* “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.