The Patriot Post® · Thursday Short Cuts

Insight: “There are in fact four very significant stumbling blocks in the way of grasping the truth, which hinder every man however learned, and scarcely allow anyone to win a clear title to wisdom, namely, the example of weak and unworthy authority, longstanding custom, the feeling of the ignorant crowd, and the hiding of our own ignorance while making a display of our apparent knowledge.” —Roger Bacon (1220-1292)

Upright: “Whether or not the supporters of the agreement admit it, this deal is based on ‘hope’… Hope is part of human nature, but unfortunately it is not a national security strategy.” —Sen. Robert Menendez announcing his opposition to the Iran deal

BIG Lie: “Everybody is acting like this is the first time it’s ever happened. It happens all the time. And I can only tell you that the State Department has said over and over again, we disagree [that the material is classified]. … What you’re seeing now is a disagreement between agencies saying, ‘You know what? They should have,’ and the other saying, ‘No, they shouldn’t.’ That has nothing to do with me.” —Hillary Clinton trying to muddy the waters further on the classified information found in her private emails

Verbal gymnastics: “We don’t agree with the judgment of the inspector general’s office in general. … We have stressed the fact that the emails contained no markings whatsoever that would have designated the material as classified. … [Hillary Clinton was a] passive recipient of unwitting information that subsequently became classified.” —Hillary spokesman Brian Fallon

Missing an opportunity: “I think [Hillary Clinton’s email scandal] is a huge distraction from what we should be talking about as a party.” —Martin O'Malley, who is rumored to be running for the Democrat presidential nomination

Collateral damage: “We know that low-income minority communities would be hardest hit.” —EPA chief Gina McCarthy on the Clean Power Plan

And last… “Yes, it’s true: Iran will inspect its own nuclear sites. So what. We also left Hillary in charge of her own incriminating evidence.” —Twitter satirist @weknowwhatsbest