* “I do not propose to reform France; I propose to transform it at its deepest level.”–Newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron.
* “Demagogic forms of populism are on the rise. These certainly do not help to consolidate peace and stability.”–Pope Francis.
* “Obviously we will stand up for our interests as Britain too will stand up for its interests. We’re trying to forge a strong European Union of 27. This is the sort of spirit with which we approach these (“Brexit”) negotiations.”–German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
* “Lordy, this has been painful.”–FBI Director James Comey, explaining the impact of his controversial role in politically sensitive investigations at the climax of the presidential campaign.
* “The notion of a chain of command is gone.”–David F. Gordon, the State Department director of policy planning under President George W. Bush.
* “New presidents typically grow into the job, but Trump remains a bully and a charlatan.”–Nicholas Kristof, New York Times.
* “His fathomless lack of interest in America’s path to the present and his limitless gullibility leave him susceptible to being blown about by gusts of factoids that cling like lint to a disorderly mind.”–George Will, Washington Post.
* “Republican senators will not let the American people down! ObamaCare premiums and deductibles are way up–it was a lie and it is dead!”–Donald Trump.
* “The Republicans now have a pre-existing condition: They voted for something that will cause them a lot of pain in the future.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
* “Eighteen months is an eternity in politics.”–House Speaker Paul Ryan, on the possible political fallout for Republicans in 2018 as a result of the House voting to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
* “Basically, we’re writing our own bill.”–Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Health Committee.
* “I simply view President Trump as the Wizard of Oz. Loud and bombastic. A charlatan. Nothing behind the screen–other than the institutional chaos that governs his ever-changing mind.”–Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post.
* “The best opinion section is one that offers an ideological brawl, not an intellectual cocoon.”–Ruth Marcus, Washington Post.
* “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”–Albert Einstein.
* “I am proud of my record. I would ask people to take a look at my whole record, and my record is one that supports my district as well as the state of Florida.”–Former Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Graham, in announcing her bid for governor in 2018.
* “Adam’s a good guy, but like some other politicians, he’s bought and paid for by the special interests, especially the utility industry. That concerns me.”–Republican Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, in assessing the 2018 gubernatorial chances of Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam.
* “Go forth and veto boldly.”–House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s challenge to Gov. Rick Scott.
* “We have limited political capital. We prioritize our issues, and I don’t think lobbying Congress on that (Cuban embargo) issue will be productive.”–Port Tampa Bay CEO Paul Anderson.
* “I am terribly disappointed that the will of the voters has been ignored by our elected legislative body. Every year that there is no funding for Florida Forever is a lost year for Floridians.”–Nat Reed, founder of 1,000 Friends of Florida, responding to the state budget that calls for spending zero dollars for the Florida Forever program to buy up environmentally sensitive land–despite the passage of Amendment 1 in 2014.
* “This is the best example of growth paying for itself and paying for more than itself and bringing jobs and bringing high value to its community.”–Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill, in reference to redevelopment money generated from Tampa’s downtown CRA.