Category: Media Watch

* “Until recently, cybersecurity experts dismissed North Korea’s capabilities. It was too backward to pose a serious threat. No more. … We are more dependent on the web than the North Koreans. In practice, this means that we are more vulnerable to attacks on it.”–Robert Samuelson, Washington Post.

* “Far-right leaders are correct that immigration creates problems; what they miss is that they are the primary problem. The greatest threat to liberal democracies does not come from immigrants and refugees but from the backlash against them by those who exploit fears of outsiders to chip away at the values and institutions that make our societies liberal.”–Sasha Polakow-Suransky, author of “Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy.”

* “(Stephen) Bannon is the most revolting operator in American political life since Roy Cohn. He is also the most consequential one.”–Bret Stephens, New York Times.

* “We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America. … We need to recall and recover our own identity.”–Former President George W. Bush.

* “We will not thrive in a world where our leadership and ideals are absent. We wouldn’t deserve to.”–Sen. John McCain.

* “There has not been a more destructive presidency than George (W.) Bush’s.”–Steve Bannon.

* “This man is a sick man. He’s cold-hearted, and he feels no pity or sympathy for anyone. … The White House itself is full of white supremacists.”–Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla.

* “We’re Republicans. We’re sensitive to the deficit.”–House Speaker Paul Ryan. The federal budget deficit rose by $80 billion–to $666 billion–in the just completed fiscal year.

* “If there’s a need for some kind of interim step here to stabilize the (health care) market, we need a bill the president will actually sign. And I’m not certain yet what the president is looking for here.”–Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

* “As much as the country needs a conservatism with some idea of what it’s doing, some theory of the common good, it needs a liberalism that stops marinating in its own self-righteousness long enough to compete effectively for rural, Southern and Midwestern voters.”–Ross Douthat, New York Times.

* “We voted for Sanders.”–Jimmy Carter, in acknowledging that he and Rosalynn voted for Bernie Sanders in last year’s Democratic primary.

* “Left to scrounge for the crumbs of an ever-shrinking piece of the advertising revenue pie, online publishers, deprived of paid subscribers, are increasingly forced to compromise their editorial convictions in the dogged pursuit of internet traffic. … Prioritizing these ends has nurtured an editorial mindset that is quickly diminishing the quality of our nation’s public square.”–Daniel Kishi, the American Conservative.

* “O’Reilly’s suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior was false. I know because I complained.”–NBC News host–and former Fox News host–Megyn Kelly.

* “I will try to spend it as irrationally as possible.”–Richard H. Thaler, recipient of the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science, on how he hoped to use the Nobel money.

* “You should have a balanced happiness portfolio the same way you’d have a balanced financial portfolio.”–Dan Buettner, author of “The Blue Zones of Happiness.”

* “A gorgeous beacon for downtown Tampa. We were looking for an opportunity to acquire a best in class in downtown high rise. We’ll be investing millions in the property in coming years.”–Matthew Gottesdiener, chief investment officer of Northland Investment Corp., the new owner of downtown Tampa’s 35-story, Element apartment tower.

* “We need to stop doing things that attract cars.”–Tom Hall, chairman of the Tampa-based Tucker/Hall marketing and consulting firm.

* “I am humbled by it. They usually do such things for people when they die. So, it’s an eerie experience. But it’s nice they have given me the opportunity to say thank you in life.”–Retired Judge E.J. Salcines, on what it’s like to have a statue of yourself.

* “If you don’t want to go to prison, don’t commit the crime. I’m sorry, but it’s got to stop with the individual.”–Pinellas juvenile court Judge James Pierce, in addressing the alarming incidence of juvenile car thieves.

* “We are not a traditional aquarium and never will be. Animals in captivity for entertainment is really trending away. But our world is trending up, because that’s what people really want to see. We’re about rescue, rehabilitation and education.”–David Yates, CEO of Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

* “If this deal is going to occur, it’s going to have to be really creative.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, on finding, securing, financing and developing a Rays ballpark site.

