Cornyn, Chávez, Biden, Berman, Paul, Coleman, Preston, Parker, Perry, and Keefover-Ring

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's decision to run as an independent, to the Huffington Post: "Once you leave the Party, you can't come back. And if he has other aspirations, it's hard to see how that works out."

Rep. Norma Chávez, D- El Paso, at a legislative hearing on the State Board of Education, quoted in the El Paso Times: "Clearly, the whitewashing of the civil-rights movement and advancement of Latinos, African-Americans and women has made the Texas State Board of Education the laughingstock of the nation."

Vice President Joe Biden, quoted in the Dallas Morning News blaming the country's fiscal problems on George W. Bush in a talk to Texas Democrats: "I do know about you Texans. I know enough about you that when I got here, it was all Democrats."

Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, to a crowd in Tyler, as reported by the Tyler Morning Telegraph: ""Barack Obama is God's punishment on us today, but ... we are going to make Obama a one-term president."

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson, explaining his views on President Obama's economic policy in an op-ed piece to the Houston Chronicle: "But a closer, honest examination of his policies and actions in office reveals that, much like the previous administration, he is very much a corporatist. This in many ways can be more insidious and worse than being an outright socialist."

Rep. Garnett Coleman, R-Houston, on the prospect of Continental's move to Chicago after a merger with United, to The Texas Tribune: "I hope they take into consideration that bigger isn't always better, and dance with the one that brung ya. I wouldn't overly worry, but I think that every employee, and every leader in the community would say we want Continental to stay, it shouldn't be lost to Chicago…No disrespect to Chicago but I would say that Houston is the future, not Chicago."

Texas GOP spokesman Bryan Preston, on the Mexican American Legislative Caucus' SBOE hearing, as reported by the Houston Chronicle: "If MALC wants to get in touch with their inner children, play dress up and have a pretend committee hearing, I'm sure they can rent a community center somewhere and have themselves a ball. But holding a blatantly political pep rally on the Texas taxpayer's dime may be a little more serious. It may be an unethical and illegal use of state resources."

Houston Mayor Annise Parker on running the city in lean times to Time: "I feel like a mom planning a family budget. We're going to make sure we still have plenty of healthy vegetables, but we might have to cut back on dessert for a while."

Gov. Rick Perry to the Associated Press on killing a coyote while jogging: "Don't attack my dog or you might get shot ... if you're a coyote."

Denver-based WildEarth Guardians spokesperson Wendy Keefover-Ring in a news release: "With all due respect to his manhood, 90-pound women in tennis shoes effectively scare 30-pound coyotes away with a sharp shout."