Talking Points: Did You See What They Said?

"We have found bodies that were nothing more than ash and bones." — Robert Giordano, Sonoma County sheriff, on the wildfires in California that have claimed at least 31 lives so far. (Thursday, The New York Times)"We've got to fix it because it's going bankrupt. People depend on it." — Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, on the future of the National Flood Insurance Program. (Monday, The Texas Tribune)"It appears the Texas delegation will let themselves be rolled by the House of Representatives." — Gov. Greg Abbott, on a hurricane aid package in Congress that doesn't specify some funding for Texas. (Wednesday, Houston Chronicle)"Baloney. It's a work of fiction that Stephen King would be proud of." — Rep. Kevin Brady, on the GOP tax plan purportedly delivering the tax cuts to those with the highest income. (Saturday, Fort Worth Star-Telegram)"He and the president are working very well on the foreign policy issues, which I'm a part, and I am so pleased to be at NATO." — NATO Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, on her relationship with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and President Donald Trump. (Thursday, The Texas Tribune)"It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning." — Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., on Trump's tweets criticizing him. (Sunday, Twitter)"There should be no ambiguity that the Texas House will focus on the big and consequential instead of the petty and the polarizing." — House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, on the committee he launched to study Texas' business climate after the "bathroom bill" fight. (Thursday, The Texas Tribune)"The question now becomes, are we going to be the country that leads this shift? Or are we going to take a back seat because we refused to cast aside our differences with our greatest trading allies?" — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, on NAFTA renegotiations. (Friday, The Monitor)"I had no opportunity to pay back. I was set up for failure." — Gordon Martinez, a former teacher, on his experience with a payday lender more than 10 years ago. (Thursday, The Texas Tribune)"As irrationally as possible." — Richard Thaler, on how he plans to spend his Nobel Prize for Economics prize money. His work detailed how people's choices on economic matters are not always rational. (Monday, The Guardian)"Jerry Jones' decision, in many ways, smacks of a plantation mentality." — The Rev. Al Sharpton, on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones informing players they are not allowed to kneel during the national anthem. (Tuesday, USA Today)  Continue reading...