* “It is not up to any single country to terminate (the Iranian nuclear deal). We have a collective responsibility to protect a nuke deal that’s working.”–Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief.

* “The U.S. is more lonely than ever about the deal.”–Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

* “Ultimately, the best hope this is realistic may be a variant of what’s called a ‘freeze for a freeze,’ with North Korea halting its nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a reduction in sanctions and the U.S.-South Korean military exercises–as an interim step, preserving the long-term goal of denuclearization. Unfortunately, both sides resist this approach.”–Nicholas Kristof, New York Times.

* “The people have determined that Catalonia should become an independent state in the form of a republic.”–Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s regional president.

* “They are hoping to hold on, and that the international community will get used to them as they did with Zimbabwe, Cuba and other countries.”–David Smilde, analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, referencing the government of Venezuela.

* “Having an ongoing, constructive relationship between the president and the prime minister is really important.”–Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

* “I don’t believe in undercutting people.”–President Donald Trump.

* “The war on coal is over.”–Scott Pruitt, head of the EPA.

* “To stall the progress that Democrats and Republicans have been fostering in giving permanent relief to more than 800,000 DREAMers is sabotage.”–U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.

* “Any decision the president makes one day is likely to be completely reversed another, depending on which extremist adviser he is listening to.”–U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

* “It’s easier to impeach than invoke the 25th Amendment.”–Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center.

* “These kinds of decisions have real-life consequences. It is not fair for our leaders to play games with people’s health and their health care.”–Stacey E. Stewart, president of the March of Dimes, in response to Donald Trump’s move to cut off federal payments to insurers.

* “I’ve got to stay, to take care of the Affordable Care Act, and that’s my fight, that’s my mission.”–U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the 77-year-old House Minority Leader.

* “(Steve) Bannon is wrong to think the problem with today’s GOP senators is that they’ve been unwilling to climb aboard the Trump train. Rather, it’s that there’s no train to climb aboard.”–Reihan Salam, Slate.

* “I am certainly a better senator today than I was five years ago simply because I’m more familiar with the process. … I’m at 58 in seniority. I came in at 99. … It also doesn’t hurt to have your party in the White House with a lot of people over there that I know.”–Sen. Marco Rubio.

* “The single biggest change I would make is gerrymandering. There’s only one election that matters. You’ve got to win a primary. You’ve got to go to the far left or the far right.”–Patrick Murphy, former Democratic congressman from Jupiter.

* “Gerrymandering used to be an art, but advanced computation has made it a science.”–Jordan Ellenberg, professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin.

* “I have never understood the conservative fetish for the Second Amendment. From a law-and-order standpoint, more guns means more murder.”–Bret Stephens, New York Times.

* “You can’t expect to program the car for everything you’re possibly going to see.”–Ron Medford, safety director of Waymo, formerly Google’s self-driving car project.

* “If Google and Facebook can’t operate with basic editorial standards, they shouldn’t be determining what is and what isn’t news. In the pursuit of profits, Silicon Valley has entered the business of journalism–and taken upon itself a social responsibility it seems unable to meet.”–Theodore Kupfer, National Review.

* “It’s bad taste to talk about ex-husbands and ex-wives.”–Jane Wyman, the first wife of former President Ronald Reagan.

* “The division’s ability to respond to disasters may be impaired.”–Report conclusion of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management auditors.

* “We are very balkanized in Florida. Whether or not we think we’re a region, the Feds think we are, Amazon thinks we are, potentially the Rays think we are. It’s time to put on the big people outfit … and act like a region.”–HART CEO Katherine Eagan.

* “I put stadiums where they have the greatest economic impact. So when you build a stadium away from an urban core, that’s a mistake. … You all have something that’s really wonderful that we all wish we had in places like L.A. It’s called water.”–Tim Leiweke, co-founder of Oak View Group, a stadium consultant and investment company. Leiweke was part of a panel put on by the USF Vinik Sport and Entertainment Management Program.

