Somebody's been hitting Wikipedia and his stash

Or perhaps Bartlett's quotations on-line, because that can be done. 

Otherwise, yes, Bobo, I'm sure ol' Mitt will get right on that:

If I were Romney, I’d spend the next period of the campaign reading the Stoics, maybe Marcus Aurelius: “Misfortune nobly born is good fortune.” Or perhaps Epictetus: “Difficulties show what men are. Therefore when a difficulty falls upon you, remember that God, like a trainer of wrestlers, has matched you with a rough young man. Why? So that you may become an Olympic conqueror; but it is not accomplished without sweat.”

I'm betting that last Epictetus quote has more meaning for Brooks that you can imagine. I'm sure he's quoted it at many an Applebee's salad bar in the middle of the country...just ask him.

 (via Balloon Juice)