Your week in political quotes

(LIN) – It was a huge week for 2012 GOP presidential candidate and former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., when he stunned the Republican field by sweeping three state contests.

" One of the great gifts that I have had in my political career is that no one ever thinks that I can ever win anything. "--Santorum, one day after he was declared the winner of the Colorado and Minnesota GOP caucuses as well as the Missouri primary.

" Senator [John] McCain [R-Ariz.], after I think winning Florida, went on to lose I don't know 17 or 18 contests. There are big states coming up with a lot of delegates. We'll compete actively there."--2012 GOP presidential candidate and former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., on the campaign trail.

"While there is some controversy about it, I have to confess - I liked the Clint Eastwood halftime ad.  I mean I liked the tone of that ad. I like the idea the world counted us down before, we're just regrouping." --2012 GOP presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., on his favorite Super Bowl XLVI advertisement.

"Mitt Romney stands for things the people in Colorado don't stand for… be it the LGBT community, be it environmental protection, be it health care reform that he wrote. These are all things he's coming out against and people in my state I know are very, very concerned about the potential of a Romney presidency."--Peter Lucas Smith, a student at the University of Colorado at Denver, after he “glitterbombed” Romney. "Glitterbombing" has recently become an act of protesting LGBT rights on the campaign trail by throwing glitter at presidential candidates.

"It’s not every day you have robots running all over your house."--President Barack Obama, speaking at the White House’s annual science fair.

"This has nothing to do with contraception. It doesn't even have anything to do with right versus left, or liberal versus conservative. This is very straightforward. This is about whether the government of the United States should have the power to go in and tell a faith-based organization that they have to pay for something that they teach their members shouldn't be doing. It is that simple. "--Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Obama’s initiative mandating that religious institutions would be required to pay for birth control for their employees.  

" The president and the administration [will] move forward, but with a grace period or time period in order to work this thing through. We want to resolve it in an appropriate way."--David Axelrod, senior Obama adviser on plans to move forward with the contraception initiative.

"I think we should have a contact group, a joint coalition and also we should start considering all options including arming the opposition. The bloodletting has got to stop."--McCain, on the United States’ role in Syria.

"Of course, we condemn any instance of violence, whatever side this violence comes from, but one cannot behave like a bull in a china shop. People should be given [the opportunity] to decide their fate themselves."--Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, speaking against any outside intervention in Syria.

"There is no question that the impact of the isolation and economic sanctions on Iran has caused added turmoil within Iran."--White House spokesman Jay Carney, in a statement saying U.S. sanctions on Iran are working.