* “The right person at the right time for the partnership. I think the world of her.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, on the upcoming retirement of Christine Burdick as president and CEO of the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

* For a lot of us, watching the Ken Burns’ “Vietnam” series moves on multiple levels. From where we were back in the day to the brutally graphic carnage to foreign-intervention lessons still unlearned.

Two quick takeaways:

< Burns notably omits a key facet of President John Kennedy’s role in the Vietnam War, and how it escalated in the 1960s. Shortly before his assassination, he wrote a memo to Defense Secretary Robert McNamara to start the troop–oops, “advisers”–withdrawal. He was inclined to go full throttle, except it would have given Barry Goldwater an “appeasement” card to play in the 1964 election. But Kennedy had definitely made the call to start getting out before it got worse.

Barely days after Kennedy’s November 1963 assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson countermanded the memo–and jumpstarted the unconscionable buildup that would result in nearly 60,000 deaths of American G.I.s.

> It was a reminder of a key character flaw that certain presidents have demonstrably shared. When things don’t go well on your watch–and it’s because of you–don’t accept responsibility. Instead, find a scapegoat. LBJ, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump all targeted the media for blame and diversion.

* In the scheme of things, it’s not all that important, but for a guy from Philly it’s still baffling and, well, perplexing. The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame just announced its nominees for the class of 2018, and once again South Philly’s Chubby Checker didn’t make it. The HoF, which has been around since 1983, has all the iconic rockers–from Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard and Elvis Presley to the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen. But no Chubby Checker, the literal embodiment of “The Twist,” a societal phenomenon across numerous iterations and several generations.

So this year’s nominees include the less-than-iconic likes of The Cars, the Sex Pistols and MC5. There’s even gospel guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe. But no Chubby Checker. Again. Conspiracy theorists, have at it.

Here’s mine. Voters have never forgiven Checker (Ernie Evans) for covering Hank Ballard’s (and the Midnighters) version of “The Twist,” which sounded nearly the same. Plus, “Chubby Checker” was an obvious riff on “Fats Domino.” (Mercifully, Evans didn’t become “Pudgy Parcheesi.”) OK, that’s a reach, but twisting away for fame and fortune with Ballard’s initial recording is not. And, yes, Hank Ballard is in the HoF.

It’s been speculated–well, sort of–that the next billionaire to consider a presidential run wouldn’t be Mark Cuban or Michael Bloomberg. It could actually be 30-something Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame.

It’s been noted that he’s on target to visit all 50 states this year. He has announced that he is no longer an atheist. He has hired David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s former strategist, and brought on Hillary Clinton’s pollster. He’s even altered Facebook’s charter to accommodate a run for political office.

Personally, I wouldn’t give much credibility to such speculation until I see him in a collared shirt.

* “We are probing, so stay tuned. … We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. We’re not in a dark situation, a blackout.”–Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

* “Until the government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm.”–Rex Tillerson.

* “Because our personnel’s safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba.”–Official U.S. travel warning.

* “If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying and you are killing us with the inefficiency and the bureaucracy. … I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell.”–San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz.

* “They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. Poor leadership ability.”–President Donald Trump on Mayor Cruz’s response.

* “Mr. President, shut the —- up about the NFL. Do something about our people in need in Puerto Rico. We are American citizens too.”–Singer, actor and Miami resident Marc Anthony.

* “Outside of the fake news or politically motivated ingrates, people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great military.”–Donald Trump.

* “To liberals, having (Roy) Moore (of Alabama) in the Senate will be the gift that keeps on giving. … Finally, there is a truly anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-Muslim, anti-everything elected Republican for all the world to see.”–Republican political consultant Ed Rogers.

* “In the next three months, you can take it to the bank that POTUS will start speaking again about ‘the war on Christmas,’ another trumped-up issue that plays well with conservative evangelicals who feel like they are losing their hold over American culture.”–James Hohmann, Washington Post.

