1. “Egypt is free” –Protestors in Egypt
Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s ruler for 30 years, stepped down on Friday after 18 days of protests. Protestors and international observers, including CIA Director Leon Pannetta, expected Mubarak to announce his resignation on Thursday, but instead he announced he would stay on as president to guide the transition while his newly-appointed vice president would assume the president’s power. Mubarak resigned the next day, handing authority to a council of military leaders.
2. “We have seen President Obama usher in socialism under his watch over the last two years.” –Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)
The Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington began on Thursday with a speech by Tea Party-favorite Bachmann. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and some presidential hopefuls-minus Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee-attended , and former Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were heckled.
3. “I am seriously thinking about it. I won’t make a decision until June. But I will make a decision and it may surprise people frankly.” –Donald Trump
Donald Trump told Piers Morgan on Wednesday that he is considering running against President Obama in 2012 and will reveal his decision in June. In a signal of his intentions, Trump spoke at CPAC and elicited boos when he said, “I like Ron Paul. I think he is a good guy. But honestly, he has zero chance of getting elected.”
4. “There is more to life than working in the United States Senate.” –Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona)
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Virgina) and Republican Whip Jon Kyl announced they will not run for reelection in 2012 less than a month after their colleagues Joe Lieberman, Kent Conrad, and Kay Bailey Hutchinson said they will retire next year.
5. “(Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is) opening a new chapter in the relations between the two countries, which Pakistan fully reciprocates.” –Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
India and Pakistan will resume peace talks that stopped after Pakistani militants attacked a hotel in Mumbai, killing 163 people. The two neighbors will discuss contentious issues such as counterterrorism and the disputed Kashmir region.
6. “I’m not a woman, so I dare not tell a woman what to do with her body. I’m not pro-choice either.” –Andrew Ian Dodge.
Dodge, a Tea Party activist, said he will run against Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) in 2012. Snowe voted with Democrats for financial reform and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. The three-term senator won reelection in 2006 with 74.41 percent of the vote.
7. “I’m truly happy for Ray. That’s just unbelievable.” –Kobe Bryant
The Boston Celtics’ Ray Allen topped the 13-year record for most three-pointers made in NBA history with two early three-point shots against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The Lakers won 92-86.
8. “I can only defend what everyone in Sweden already knows: that we have an independent, non-coerced judiciary.” –Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange appeared in London court for a hearing on Friday. The court adjourned his trial for two weeks to decide whether whether he will be extradited to Sweden to face charges of sexual misconduct. Assange’s lawyer argued his client won’t get a fair trial in Sweden.
9. “Today we received these results and we accept and welcome these results because they represent the will of the southern people.” –Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
The results from Sudan’s referendum in January showed that 98.8 percent of the largely Christian south favored seceding from the Muslim north. Africa’s 55th state will declare its independence on July 9.
10. “If there is a reason you don’t believe that this is the time to get off the sidelines-to hire and invest-I want to know about it. I want to fix it.” –President Obama
Obama gave a speech to business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, reaching out to a group that contributed heavily to Republicans in the November elections. Obama urged businesses to hire by spending the two trillion they hold in reserve and promised to eliminate unnecessary regulations.
