Haggerty, Chisum, Berman, Saenz, Perry, and McEnroe

Rep. Pat Haggerty, R-El Paso, defeated in the GOP primary last year by House Speaker Tom Craddick's candidate, talking to the San Antonio Express-News about Craddick losing the speakership: "The rich irony is that he and I go out together. Isn't that sweet?"

Appropriations Chairman Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, who supported Craddick to the end: "I'm probably a lame duck budget guy."

Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, telling reporters during the speaker race why he thought John Smithee could attract members who had already promised their votes to Joe Straus: "These are the same people who signed pledge cards for Speaker Craddick. If they violated their pledge card once, they'll violate it again. There's no honor among them."

Amadeo Saenz, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, on the fate of the Trans-Texas Corridor, quoted in The Dallas Morning News: "The concept has been diminished. We must recognize the inevitable: The TTC is not the choice of Texans."

Gov. Rick Perry, telling reporters why he went to Iraq to visit Texas troops: "I think it's important for me to see them, to tell them they're doing a great job. I'm the commander-in-chief of the Texas state forces."

Colin McEnroe, a former Connecticut capitol correspondent, quoted in Governing about the shrinking press corps in statehouses: "It's like some French Foreign Legion outpost up there. Everyone around you is dead and you've got six bullets left and 20 people running at you."