* “(Trump) continually goes after racial matters in part because he’s a bigot but also in part because multiculturalism is the theology of the educated class and it’s the leverage point he can most effectively use to isolate the educated class from everyone else.”–David Brooks, New York Times.

* “Trump is the poison candy Republicans will gorge on in primaries and die from in competitive general elections.”–Republican strategist Mac Stipanovich.

* “At what point is the principle of free speech more important than community safety and the values of our city?”–Leigh Raiford, professor of African-American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

* “Our mission is simple but profound–to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. That mission hasn’t changed, and it won’t change–not as long as I have anything to say about it.”–New FBI Director Chris Wray.

* “It’s 2017, we should have a lunar base by now.”–Elon Musk, currently focused on building a colony on Mars.

* “(Hugh Hefner’s) success as a businessman showed the rotten side of capitalism.”–Ross Douthat, New York Times.

* “Our state should not become a country club for this convicted criminal.”–Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s response to O.J. Simpson serving out his parole in Florida.

* “We have long believed in the promise of renewable energy. We believe now is the time to add large utility-scale solar generation.”–Gordon Gillette, CEO of Tampa Electric.

* “If some of this is not addressed in this budget, then next year will be even worse.”–City Councilman Charlie Miranda, after council passed a 0.475-mill increase in property taxes, a little more than half of what Mayor Bob Buckhorn had requested.

* “It was more like an execution than a resignation.”–How USF-St. Petersburg history professor Ray Arsenault characterized the ouster of regional chancellor Sophia Wisniewska.

* “We’re ready. Whenever Hillsborough or Tampa make their (stadium site) pitch, we’re ready. We’ve worked with them a bunch, and we’re waiting to hear the pitch. There’s nothing more for me to do at this point.”–Rays owner Stu Sternberg.

* The United States has great strength and patience, but if  it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself.”–President Donald Trump, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

* “None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission.”–North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, in his address to the U.N. General Assembly.

* “We don’t want war. At the same time, we’re not going to run scared. If for any reason, North  Korea attacks the United States or our allies, we’re going to respond.”–U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

* “The Trump Administration needs to keep Kim family history in mind. It is a criminal enterprise focused on long-term survival, far more adept at enslaving its people than fighting big-boy wars. … Kim Jong-un is never going to give up his missiles. But he knows that if he uses them, he’s going to die or live in a bunker like Granddad. His nuclear hardware is most valuable on the shelf.”–Blaine Harden, author of “King of Spies: The Dark Reign of America’s Spymaster in Korea.”

* “Frankly that (Iranian) deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me.”–Donald Trump at the U.N.

* “Only through independence can we secure a future where we will not have the past atrocities.”–Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish region of Iraq.

* “We know enough today to act. The science is unassailable.”–U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on climate change.

* “The limited time horizon of most elected officials … reinforces focus on short-term gains in the fight against terrorism. Ideologies, however, cannot be defeated in the short term. As in the Cold War, countering an ideology will require us to invest in programs and partnerships whose benefits might not be immediately visible.”–Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, former chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the 9/11 Commission.

* “I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried.”–Sen. John McCain, on the GOP’s last-ditch effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

* “The reason that our health care system is so outrageously expensive is that it is not designed to provide quality care to all in a cost-effective way, but to provide huge profits to the medical-industrial complex.”–Sen. Bernie Sanders.

* “There can be no real political democracy unless there is something approaching an economic democracy.”–Theodore Roosevelt.

* “In most countries you are more likely to get evasion and nationalistic versions of history than tough grappling with the darker parts of your past, and the U.S. is no exception.”–Gary Bass, professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University.

* “Whatever the fate of his statues and memorials, so long as the legacy of slavery continues to bedevil American society, it seems unlikely that historians will return (Robert E.) Lee, metaphorically speaking, to his pedestal.”–Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner.

* “Colleges can provide a crucible for America’s increasingly strained attitudes toward free discourse. But they are just the canaries in the coal mine.”–Catherine Campbell, Washington Post.

