The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” —Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)

Noteworthy: “Rubio won 44 percent among those who cared about winning in November (21 percent of voters). Trump crushed among voters who want someone who tells it like it is (14 percent of voters). Meanwhile, Cruz dominated among voters who want someone who shares their values (42 percent), and held his own, losing narrowly to Trump, among those who want a candidate who can bring needed change (21).” —Rich Lowry

For the record: “Trump is right about one thing. The public is sick of traditional politicians who make promises but don’t deliver, while driving up the debt and lining their pockets. But whose fault is that? Ultimately it’s the voters’ fault, because they are the ones who put them in office, demanding more from government than it can, or should, deliver and demanding too little of themselves.” —Cal Thomas

Alpha Jackass: “[Ted Cruz] had a better ground game [in Iowa] than El Chapo might have had, you know.” —Bob Schieffer

Belly laugh of the week: “The past two to three weeks, Hillary Clinton has blossomed into the kind of candidate that you dream about.” —Van Jones (Sure, if you’re a Republican!)

Braying Jenny: “Most [climate change skeptics] are not that ill-informed. They just have to do what the Koch brothers tell them. They say, ‘Don’t believe your lying eyes — listen to us.’” —Hillary Clinton

Non Compos Mentis: “I think the extraordinary request that Secretary Clinton put forward to actually release her emails is something that I’m not sure has a precedent, at least for federal officeholders.” —Josh Earnest

And last… “Whether you like Ted Cruz or not, you gotta be pleased that the anti-ethanol candidate beat the Branstad ethanol-fueled engine.” —Washington Post’s Charles Lane