"Do you see anybody here? On the news, the mayor's congratulating the governor and the governor's congratulating the mayor. About what? People died." — Janice Clarkin, a resident of the storm-ravaged New York City borough of Staten Island, wondering if the government would ever help in the aftermath of Sandy.

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"I know we're close to an election, but this isn't a game. These are people's jobs. These are people's lives. ... You don't scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes." — President Barack Obama, assailing Republican rival Mitt Romney over ads suggesting that automakers General Motors and Chrysler are adding jobs in China at the expense of auto-industry dependent Ohio. Both companies have called the ads untrue.

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"It ain't that bad. I could be in Queens. I've seen a lot of bad in my life, people getting sick and things like that. This is what I call an inconvenience. Now, losing something like a house, that would be bad." — Kenneth Kelly, who was waiting to gas up at a Hess station in Fort Lee, N.J., referring to customers in the New York metro area who have had to wait for hours in line to get fuel.