* “Our coastal and stormwater infrastructure are not prepared to handle climate change. They’re two of the most critical areas during a storm, and received D-plus and D ratings, respectively, by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2016.”–Former Florida Congresswoman Gwen Graham.

* “Now is the time for every power company in Florida to spend the money necessary to reinforce the power grid infrastructure. One very useful way for them to address this issue would be to take the money they historically donate to political candidates and instead use that money to ensure that the millions of Floridians who recently lost power will be protected from this same fate in the future.”–State Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.

* “We recognize the challenges facing the city resulting from previous debts but feel a tax increase to pay for them sets a dangerous precedent.”–Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce CEO Bob Rohrlack.

* “North Korea sees that in the 70 years that nuclear weapons have been in existence, no nuclear state has ever been invaded.”–Koh Yu Hwan, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in South Korea.

* “There are three ways to resolve the North Korean problem. North Korea giving up their nuclear weapons voluntarily; resolving through quid-pro-quo negotiations; and taking military action. We all know the first and the last are not realistic options so negotiation is the only way. We must not forget that.”–Lee Soo Hyuk, former South Korean denuclearization negotiator.

* “The  president and Nebraska have a basic disagreement about trade. His administration holds 18th-century views of trade as a zero-sum game. I side with our farmers and ranchers who are feeding the world now.”–Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse.

* “(Trump) is not just a problem for the EU, but for the whole world.”–Martin Schultz, former president of the European Parliament and the Social Democratic primary opponent of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

* “Philosophically, anyone who is in power should be questioned.”–“Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.

* “There has been no change in the United States’ position on the Paris agreement. As the president has made abundantly clear, the United States is withdrawing unless we can re-enter on terms that are more favorable to our country.”–White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters.

* “Increased greenhouse gas emissions are fueling more extreme weather events. It’s just that simple.”–Susan Glickman, Florida director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

* “Television is all about visual proof. You want to persuade people that what they’re seeing is real and matters to them. And if they can see me standing out there getting knocked around, it’ll convince them that they should not do the same thing.”–CBS correspondent Mark Strassman, on the rationale for on-the-scene reporters seemingly subjecting themselves to unnecessary harm during hurricane coverage.

* “I think Elizabeth (Warren) is laying the groundwork for a run. She won’t admit it, but it looks like that. Why would she be out in California if she wasn’t interested in running for president? I mean, she says she’s raising money for her re-election, but she won’t have any problems with that.”–Guy Saperstein, part owner of the Oakland Athletics and prominent member of the Democratic donor base.

*”We weren’t friends, so I assumed he wanted as much star power as he could get.”–Excerpt from Hillary Clinton’s book on why she and Bill Clinton were invited to Donald and Melania Trump’s wedding in Palm Beach.

* “I think we have a moral responsibility to help grow the economy.”–Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, on using his platform to wade into larger social issues.

* “Perfection is not attainable, but if you chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”–Vince Lombardi.

* “The job he’s done is incredible. I hope this man, right here, Rick Scott, runs for the Senate.”–Donald Trump, while in Fort Myers to observe disaster relief.

* “Democracy dies when there is no dialogue. I disagree with the president on a range of domestic and foreign policies, but I will also work with him in an effort to deliver results for Florida.”–U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Orlando.

* “It is time for our elected leaders and voters to take an honest look at the flaws of the death penalty. I encourage our elected Florida state attorneys not to waste enormous resources in pursuit of uncertain punishment in these old cases and, instead, to seek the certainty of life in prison.”–Melba Pearson, former prosecutor and current deputy director of the ACLU of Florida.

* “Living in Florida is still far better than living in most states. With hurricanes you at least have advance warning, which is unlike disasters in most states.”–Charles Richardson, regional vice president of Coldwell Banker in Tampa.

* “We have seen no drop-off in excitement for Florida because of rising sea levels or these hurricanes.”–Lee Arnold, executive chairman of Colliers Florida.

