“I am a conservative businessman. I spent most of my life outside of politics, dealing with real problems in the real economy,  Career politicians got us into this mess and they simply don’t know how to get us out.” Mitt Romney

“we stand near a threshold of profound economic misery. Four more years on the same political path could prove disastrous.” Mitt Romney

“Have we ever had a president who was so eager to address the world with an apology on his lips and doubt in his heart?” Mitt Romney

“The common goal is to bring that ring back to the city of Philadelphia. That’s why we play,” Vick said. “That’s what we’re all working for. As a competitor, I don’t feel my career will be complete without that.”  Michael Vick

“It’s a lot of money, how ever you look at it,” Obviously, it’s going to create a lot of demands. I know what comes along with it, and I know how to handle it.” Michael Vick

“This is a great story all the way through,” This is really what America’s all about. Second chance and Mike took full advantage of that. And then when he was given a second chance to start in the National Football League, he took full advantage of that.” Eagles president Joe Banner

“When you give a player a contract, you’re betting on the future, and you’re using the evidence of what he’s done to that point to evaluate your future projection,” And if we didn’t think Michael was somebody capable of leading this team to a Super Bowl, we never would have given him that contract.  Eagles president Joe Banner

“Now, our judgment has to be right, and he has to get on the field and prove that. But we wouldn’t be making this type of investment if we didn’t view him that way.”and turned it into this.” Eagles president Joe Banner

“You don’t give out contracts this size and have no fear. There are too many things in life,”  ”You can have a car accident. There is always fear when you have contracts of this magnitude because the impact of being wrong is so huge.” Eagles president Joe Banner

“But as far as Michael being who he is today, we’re very confident. He is what he is 24 hours a day when we’re with him, and we’re confident in the person he is now.” Eagles president Joe Banner

“I’ve learned … don’t take anything for granted,” I did that at one point when I had the big contract in Atlanta. And I think that will definitely help me now in understanding what’s most important and how to move forward in my life.” Michael Vick

“I believe history will regard you as one of our nation’s great battle captains,” Robert Gates

“‘Shake up the Army”, Dave,  Gen. Peter Schoomaker

“Various folks had said I’ve been sent to exile at Leavenworth,”  Gen. David Petraeus

“We don’t have magic bullets, but what we do have, I think, is the capacity to do some things right now that would make a big difference,”  President Obama

“This is a situation where the economy essentially had a heart attack and the patient lived, and the patient is getting better, but it’s getting better very slowly,”   President Obama

“All these ideas are ones that have been presented to Congress. We’ll be putting out several other additional ideas. We’ve got to do it, unfortunately, at a time when money is tight. George Bush left us (a) $1 trillion deficit,” President Obama

“My attitude is that my job is to present the best plans possible. Congress needs to act,”  President Obama

“If Congress does not act, then I’m going to be going on the road and talking to folks, and this next election very well may end up being a referendum on whose vision of America is better.”  President Obama

“Secretary Geithner has let the president know that he plans to stay on in his  position at Treasury, He looks forward to the important work ahead on the  challenges facing our great country.” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Jenni LeCompte  said in a statement. “

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60830.html#ixzz1UPIm1ur5

“We have lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of  America to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA,’” S&P said in a statement.

“The downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability and  predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened  at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we  envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18,  2011.”

“trying to justify their reputation” Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)

These are some of the people who have the worst records of incompetence and  irresponsibility around,” Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)

“A judgment flawed by a $2 trillion error speaks for itself,” a Treasury  spokesman

defended his firm’s work. “It’s going to  take awhile to get back to AAA because once you lose your AAA it doesn’t usually  back bounce in that way,” S&P managing director John Chambers
“This decision by S&P is the latest consequence of the out-of-control  spending that has taken place in Washington for decades, The spending binge has resulted in job-destroying  economic uncertainty and now threatens to send destructive ripple effects across  our credit markets.”  House Speaker John  Boehner (R-Ohio)

“For months, he opposed all efforts to reduce the debt in return for a  debt ceiling increase, His opposition to serious spending and  debt reforms has been reckless and now the American people will pay the price.” Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)

