Your week in political quotes

(LIN) – In one week, the 2012 GOP field gets even smaller as two candidates end their presidential aspirations.

"I have come to the conclusion that there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign. Therefore, today, I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich for president of the United States." --Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, announcing the end of his presidential campaign and his endorsement of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

"I believe it is now time for our party to unite around the candidate best equipped to defeat Barack Obama. Despite our differences and the space between us on some of the issues, I believe that candidate is Governor Mitt Romney."--Former Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, at a news conference to announce he was dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass.

"My goal is not to raise Mitt Romney's taxes but to let everyone pay Romney's rate."--Gingrich, after Romney said he pays about “15 percent” in federal income taxes.

"You'll hear more about that. April."--Romney, answering a question on when he intends to release his 2011 tax returns.

"This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people. I'm disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision.” --President Barack Obama, in a written statement explaining his opposition to the Keystone pipeline project, a massive oil pipeline through the heart of the United States.

"President Obama is destroying tens of thousands of American jobs and shipping American energy security to the Chinese. There's really just no other way to put it. The president is selling out American jobs for politics."--House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, after Obama rejected the pipeline plans.

"The purpose of the Stop Online Piracy act, quite frankly, is to try to stop foreign websites from illegally stealing our technology, our inventions and our products, from intellectual property, music, medicine, auto parts, even to baby food." --Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, co-sponsor of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, in an interview with KXAN-TV in Austin.

"It has nothing to do with stolen songs or movies." --Justin Ruben, executive director of MoveOn.org , after saying tougher legislation — even directed overseas — could make domestic cultural commentators more prone to legal attack.

"I think people realize it's a tie…It's a straw poll that has no impact on how we pick delegates." --Former Iowa Republican Chairman Richard Schwarm, after it was revealed that Santorum, and not Romney, received more votes in the Jan. 3 Iowa Caucuses.

"We are not making any special steps at this point in order to deal with the situation. Why? Because, frankly, we are fully prepared to deal with that situation now."--Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, responding to Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital Persian Gulf avenue for international oil shipments. The threat was in retaliation for stronger international economic sanctions.

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