* “Unless you lived through an event like Hurricane Andrew, you don’t understand how very fortunate we are. … It’s business as usual. We are in good shape to continue tourism here.”–Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.

* “We just want our fair share. As they (Hillsborough County) develop this transportation plan, we would hope that our contribution would be represented within the plan in terms of new projects. To date, we haven’t seen any indication they’re inclined to do that.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

* “The relationship between the county and the city has never been better. There are many issues that can potentially prevent a ballpark from being constructed in Tampa. I can assure you city-county relations is not one of them.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan.

Houston was called a “sitting duck for the next big hurricane” last year in what was seen by many as an alarmist piece of local journalism. The Texas Tribune and ProPublica teamed up to warn that the area was unprepared.

Too bad the warning came from the lying media hyping more fake news.

* “We will do our utmost to protect people’s lives. This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat.”–Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in responding to North Korea firing a ballistic missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

* “We’ll see.”–President Donald Trump’s response to a media question regarding any plans to attack North Korea.

* “A massive military response.”–How Defense Secretary Jim Mattis characterized a scenario open to America if North Korea threatened the U.S. or its allies.

* “Never allow chaos and war.”–What Liu Jieyi, Chinese ambassador to the UN, said was China’s commitment to the Korean Peninsula.

* “Seen from Beijing, Europe is an Asian peninsula.”–German Chancellor Angela Merkel, noting aggressive Chinese investment in Europe, especially in Greece.

* “We don’t need hysterical impulses.”–Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s new ambassador to the United States.

* “Congress must govern with a president who has no experience of public office, is often poorly informed and can be impulsive in his speech and conduct. We must respect his authority and constitutional responsibilities. We must, where we can, cooperate with him. But we are not his subordinates. We don’t answer to him. We answer to the American people.”–Sen. John McCain.

* “Law enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States. We should not allow anyone to believe that responsibility is diminished by this pardon.”–Statement from House Speaker Paul Ryan expressing disagreement with President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon Joe Arpaio.

* “I think this was a nod to the base, post-Bannon, that he’s still with them.”–David Axelrod, former adviser to President Barack Obama, on Trump’s pardon motivation.

* “I wake up every day in disbelief. It’s not just that Donald Trump is president. It’s that he has empowered  the worst people in the world: people who would’ve been regarded as misfits and crackpots just a few years ago. … I don’t think America comes out on the other end of this unaffected. We’re not immune to history.”–Conservative political commentator Charlie Sykes.

* “… Millions have placed their hopes in you, and all of us, regardless of party, should hope for expanded prosperity and security during your tenure.”–Excerpt from the private letter to Trump from outgoing President Barack Obama.

* “It’s ironic that race was the issue that created the Republican Party and that race could very well be the issue that destroys it. … It may someday be possible to reduce the influence of white identity politics, but probably not while Trump is in office. As long as he is in power, the GOP is a house viciously divided against itself, and cannot stand.”–David Brooks, New York Times.

* “Princess Royal.”–How Ivanka Trump is referred to by some White House aides, according to Vanity Fair.

* “Our clients were coming to me eight months ago and saying, ‘What if we are the victims of a nasty Trump tweet?’ Now they’re saying, ‘What do we do if the president wants a photo op?’ You don’t want to be seen with this president.”–Washington-based, public relations veteran Richard Levick.

* “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.”–Gerald Ford, when he was House minority leader in 1970, and there was an effort to impeach Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

* “You know the old saying–‘there are no atheists in foxholes.’ I’ve got a new one: We’re all socialists after a natural disaster. Even Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. The hypocrite who tried to block Hurricane Sandy aid to the East Coast in 2012 is now demanding the federal government expedite emergency funds for the survivors of Hurricane Harvey.”–Joan Walsh, the Nation.

* “Publishing identifying information on line for malicious intent, or ‘doxing,’ is gaining popularity as a tool of activists of every ideological bent. Without action, there can be no doubt that we will see this tactic used again, and we cannot know into whose hands the information might make its way.”–Linda Porter, chairwoman of the county’s Citizens Advisory Committee Council.

