The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Quoteworthy
“This is the decisive decade.”—U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.
“The Haitian state is not really able to receive these deportees.”—Jean Negot BonheurDelva, head of Haiti’s national migration office.
“Haitian refugees deserve asylum in the United States because the problems many of them are fleeing were either caused or worsened by decades of U.S. political and economic interference in their country.”—Valerie Kass and Kevin Cashman, Jacobin.
“Russian roulette.”—What Republicans are playing, stated President Joe Biden, with debt default.
“It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to resign just because my advice was not taken.”—Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“(I did) support the president’s decision to end the war in Afghanistan. … (I) did not support staying there forever.”—Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
“Your record gives me great concern. And that makes you a dangerous man to head up the Fed, and it’s why I will oppose your renomination.”—Sen. Elizabeth Warren, during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. She cited Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s record on easing banking regulations put in place after the Great Recession. Powell’s term is up in February.
“Protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as possible.”—What Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said to Congress to avoid a default on the government’s obligations.
“When one party in our two-party system completely goes rogue, it falls on the other party to act. Democrats have to do three things at the same time: advance their agenda, protect our elections’ integrity and prevent this unprincipled Trump-cult version of the GOP from ever gaining national power again.”—Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times.
“Political capital is always fleeting.”—Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“The catchy and sinister term ‘shadow docket’ has been used to portray the court as having been captured by a dangerous cabal that resorts to sneaky and improper methods to get its ways. This portrayal feeds unprecedented efforts to intimidate the court and to damage it as an independent institution.”—Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito.
“Some Democrats seem to have formed their perceptions about both economics and politics during the Clinton years and haven’t updated their views since.”—Paul Krugman, New York Times.
“Subsidized insurance has been critical for supporting coastal real estate markets. It’s going to require a major rethink (on flood insurance rates) about coastal living.”—Benjamin Keys, business professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
“Our internet behemoths are immense media companies pretending to be neutral platforms, feasting on revenue that once sustained the old media ecosystem while disclaiming normal forms of editorial responsibility.”—Ross Douthat,NYT.
“Vitriolic.”—How Florida School Board Association executive director Andrea Messina characterized the current polarized political climate for school board members and those running for office.
“This is a critical connection for both European travelers coming to Florida and Floridians looking to travel the world.”—TIA CEO Joe Lopano, in response to the announcement by Eurowings Discover, an off-shoot of the Lufthansa Group, that it will begin service between Tampa and Frankfurt, Germany in December. That makes Eurowings the first nonstop service between mainland Europe and TIA since the start of the pandemic.
“There’ll be time to discuss and debate the future of Rays baseball. Right now it’s time to enjoy Rays baseball.”—Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg.