* “We tried.”–The response of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, when asked what he would want his tombstone to say.
* “There was not even the slightest hint that any Republican is taking the evidence that they were given … and reconsidering.”–Fox News Channel’s Chris Wallace, on the partisan optics of the impeachment hearings.
* “These hearings should not be occurring at all.”–Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee.
* “Republicans on the panel didn’t know what to do. … They absolutely know the president muscled an ally, holding public money over its head to get a personal political favor. But they’re (Trump’s) party, they didn’t want to look weak, they had to show the base they had his back.”–Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal.
* “Everybody who runs for office wants to be seen as an outsider and condemns the insiders. That is, until weeks like this one when we realize how much we need them. At this week’s hearings, the civil servant witnesses answering questions inspired a lot more confidence than the elected officials who were asking them.”–David Brooks, New York Times.
* “These men are talking about duty and honor and country and freedom. Those words mean nothing to Donald Trump.”–George Conway, conservative attorney and husband of Kellyanne Conway, in comparing diplomat William B. Taylor and State Department official George P. Kent to President Trump.
* “If Donald Trump doesn’t agree with what he’s hearing, doesn’t like what he’s been hearing, he shouldn’t tweet. He should come to the committee and testify under oath.”–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
* “While Ronald Reagan’s legacy will be helping to tear down THAT wall, Trump’s legacy will be turning Republican lawmakers into dupes assisting Russia as it undermines our democracy–and democracy around the world.”–Maureen Dowd, New York Times.
* “It’s more dysfunctional than ever–except now it’s not just chaos, the long knives are coming out. Everybody, including the White House chief, seems to be lawyering up.”–Chris Whipple, author of “The Gatekeepers.”
* “Getting fired by the American people in 2020 is something the Trump ego will not abide. … If there aren’t serious attorneys already looking at how to respond to the shenanigans Trump will deploy in the event of a narrow defeat next year, it’s time they get started.”–Roger Cohen, New York Times.
* “The Constitution sets a minimum age of 35 to serve as president. Maybe it should be amended to set an upper age limit at 70, 75 or 80. … It’s worth having a conversation about age for future presidential candidates before an age-related crisis strikes a president.”–Pepperdine University law Professor Derek T. Muller.
* “This is not a contest for who is the most established. It’s a contest for who is the most convincing.”–South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
* “The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it. And I think it’s important for us not to lose sight of that.”–Former President Barack Obama.
* “I don’t love fashion; I love things that look good.”–Fashion designer Ralph Lauren.
* “The breadth of job gains suggests that the pace of job growth should remain strong for the forseeable future.”–Wells Fargo senior economist Mark Vintner, on data showing the state created 21,400 new jobs in October as the workforce grew to 10.5 million. The unemployment rate is 3.2 percent; the all-time low is 3.1 percent (2006).
* “We are not in favor of putting more money into bonus programs. You can’t live on a bonus. You can’t plan for the future on a bonus.”–Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins, executive director of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.
* “The university, for all its successes, has the potential to be better still. Dr. Currall is a bold and ambitious leader, and he’s a good match for this bold and ambitious university.”–Ned C. Lautenbach, chairman of the Florida Board of Governors, who spoke at the investiture ceremony for new USF President Steven Currall.
* “Tampa’s diversity is our most valuable asset.”–Jeff Vinik, in announcing that the Vinik Family Foundation has committed up to $1 million in support of the restoration of the historic Jackson Rooming House.
* “Adding Pinstripes (bowling) and Cinemax to our premier collection of retail, entertainment and dining further solidifies the center as the dominant destination for shoppers on Florida’s Gulf Coast.”–William Taubman, COO of Taubman Properties, owners of International Plaza. Pinstripes and Cinemax have announced a spring 2021 opening of the more than 60,000-square-foot project at International Plaza.