* “I don’t believe we are ready to mandate solar panels on new construction. I am, however, supportive of innovative ideas to ensure we are a solar city moving forward, like incentives for solar panel installation.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.

* “What’s amazing is that an attack like (Barcelona) hasn’t taken place inside Morocco.”–Issandr El Amrani, analyst with the International Crisis Group.

* “Againistan.”–How Afghanistan was referenced by Tribune Media Services cartoonist Paul Hands.

* “(Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro may no longer take advantage of the American financial system to facilitate the wholesale looting of the Venezuelan economy at the expense of the Venezuelan people.”–Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in announcing sweeping financial sanctions on Venezuela.

* “After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.”–President Donald Trump.

* “I mean, really, Ivanka? You couldn’t even stop the transgender in the military thing? I thought this was your area. She has no sway over daddy.”–HBO’s Bill Maher.

* “Throughout his time as sheriff, (Joe) Arpaio continued his life’s work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.”–Donald Trump, in pardoning Airpaio’s misdemeanor conviction dealing with prolonged immigration patrols that racially profiled Hispanics.

* “Whatever hopes (Trump) has of salvaging his presidency begin in suppressing the infighting, factionalism, subversion, dysfunction and flirtations with extremism within his inner circle.”–Matthew Continetti, editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon.

* “We don’t need CNN’s Don Lemon to expose what Trump really is. We just need Trump to keep talking.”–William Saletan, Slate.

* “Count me in the camp of those who believe the president is an ill-tempered, unqualified and at times dangerous leader of the free world. He is a very poor reflection of the Republican Party that I call my political home.”–David Jolly, former Republican congressman from Pinellas County.

* “Not even 20 years ago, Republicans in Congress were sure that Bill Clinton’s lie about extramarital sex justified impeachment proceedings against him. Trump has given them 100 times greater grounds for action.”–James Fallows, the Atlantic.

* “(Republicans) need to accept, finally, the reality that Mr. Trump is unfit to govern. … What’s required now is a comprehensive, consistent case by Republican leaders at the state and national levels that signals their opposition to the moral ugliness and intellectual incoherence of Mr. Trump. … They need to think in terms of a shadow government during the Trump era.”–Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the conservative think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center and former adviser to President George W. Bush.

* “If Republicans on Capitol Hill get nothing done and continue to be attacked by their party’s president, their re-election will be endangered. Mr. Trump may be ensuring that Democrats retake Congress in 2018. Does he understand that the first thing they’ll do when they assume power is launch investigations and move to impeach him.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.

* “It’s now at a stage where a lot of Americans have such a loyalty to their political tribe that they are willing to go along with deeply undemocratic behavior.”–Harvard political scientist Yascha Mounk.

* “Everybody is under you, but nobody is listening.” —Mitch McConnell, in analogizing being Senate Majority Leader with being a cemetery groundskeeper.

* “…No matter where I walked, he followed me closely, staring at me, making faces. It was incredibly uncomfortable; he was literally breathing down my neck. My skin crawled.”–Hillary Clinton, recalling the second presidential debate and Donald Trump’s hovering, stalking, onstage demeanor.

* “There are no coincidences in politics.”–Florida state Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa.

* “The economy is hot in the Sunshine State, but it’s no day at the beach for the state’s troubled schools.”–From CNBC’s annual “America’s Top States for Business” rankings.

* “I think Tampa is the most diverse and exciting city in Florida. … We want to be involved more and more in the development of Tampa.”–Jorge Perez, founder and CEO of the Related Group, at the ground-breaking of Manor Riverwalk on the old Tampa Tribune site.

* “I have witnessed firsthand the benefits Community Redevelopment Agencies have delivered for residents in Tampa and throughout Florida. I urge the public to join me in opposition to legislation that denies the continued use of this proven tool and willfully fails to maintain and protect well-run, high-performing CRAs like those in Tampa.”–Tampa City Council member Mike Suarez.