Noriega, Olson, Jones, Harper Brown, Hensarling, and Cooper

U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega, talking about his chances in The Dallas Morning News: "We recognize that it's an uphill fight. If it has to be all about money, then we shouldn't have elections."

Republican congressional hopeful Pete Olson, quoted by the Associated Press about two people hosting his fundraisers: "This is Texas. They love Vice President Cheney. They love President Bush even more."

Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, showing the Austin American-Statesman her interest in a possible opening in the Texas congressional delegation: "I would certainly not want to be left out of anything that would benefit Texas. It's going to be a long campaign for... that Senate seat."

State Rep. Linda Harper Brown, R-Irving, quoted by The Dallas Morning News on the Sunset Advisory Commission's critique of the Texas Department of Transportation: "Here are some of the words used in this report... 'distrust, frustration, disconnected, inaccessibility, unstructured, undefined, unrealistic, disjointed, ineffective, unpredictable, outdated and difficult.'"

U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, quoted in the Athens Daily Review on Democratic opposition to expanded ANWR oil drilling: "They don't realize people are part of the environment, too. We have the energy we need but the liberals said no because they saw the piece of tundra on a postcard."

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tennessee, quoted by the Austin American-Statesman on electric co-ops contributions to federal candidates: "If you're motherhood and apple pie, why do you have to give money to politicians? Mostly their message has been, 'Y'all stay asleep, and we'll be just fine.' "