“The action by S&P reaffirms  the need for a balanced approach to deficit reduction that combines spending  cuts with revenue-raising measures like closing taxpayer-funded giveaways to  billionaires, oil companies and corporate jet owners. This makes the work of the  joint committee all the more important, and shows why leaders should appoint  members who will approach the committee’s work with an open mind — instead of  hardliners who have already ruled out the balanced approach that the markets and  rating agencies like S&P are demanding.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

If we had defaulted on our debt, the consequences would have been dramatic  and lasting,”  campaign strategist David Axelrod

“It was the wrong thing to do to push the country to that point,”  David Axelrod

“It was something that should never have happened that clearly is on the  backs of those who were willing the see the country default: those very strident  voices in the tea party.”  David Axelrod

“a tea party downgrade,” John Kerry

“I think this is one of the most telling, important moments in our country’s  history right now,” John Kerry

“smoking some of that tea, not just  drinking it” Howard Dean

“this is a tea  party problem.” Howard Dean

“They are totally unreasonable and doctrinaire and not founded in reality,” Howard Dean

“Thank God they’re here.” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South  Carolina said of the tea party,

“If he were in the Southeastern Conference, he would be fired as a coach. He  would not have his contract renewed,” Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham  said of the president.

“I think it’s failed presidential leadership when you don’t put forward a plan,  a specific proposal, to work off of, Previous presidents  certainly have when we [were] in a crisis. And, by the way, talking about  hostages, lately the Democrats have been calling us terrorists. So we need to  lower that level of rhetoric, obviously.” John McCain

“I don’t think  this is going to be a committee that fixes all of our fiscal problems.” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the Budget Committee

“I am not putting my stock in this committee, I think people are overemphasizing what this committee will  achieve.” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the Budget Committee

“Both political parties are responsible for the mess we have right now, But, “I would argue that over the last couple of years, we have gone  deeply in the wrong direction.” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the Budget Committee

“The S&P downgrade injects further uncertainty to the markets, and the  markets hate uncertainty, Wall Street had a  bad week last week; there is a lot of panic overall in the markets and I expect  a lot of volatility, and again, it’s all about uncertainty. We just don’t know  until the markets react.” Bill Miller, CIO of Legg Mason Capital Management

“hit the self esteem of the United States” Alan Greenspan

“This is not an issue of credit ratings,” Alan Greenspan

“The U.S. can pay any debt it has because we can always print money to do that. So, there is zero probability of default.” Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan

“Obama needs to get the heck out of Washington and reconnect to the people who  are pretty mad at him right now,” “The faster he  gets out of town, the better.” GOP pollster Frank Luntz

“The president looks very much forward to getting out in the country — he’s  obviously spent a lot of time here in Washington and in the White House of late — and to hearing from Americans, in the Midwest … about what’s going on in their  local economies, what they think Washington can and should do to enhance  economic growth, enhance job creation in their parts of the country, And that’s what this trip will be about.” White  House press secretary Jay Carney

“I’ve said it before; I will say it again: We can’t balance the budget on the  backs of the very people who have borne the biggest brunt of this recession,” President Obama

“Everyone is going to have to chip in. It’s only fair. That’s the  principle I’ll be fighting for during the next phase of this process.” President Obama

“Baseball’s a game of emotions, and I’m not one to let my emotions get the best of me,”  Jered Weaver

“I obviously knew that something was going to happen, It’s six games, and it is what it is, but I’ve decided to appeal it. I wanted my voice heard a little bit on the situation and how it went down, see what they feel about it and go from there. So we’ll see what happens.” Jered Weaver

“I’m not one to go out there and show people up, I play the game with loyalty and respect to a lot of players, and I would hope that maybe they would respect me a little bit. I just didn’t like the way it happened. Maybe the emotion of the big game and going up against Verlander has something to do with it, but I just didn’t think that it was right.” Jered Weaver

“I’ve had a pretty calm career so far, but there are just some things that kind of cross the line. I thought that was one of those things, and I didn’t want to sit back and take that. So I did what I did. I can’t take it back. It happened, and obviously I’ve got to pay the repercussions for it.” Jered Weaver

“Obviously, I don’t want to see Sosh have a suspension, but that’s the way the game is,” Jered Weaver

“I’ll try to pay his fine and we’ll go from there. Hopefully, it doesn’t affect the team too much, and that we can get this over with, and I can go back to pitching.” Jered Weaver