mistake.”–The response of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to Trump’s tariff plan.

* “We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance with this (tariff) plan.”–AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan.

* “We didn’t cover ourselves in glory in terms of how we handled that. It was confusing.”–White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on how he handled security clearance and domestic abuse allegations against former top aide Rob Porter.

* “Trump is a creature almost preternaturally attuned to the shifting moods of the public and deeply influenced by what he sees on television. For him, ideology and philosophy do not mediate politics; politics is mediated by TV.”–Republican consultant Rick Wilson.

* “(Trump) really likes stage sets and all of what makes for good theater. This was his first love.”–Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio.

* “The Republican Party is learning what should have been obvious from the outset: Mr. Trump’s chaotic personality can’t be contained. His presidency is infecting the entire party.  … The Republican Party has become a destructive and anarchic political force in American life. The president and his acolytes are championing conspiracy  theories and a sweeping, uncalibrated, all-out assault on our institutions.”–Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

* “I thought it was fascinating television and it was surreal to actually be there.”–Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican, who sat next to Trump during the president’s bipartisan, gun-discussion meeting with members of Congress. The meeting that stunned some Republicans when the president “seemed” to back gun-control measures.

* “If I was there (Parkland High School) and I didn’t have a firearm, I would have gone into that scene.”–Donald Trump.

* “It’s clear to me that AR-15 or other high-velocity weapons, especially when outfitted with a high-capacity magazine, have no place in a civilian’s gun cabinet. As a doctor, I feel I have a duty to inform the public of what I have learned as I have observed these wounds and cared for these patients.”–Heather Sher, M.D., Broward Health Medical Center.

* “We don’t want to be a part of a mass shooting.”–Edward Stack, CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, explaining the rationale for his company restricting gun sales.

* “Bans do nothing but infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens.”–NRA.

* “We live in a world of dense information pollution. The long-term fallout is really dramatic corruption of our democratic sphere.”–Nicco Mele, director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School.

* “While it seems shocking to be finding heroin at the public library–that’s where we are. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation.”–U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y.

* “We are the forgotten business on some level.”–Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, defending the relevance of traditional television broadcasters.

* “An industry consumed with comic books and teenage boys.”–How Maureen Dowd, New York Times, defines Hollywood.

* “We are very concerned about the sexual harassment bill. …You will see many considerations when we redo our rules next year.”–Florida Senate Republican Leader Wilton Simpson of Trilby.

* “When you can’t change the laws, change the politicians who make them.”–Florida state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando.

* “When we think about the growth of the Tampa Bay region and the companies that are moving into the West Shore business district, like Amgen, that travel all over the world, we think that this unique facility and its connection to the SkyConnect system is going to attract new types of businesses that are going to want to travel all over the world.”–Chris Minner, TIA executive vice president, in referencing the next phase of the airport’s $2 billion master plan of expansion and renovation.

* “It’s about time our reputation is as strong as our objective performance.”–Judy Genshaft, president of USF, which is about to launch a major rebranding campaign in the coming months.

* “American leadership in the world is in our interests, but it’s in yours too. ‘America First’ does not mean ‘America Alone.'”–Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in his address to a meeting of U.S. governors in Washington.

* “We must include in the (Middle East) diplomatic initiative, since without Iran no regional solution can be achieved. In strained and dangerous moments, it is essential to talk to your enemy. As the adage goes, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'”–Thomas Pickering, former ambassador to the UN, Russia and Israel and former undersecretary of state for political affairs during the Clinton Administration.

* “Through today’s actions we are putting companies and countries across the world on notice that this administration views compliance with U.S. and U.N. sanctions as a national security imperative. Those who trade with North Korea do so at their own peril.”–Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

* “The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office.”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.

* “It is time for the secretary of defense, the secretary of state and the national security adviser to confront Mr. Trump, collectively and directly, to inform him that unless he publicly affirms the reality of the Russian threat and authorizes the strongest possible response to it, they will have no honorable alternative to resignation. They swore an oath of loyalty to the Constitution, not to Mr. Trump.”–William Galston, Wall Street Journal.

