Politiquotes of the Week: Feb. 17

Obama rises above the fray as other lawmakers duke it out.

Barack Obama - "As I was looking at some of the really industrial-size locks, I was thinking about the fact that I am the father of two girls who are soon to be in high school, and it might come in handy to have these super-locks,” said President Obama during a visit to Wisconsin’s Master Lock Company to tout his economic plans. —Joyce Jones(Photo: JASON REED/Landov)

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Barack Obama - "As I was looking at some of the really industrial-size locks, I was thinking about the fact that I am the father of two girls who are soon to be in high school, and it might come in handy to have these super-locks,” said President Obama during a visit to Wisconsin’s Master Lock Company to tout his economic plans. —Joyce Jones(Photo: JASON REED/Landov)

Joe Klein - Mitt Romney has become a "mudslinger, with nothing positive to say," said Time magazine columnist Joe Klein in an appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball.(Photo: Courtesy CBS News)

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Joe Klein - Mitt Romney has become a "mudslinger, with nothing positive to say," said Time magazine columnist Joe Klein in an appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball.(Photo: Courtesy CBS News)

Foster Friess - "Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly," said Rick Santorum backer Foster Friess on MSNBC during a discussion of the Affordable Care Act mandate requiring health care plans to provide contraception.  (Photo: Ron Sachs / CNP/DPA /LANDOV)

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Foster Friess - “Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly," said Rick Santorum backer Foster Friess during a discussion of the Affordable Care Act mandate requiring all health care plans to provide contraception. He later acknowledged that his “joke bombed.”(Photo: Ron Sachs/Landov)

Newt Gingrich - “[At] some point, it's going to sink in to people, if all Gov. Romney has is negative campaigning, where's his positive message?” said GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in a Fox News interview.(Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

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Newt Gingrich - “[At] some point, it's going to sink in to people, if all Gov. Romney has is negative campaigning, where's his positive message?” said GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in a Fox News interview.(Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)

Maxine Waters - “These are demons. They are legislators who are destroying this country rather than bringing us together, creating jobs, making sure we have a good tax policy, bringing our jobs from back off-shore, incentivizing those who keep jobs here,” said Rep. Maxine Waters of the House GOP’s top two leaders.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Maxine Waters - “These are demons. They are legislators who are destroying this country rather than bringing us together, creating jobs, making sure we have a good tax policy, bringing our jobs from back off-shore, incentivizing those who keep jobs here,” said Rep. Maxine Waters of the House GOP’s top two leaders.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Eric Bolling - “Step away from the crack pipe, step away from the Xanax, step away from the Lorazepam because it’s going to get you in trouble.” said conservative commentator Eric Bolling on Fox & Friends, in response to Rep. Maxine Waters calling House GOP leaders “demons.”(Photo: Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images)

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Eric Bolling - “Step away from the crack pipe, step away from the Xanax, step away from the Lorazepam because it’s going to get you in trouble.” said conservative commentator Eric Bolling on Fox & Friends, in response to Rep. Maxine Waters calling House GOP leaders “demons.”(Photo: Henry S. Dziekan III/Getty Images)

Mitt Romney - "When it comes to economic conservatism, I've got the record that [Rick Santorum] does not have, and I believe that when it comes to that economic conservatism, people are going to have a hard time finding someone more conservative than myself," said White House hopeful Mitt Romney in a Fox News interview.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Mitt Romney - "When it comes to economic conservatism, I've got the record that [Rick Santorum] does not have, and I believe that when it comes to that economic conservatism, people are going to have a hard time finding someone more conservative than myself," said White House hopeful Mitt Romney in a Fox News interview.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)