Politiquotes of the Week: May 3

Obama and Romney weigh in on Osama Bin Laden's death.

Newt Gingrich ended the “truly wild ride” that was his presidential campaign. Although Texas Rep. Ron Paul is still hanging in, he was silent while Team Obama duked it out with Team Romney on issues from the economy to the death of Osama Bin Laden — Joyce Jones   (Photos: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque; John Moore/Getty Images)

1 / 14

Newt Gingrich ended the “truly wild ride” that was his presidential campaign. Although Texas Rep. Ron Paul is still hanging in, he was silent while Team Obama duked it out with Team Romney on issues from the economy to the death of Osama Bin Laden — Joyce Jones   (Photos: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque; John Moore/Getty Images)

Afghanistan - In 2008, there were approximately 30,000 troops in Afghanistan. After approving a surge of military personnel, that number increased to about 90,000. Obama pledged to end the occupation by the end of 2014. He and Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently announced plans to accelerate the withdrawal and the timetable to give Afghan security forces the lead. (Photo:Kevin Lamarque / Reuters)

2 / 14

Barack Obama - “I could not be prouder of you. And I want you to understand I know it's still tough. I know the battle is not yet over. Some of your buddies are going to get injured, and some of your buddies may get killed. And there’s going to be heartbreak and pain and difficulty ahead,” President Obama told troops in Afghanistan during a surprise visit to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama Bin Laden. “But there’s a light on the horizon because of the sacrifices you’ve made.(Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Mitt Romney - NEW YORK — "It's totally appropriate for the president to express to the American people the view that he has that he had an important role in taking out Osama Bin Laden," said Mitt Romney following a visit to a Manhattan fire station with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the anniversary of Bin Laden’s death. "I think politicizing it and trying to draw a distinction between himself and myself was an inappropriate use of the very important event that brought America together."  (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

3 / 14

Mitt Romney - NEW YORK — "It's totally appropriate for the president to express to the American people the view that he has that he had an important role in taking out Osama Bin Laden," said Mitt Romney following a visit to a Manhattan fire station with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the anniversary of Bin Laden’s death. "I think politicizing it and trying to draw a distinction between himself and myself was an inappropriate use of the very important event that brought America together."  (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

Mitt Romney - “I am pleased that President Obama has returned to Afghanistan. Our troops and the American people deserve to hear from our president about what is at stake in this war,” said Mitt Romney in a statement, following several accusations from him and other Republicans that Obama was using the Osama Bin Laden anniversary for political gain. (Photo: REUTERS/Allison Joyce)

4 / 14

Mitt Romney - “I am pleased that President Obama has returned to Afghanistan. Our troops and the American people deserve to hear from our president about what is at stake in this war,” said Mitt Romney in a statement, following several accusations from him and other Republicans that Obama was using the Osama Bin Laden anniversary for political gain. (Photo: REUTERS/Allison Joyce)

James Inhofe - “Clearly, this trip is campaign-related,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) in a statement about Obama’s trip to Afghanistan. “We’ve seen recently that President Obama has visited college campuses in an attempt to win back the support of that age group since he has lost it over the last three years. Similarly, this trip to Afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials, because he has spent the past three years gutting our military.”(Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

5 / 14

James Inhofe - “Clearly, this trip is campaign-related,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) in a statement about Obama’s trip to Afghanistan. “We’ve seen recently that President Obama has visited college campuses in an attempt to win back the support of that age group since he has lost it over the last three years. Similarly, this trip to Afghanistan is an attempt to shore up his national security credentials, because he has spent the past three years gutting our military.”(Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Mitt Romney - “We’re seeing a greater and greater gap between those that have the most and those that have the least. The president’s focused on taking away from those who have the least. I want to help everybody, particularly those that are being left behind,” said Mitt Romney at a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, event.(Photo: Jay LaPrete/Getty Images)

6 / 14

Mitt Romney - “We’re seeing a greater and greater gap between those that have the most and those that have the least. The president’s focused on taking away from those who have the least. I want to help everybody, particularly those that are being left behind,” said Mitt Romney at a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, event.(Photo: Jay LaPrete/Getty Images)

Jonathan Capehart - “I fell through the looking glass. … I can’t believe what I just heard. Didn't we just go through the entire Republican primary process listening to them say how the president was trying to steal from the rich to give to the poor? Suddenly, here's Mitt Romney, flipping the flop saying that the president's trying to do the exact opposite,” said Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart during an appearance on MSNBC, responding to Romney’s claim that the president wants to take from the poor. (Photo: Courtesy MSNBC)