* “I’m not in any way justifying what the Russians did in 2016. It was completely wrong of Vladimir Putin to intervene in this way. That said, the methods they used in this election were the digital version of methods used both by the United States and Russia for decades: breaking into party headquarters, recruiting secretaries, placing informants in a party, giving information or disinformation to newspapers.”–Dov H. Levin, post doctoral fellow in the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie-Mellon University.

* “The one thing we all agree on: Our social fabric is torn. … Civility is not a sign of weakness, but of civilization.”–Nicholas Kristof, New York Times.

* “It used to be friendly-adversarial. There would be retaliation for stories they didn’t like, but nothing compared with this. … This president hates us. He’s warring on us. Once we lose ground on something, it’s hard to get it back.”–April Ryan, White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio.

* “I’m not always with the president on what he might say or do, and if that happens, I’ll call them like I see them, the way I have in the past.”–Utah Senate candidate Mitt Romney.

* “The idea that the president’s son would be going and shilling the president’s brand at the same time Donald Trump is president and is managing strategic and foreign relations with India–that is just bizarre.”–Daniel S. Markey, senior research professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and former Southeast Asia expert in the State Department during the George W. Bush Administration, on the timing of the promotional visit  of Donald Trump Jr. to India–the Trump Organization’s biggest international market.

* “The odds are that we will lose seats in the House and the Senate. History tell you that; the fired-up nature of the political left tells you that. We go into this clear-eyed that this is going to be quite a challenging election.”–Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

* “Florida has gone the wrong way since Sandy Hook for sensible laws.”–Avery W. Gardiner, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

* “I do not understand how I can go into a store and buy a weapon of war.”–Parkland High School student Sam Zeif, during President Trump’s “listening session” at the White House.

* “If it were my daughter, I would want to personally kill my client, make no mistake about it. … It’s awful to be involved representing anybody when the community hates and hurts so much because of that person.”–Howard Finkelstein, Broward County’s public defender, whose office is representing Nikolas Cruz.

* “Even if all potential mass shooters did get psychiatric care, there is no reliable cure for angry young men who harbor violent fantasies. Instead of hoping that imposing mental health treatment on everyone who shows ‘red flags’ will put an end to mass shootings, we should focus on ways to put some distance between these young men and their guns.”–Amy Barnhorst, vice chairwoman of community psychiatry at the University of California, Davis.

* “Most people who are mentally ill are not dangerous, and most dangerous people are not mentally ill.”–Arthur Lurigio, professor of psychology and criminology at Loyola University Chicago.

* “America is in the throes of great disruptions and anxieties, as we sort out our values and our future. But it doesn’t take any soul searching to know this: Treating children as collateral damage is intolerable.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.

* “Evil walks among us and God help us if we don’t harden our schools and protect our kids.”–Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the NRA.

* “Many in legacy media love mass shootings. Now I’m not saying that you love the tragedy, but I am saying that you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold.”–NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch.

* “It’s really not the (direct candidate) contributions. It’s the ability of the NRA to tell its members: ‘Here’s whose good on the Second Amendment.'”–Cleta Miller, former NRA board member.

* “(Teachers) do not want to be armed with guns, no. They want to be armed with the tools to do their jobs.”–Luke Flynt, secretary-treasurer of the Florida Education Association.

* Everybody is on heightened alert right now. If you say something or post something stupid, you might end up going to jail for it.”–Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan.

* “The purpose (of startups) should never be, this is how I’m going to make a lot of money. The purpose should be, this is how I’m going to show my talents and help change the world and make something different.”–Steve Wozniak, the inventor of the Apple personal computer, during his appearance at the USF Lecture Series.

