* “(Russia) wants to draw us into a debate about NATO rather than focus on the matter at hand, which is their aggression toward Ukraine. We won’t be diverted from that issue.”–Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
* “There’s no red tornadoes or blue tornadoes. There’s no red states or blue states where this stuff happens.”—President Joe Biden.
* “What happened last Jan. 6 was much bigger and more important than politics. … This is bigger than who wins the midterm elections or who runs for president in 2024. This project of reckoning is about the continuation of the American experiment.”–Eugene Robinson, Washington Post.
* “This is a year in which the crisis of American democracy has become increasingly visible to all.”–Martin Wolf, Financial Times of London.
* “People pledged allegiance to (Trump) rather than to our Constitution, and history will judge them harshly.”–Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor, reflecting on Jan. 6.
* “We must resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics…Americans must set aside differences and work together before it’s too late.”–Former President Jimmy Carter.
* “The Justice Department remains committed to holding all Jan. 6 perpetrators at any level accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.”–U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
* “Without a doubt, we will have Mardi Gras 2022.”–New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
* “I fully expect this to be a red meat year, where a vast majority of the governor’s priorities are focused on securing the base—not the state base, but the national base.”–St. Petersburg Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes.
* “We have to make sure that growth is intentional and inclusive.”–Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
* “Yes, this election is historic. But our goal is simply not to make history—rather we must work together to make a difference, to make an impact for this generation and for generations to come.”–Ken Welch, after being sworn in as St. Petersburg’s first black mayor.
* “We’re bullish on residential demand and people living downtown.”–Lee Schaffler, chief portfolio officer for lead Water Street developer Strategic Property Partners.
* “Let’s be clear. I wouldn’t be doing this if it interfered with my duties.”–Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez, who is now the head coach of the amateur-adult Tampa Bay Thunder, a new team in the Football Federation Alliance 2.0.