Insight: “It is when power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable.” —Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

Demo-gogues: “There has been a movement over the last 30, 40 years to turn people against the government. This mantra is that government is too big, we don’t need any rules to govern human conduct, let everything work itself out and the free market system will make it rain for everybody. Well, we’ve seen after 30, 40 years … that it doesn’t work.” —Rep. Hank Johnson (As if government has even remotely done that.)

Braying Jenny: “A New Year’s resolution [for Republicans] would be to quit their anti-women health obsession.” —Nancy Pelosi

Braying Jackass: “I will not campaign for, vote for or support any candidate, even in my own party, who does not support common-sense gun reform. And if the 90 percent of Americans who do support common-sense gun reforms join me, we will elect the leadership we deserve.” —Barack Obama in a NY Times op-ed

Good question: “Is it fair to call [gun confiscation] a conspiracy? … There are certainly a lot of people that have a fundamental distrust that you [referring to Obama] do not want to get — go further and further and further down this road.” —CNN’s Anderson Cooper

Non Compos Mentis: “I’m less afraid of the criminals wielding guns in Baltimore … than I am by those permitted gun owners. … [H]ow about adding something immediately useful: a gun owner registry available to the public online — something like those for sex offenders. I’m not equating gun owners with predatory perverts, but the model is helpful here; I want a searchable database I can consult to find out whether my kid can have a play date at your house.” —Baltimore Sun’s Tricia Bishop (“As a professional home invader, car thief, and convicted felon, I would personally LOVE if I could go on the Internet to find out if the person’s house I am about to rob is a gun carrier.” —Bishop reader comment)

Late-night humor: “The government of Iraq has offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran. You know the Middle East is in trouble when your greatest hope for peace is ‘meeting up in Iraq.’” —Conan O'Brien