* “We’re not going to act alone any longer. … We’re going to act together from this point forward. We’re going to lock arms.”–Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after his talk with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, indicating that the two NATO allies would patch up relations and resolve their differences over Syria.

* “The Saudis want to fight the Iranians to the last American.”–Robert Gates, former defense secretary under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

* “The truth is, my friends, I won’t fill Gerry’s shoes. But the news is that I brought my own.”–Mary Lou McDonald, successor to Gerry Adams as president of Sinn Fein, the only major party organized in Ireland and Northern Ireland. She also becomes the party’s first female leader.

* “Could we survive another 70 or 100 years without nuclear winter? It’s unlikely, but it’s not impossible.–Daniel Ellsberg.

* “As income inequality divides rich and poor more than ever before, democracies are becoming susceptible to xenophobic and autocratic tendencies by leaders who are tempted to play the nationalist card.”–William Drozdiak, author of “Fractured Continent: Europe’s Crises and the Fate of the West.”

* “Expanding trade hurts some people in the short run, especially those in import-competing sectors who have to find new jobs. That fact may call for a robust safety net and effective retraining. But it does not undermine the conclusion that free trade raises average living standards.”–N. Gregory Mankiw, Harvard economist and former adviser to President George W. Bush.

* “(Trump) is governing as if he is the president of a Third World country: Power is held by family and incompetent loyalists whose main calling card is the fact that Donald Trump can trust them, not whether they have any expertise.”–Jerry Taylor, president of the Niskanen Center, a libertarian think tank.

* “There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 U.S. midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations. We expect Russia to continue using propaganda, social media, false-flag personas, sympathetic spokespeople and other means of influence to try to exacerbate social and political fissures in the United States.”–Dan Coats, director of national intelligence.

* “As you can see with the FBI indictment, the evidence is now really incontrovertible and available in the public domain.”–National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

* “Facebook built incredibly effective tools which let Russia profile citizens here in the U.S. and figure out how to manipulate us.”–Jonathan Albright, research director at Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism.

* “It’s the NRA’s campaign spending that almost certainly poses the biggest roadblock to legislation that would stem the tide of gun violence in America. From 2010 through 2018 thus far, the organization donated $111 million to political campaigns of federal candidates.”–Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times.

* “This is not, and can never be, the cost of living in America. The stranglehold of the gun lobby has gone on long enough. They have divided our country and washed their hands of responsibility, even as schools and neighborhoods bear the brunt of gun violence every single day.”–Rep. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee.

* “(Utah) welcomes legal immigrants from around the world. Washington sends immigrants a message of exclusion.”–Mitt Romney, in his announcement that he is running for a Utah Senate seat.

* “This is cruel. Families in Florida and Cuba deserve better.”–U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor on the Trump Administration’s halting of visa processing in Havana.

* “This should put all Republicans on notice that it could be a very difficult year, if you’re an incumbent, to survive. Even relatively safe seats could be in play in 2018.”–Rep. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota and chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota, in the wake of Democrat Margaret Good’s special House election win over Republican James Buchanan, the son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.

* “Trump is the gift that keeps on giving and inspiring. He gave us The Women’s March, #Metoo and activist groups such as Surly Feminists and Action Together. This past election taught people voting counts and matters.”–Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee chair Ione Townsend.

* “Bottom line is that President Trump is energizing the Democratic Party.”–Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Inside Elections.

* “The business community here needs to be engaged in this effort. I understand it’s not New York. But there are significant businesses in this community that need to be involved in the effort because it’s good for the community over the long haul.”–MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, underscoring that the business community will have to step up for a new Rays ballpark.

* “Encore has established a diverse socioeconomic population that is now encouraging to retail and commercial interests.”–Tampa Housing Authority chief operating officer Leroy Moore, on deals in the works to bring in a grocery store and boutique hotel to the Encore project near downtown.

* “We studied just about every MSA in the country. The geography works for us. The talent is here. It’s an easy place to get to. The quality of life is good, and there are other biopharmas here.”–Michael Frankel, executive director, global business solutions for Amgen, explaining why the international biotechnology company chose Tampa for its Capability Center.