7 / 14

Jonathan Capehart - “I fell through the looking glass. … I can’t believe what I just heard. Didn't we just go through the entire Republican primary process listening to them say how the president was trying to steal from the rich to give to the poor? Suddenly, here's Mitt Romney, flipping the flop saying that the president's trying to do the exact opposite,” said Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart during an appearance on MSNBC, responding to Romney’s claim that the president wants to take from the poor. (Photo: Courtesy MSNBC)

Americans United for Change - “No Swiss Mitt!” chanted a group of protesters from Americans United for Change outside the Republican National Committee headquarters where Mitt Romney was meeting with party officials. “Who had a Swiss bank account and outsourced jobs? This guy,” read their signs featuring Romney’s image.(Photo: Courtesy Americans United for Change)

8 / 14

Americans United for Change - “No Swiss Mitt!” chanted a group of protesters from Americans United for Change outside the Republican National Committee headquarters where Mitt Romney was meeting with party officials. “Who had a Swiss bank account and outsourced jobs? This guy,” read their signs featuring Romney’s image.(Photo: Courtesy Americans United for Change)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2012/05/Politics/050312-politics-mitt-romney-heckler.jpg

9 / 14

Mitt Romney - “Mitt Romney, you're a racist!" shouted one of the protesters several times as Romney delivered remarks outside a New York City firehouse he visited with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani this week.   (Photo: UPI/John Angelillo/Landov)

Chris Christie - “He might be able to convince me. He’s a convincing guy,” said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about the possibility of becoming Mitt Romney’s running mate. (Photo: Chris Usher/CBS News via Getty Images)

10 / 14

Chris Christie - “He might be able to convince me. He’s a convincing guy,” said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about the possibility of becoming Mitt Romney’s running mate. (Photo: Chris Usher/CBS News via Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Newt Gingrich - “I’m asked sometimes if Mitt Romney is conservative enough and my answer’s simple: Compared to Barack Obama?” said Newt Gingrich, during remarks announcing the suspension of his presidential campaign. “This is not a choice between Mitt Romney and Ronald Reagan. This is a choice between Mitt Romney and the most radical, leftist president in American history.” (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

11 / 14

Newt Gingrich - “I’m asked sometimes if Mitt Romney is conservative enough and my answer’s simple: Compared to Barack Obama?” said Newt Gingrich, during remarks announcing the suspension of his presidential campaign. “This is not a choice between Mitt Romney and Ronald Reagan. This is a choice between Mitt Romney and the most radical, leftist president in American history.” (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Ann Romney - "I still look at him as this is the boy that I met, in high school, when he was pulling all the jokes, and really just being crazy. Pretty crazy. So there's a wild and crazy man inside of him ... just waiting to come out,” said Ann Romney during an appearance with her husband on CBS This Morning. (Photo: Jeff Neira/CBS via Getty Images)

12 / 14

Ann Romney - "I still look at him as this is the boy that I met, in high school, when he was pulling all the jokes, and really just being crazy. Pretty crazy. So there's a wild and crazy man inside of him ... just waiting to come out,” said Ann Romney during an appearance with her husband on CBS This Morning. (Photo: Jeff Neira/CBS via Getty Images)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2012/01/Politics-01-16-01-31/012612-politics-political-tweets-of-the-week-cornel-west.jpg

13 / 14

Cornel West - "Mitt Romney is a catastrophic response to a catastrophe, whereas Obama is a disastrous response to a catastrophe. Is disaster better than catastrophe? Yes it is. I wish we had a third candidate who could actually do something, but we don't at the moment," Princeton professor Cornel West said in an interview with the Huffington Post.  (AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER)(Photo: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

Michele Bachmann - Michele Bachmann: “I think for all of America, this is a very simple proposition this November: President Barack Obama or President Mitt Romney? Very easy,” said Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann. Just four months ago, she said, “[Romney] cannot beat Obama because his policy is the basis for Obamacare. The signature issue of Obama is Obamacare. You can’t have a candidate who has given the blue print for Obamacare. It’s too identical. It’s not going to happen.”(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

14 / 14

Michele Bachmann - Michele Bachmann: “I think for all of America, this is a very simple proposition this November: President Barack Obama or President Mitt Romney? Very easy,” said Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann. Just four months ago, she said, “[Romney] cannot beat Obama because his policy is the basis for Obamacare. The signature issue of Obama is Obamacare. You can’t have a candidate who has given the blue print for Obamacare. It’s too identical. It’s not going to happen.”(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)