Hutchison, Noriega, Ogden, Eiland, and Ivins

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, quoted in a Washington Times  article her campaign later emailed to supporters: "If our party's nominee called me and said we are putting everything in the grid, and we think you are the best person, would I say no? I can't imagine that I would say no... Would I seek it or do something to promote it? Absolutely not."

State Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, in the San Antonio Express-News: "If our graduation rates in the state are 60 percent, that's our public policy as a state. We as Texans accept that graduation rate, apparently. That's what we do, because that's what it is. Public policy is not what we say it is. It's not what is written. It's what's actual."

Sen. Steve Ogden, in the San Antonio Express-News, asked what he thinks about rebating surpluses to taxpayers: "Not much... The big issue to me in this session is to make sure that we set aside enough of the surplus to guarantee that we'll be able to meet our property tax promises in future years."

Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, in The Dallas Morning News after Gov. Rick Perry said the state needs to fix one of its biggest welfare programs: "Didn't they reform Medicaid in 2003?"

Molly Ivins, on one of her favorite things: "I believe politics is the finest form of entertainment in the state of Texas: better than the zoo, better than the circus, rougher than football, and even more aesthetically satisfying than baseball."