* “The South and North shared an understanding that they should continue the positive mood for peace and reconciliation created by the Pyeongchang Olympics and should promote inter-Korean dialogue, exchanges and cooperation.”–Statement from the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

* “Why not move the United Nations to Haiti, Libya or Uganda? The transference would do wonders for any underdeveloped country, financially, culturally or psychologically. UN officials without easy access to Westernized media and the high life might instead have more time to concentrate on global problems such as hunger, disease and violence–and be personally enmeshed in the dangers they address.”–Historian Victor Davis Hanson, National Review.

* “The reason I’m here tonight is to put people on the spot. … I want them to have to answer people at home who said, ‘How come you were against President Obama’s deficits and then how come you’re for Republican deficits.”–Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, on his motivation for his floor speech bemoaning out-of-control government spending.

* “The right’s war on the FBI is a sign of how far some are willing to go to subvert any checks on Trump’s power to create his own reality.”–Michelle Goldberg, New York Times.

* “Republicans desperately wanted tax cuts. Now that they got them, they desperately need to back away from Trumpian chauvinism and win a little good will from black, Hispanic and Asian voters.”–Will Wilkinson, vice president for policy at the Niskanen Center.

* “The president is and can continue to be a non-player so long as the Senate operates on consensus. The House faces a choice, or rather (Paul) Ryan does: Will he govern for the House and country or will he spend his likely last months as speaker carrying water for a failing president?”–Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post.

* “We don’t want a president who bends over backward to give the benefit of the doubt to neo-Nazis, wife-beaters, pedophiles and sexual predators–or who is a sexual predator himself.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.

* “Truth leads to democracy, lies lead to dictatorship and this is where I think people, whether it’s the president or people around him, are not fully aware of the real impact of what they’re saying.”–Christiane Amanpour, chief international correspondent for CNN.

* “If we’re going to understand how our planet really works, we need everybody on deck to understand how to respond to it. The planet’s going to survive–the question is, will we?”–Columbia University geophysicist Robin Bell.

* “In high schools and colleges, there is mounting evidence that the growth of on-line education is hurting a critical group: the less proficient students who are precisely those most in need of skilled classroom teachers.”–Susan Dynarski, University of Michigan professor of education, public policy and economics.

* “I worked in college athletics for years and many ‘graduated’ without requisite skills and many could barely read–but they stayed eligible. Eligibility is not education.”–B. David Ridpath, professor of sports business at Ohio University and a member of the Drake Group, an NCAA watchdog.

* “(Trump is) about as popular in my district as oxygen.”–Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach.

* “This isn’t about winning the mayor’s race. This is about winning the vision.”–Tampa mayoral candidate Ed Turanchik.

* “I think it will be the equivalent of Tampa’s Central Park.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s reference to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, scheduled to open in May.

* “Ybor City is authentically Tampa Bay. It represents the finest opportunity for Major League Baseball to thrive in this region for generations to come. This is where we want to be playing baseball.”–Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg on the franchise’s preference for a stadium site.

* “I think it’s a huge mistake to be thinking about this, which really isn’t a BRT system. It’s an express bus system.”–How Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp characterizes the Bus Rapid Transit proposal.

* “Because the (rail) system is fixed, it sends a signal to the investment community about where they can build. It spurs transit-oriented development in ways other transportation modes cannot.”–Gary Sasso, president and CEO of Carlton Fields and former chairman of the Tampa Bay Partnership.

* “As much as I want to fix everything today, we have been trying to build a sustainable model, not a quick fix-it model.”–Hillsborough County School Superintendent Jeff Eakins.

* “Source of some concern that asset valuations are so high.”–Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who was replaced by Jerome Powell this week.
* “Inflation is the current bugbear but it’s also a convenient excuse for taking profits in a new year when tax rates have fallen, on short term gains at least, given the heights to which the market has risen.”–David P. Wiener, chief executive of Adviser Investments.
* “We’re monitoring the stock markets; they’re functioning very well.”–Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
* “The most important numbers to focus on are the fundamentals. And the fundamentals of this economy continue to be very strong.”–Vice President Mike Pence.
* “This is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American dream.”–President Donald Trump, in his initial State of the Union speech.
* “I think we have to remember the Nunes memo is an advocacy piece.”–Fran Townsend, homeland security adviser to former President George W. Bush.
* “Trump (has) managed a variation on Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’: ‘I think, therefore it is.’”–Henry J. Friedman, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
* “We’ve all been there. You bought weed in the park and when you got home it was pine needles and oregano.”–Comedian Bill Maher to Trump supporters who were “conned” about the wall that Mexico would pay for.
* “There is a time to come and a time to go.”–Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., in announcing that he was leaving the House. Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, was swept into office with the Tea Party wave of 2010.
* “We’ve never seen numbers like this.”–Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women & Politics, in pointing out that nationwide record numbers of women are running for congressional seats and governors’ offices.
* “You don’t have to buy into any of that Statue of Liberty stuff to favor immigration, because naked self-interest leads to the very same conclusion. A vote to choke off immigration is a vote for stagnation and decline.”–Fred Hiatt, Washington Post.
* “Bannon once promised to destroy me. Oddly, I seem to be the one standing while Hobo Steve wraps himself in trash bags on a sewer grate and downs his last plastic bottle fifth of Olde Oscelot bourbon.”–Florida-based, conservative commentator Rick Wilson.
* “(Congress) should prepare to make a large and sure federal (infrastructure) investment. If they need to find money to finance national rebuilding, there is an obvious source that they have left untapped: a moderate carbon tax could raise large sums for infrastructure construction, discourage overuse of the roads and cut energy waste, all at the same time.”–Washington Post editorial.
* “We have to resist the temptation to say that the fantastic good that’s done by foundations and innovators takes governments off the hook.”–Steven Pinker, author and Harvard University professor of psychology.
* “With the technology that’s available today, it seems like a logical next step for self-insured companies to administer the health benefit themselves.”–B. Douglas Hoey, chief executive of the National Community Pharmacists Association, on the plan of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase to create an independent health care system for their U.S. employees.
* “We need to assess how we can get better.”–Amtrak statement regarding its recent spate of crashes including the one on Sunday between an Amtrak train and a CSX freight train in South Carolina.
* “It’s just a merchandiser’s dream.”–Troy Dayton, chief executive of ArcView Group, on the new uses and delivery methods for marijuana.
* “Florida’s vote-restoration scheme is crushingly restrictive. The scheme crumbles under strict scrutiny because it risks–if not covertly authorizes the practice of–arbitrary and discriminatory vote restoration.”–U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, in ruling that Florida’s archaic vote restoration system violates the U.S. Constitution.
* “Now we’re in a position where we have to figure out how to wade through this confusion and gridlock. It’s a waste of taxpayer money, and it disrupts our system when we don’t have consistency.”–Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren on the uncertain interpretation of Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
* “It is not uncommon or unusual for a single member district commissioner to graduate up to a countywide seat. When the rules were written years ago, it was a reasonable expectation that would happen.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist, a district seat holder who is running for a countywide seat in 2018.
* “I think this will be the equivalent of Tampa’s Central Park.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, in reference to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, scheduled to open in May.
* “This isn’t about winning the mayor’s race. This is about winning the vision.”–Tampa mayoral candidate Ed Turanchik.
* “As much as I want to fix everything today, we have been trying to build a sustainable model, not a quick fix-it model.”–Hillsborough County School Superintendent Jeff Eakins.
* “There has been a significant amount of growth that we have seen in the last five years.”–Thomas Jewsbury, director of the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, on a recent impact study indicating the airport’s economic impact in excess of $1 billion.