Dewhurst, Miller, Maciel, Gargiulo, Williamson, and Paul

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, in an interview with the Associated Press: "I'm either going to run for re-election as lieutenant governor in 2010 or run for governor. I like being lieutenant governor... But being governor presents, provides an opportunity to talk to the Texas people, to lead on a broader stage with ideas and solutions for tomorrow."

Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, in a San Antonio Express-News story about the state's new "healthy marriage" law: "The thing that might be overlooked here is, Texans want lawmakers to focus on issues like good public schools, good jobs, safe streets. They don't want the government dictating how they talk to their husbands and wives and how much they exercise. It really does start to look like a nanny state or a busybody state."

Alfredo Maciel, a California tailor, quoted in The New York Times on the GOP and immigration policy: "I don't think Latinos are interested in joining the Republicans, and I don't think Republicans are interested in attracting them."

Sugar Land resident Tom Gargiulo, quoted in a Houston Chronicle about that city's new traffic camera program, which he opposes: "What are we going to do with all these cops if cameras are doing their jobs? I think we have cops to do that job, to give tickets out for red lights. Not cameras."

Texas Transportation Commissioner Ric Williamson, quoted in The Dallas Morning News after the panel voted on improvements to State Highway 121: "This has been at least a two-year odyssey, and our professionals on staff have been drug through the bad stuff at every turn. And it's often been criticism from the unseen hand or the unattributed quote. I've about had enough of that."

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, defending his support of earmarks for his district, in the Houston Chronicle: "I don't think they should take our money in the first place. But if they take it, I think we should ask for it back."

Scarborough, Rancich, Seaton, Moldea, and Vitter

Vision America head Rick Scarborough, at a Christian political rally in East Texas, quoted by the Lufkin Daily News: "Even if we don't have a president we can vote for without holding our nose, we can impact county, city (and) school board... raising up God-fearing leaders at the local level."

West Texas pecan grower Tony Rancich, quoted in The Dallas Morning News on efforts to build fences on the Texas-Mexico border: "My grandfather had a vision for the border, and it wasn't a place guarded by fences where everyone is armed to the teeth, shooting it up. This isn't the Wild, Wild West. This is home."

Bryan resident Cindy Seaton of Bryan, quoted in the Bryan-College Station Eagle on her opposition to a proposed Hooters restaurant: "I'm mostly worried about the college girls. They're the ones that are going to be working there and putting their bodies on the line. It's going to set a precedent for them that they can use their bodies here to get through college. That's just not the way that our society needs to work, and I just don't agree with that."

Dan Moldea, who's in league with Hustler owner Larry Flynt and is also working on a book with Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the so-called "D.C. Madam," telling the Washington Post he outed U.S. Rep. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, for hypocrisy and not for hiring the escort service: "If someone hasn't been shooting off his mouth, we'll throw him back in the river."

Wendy Vitter, the congressman's wife, joking in a 2000 interview with Newhouse News Service that she'd be less forgiving about dalliances than the spouses of former U.S. Rep. Bob Livingston and former President Bill Clinton: "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."