Monday Short Cuts
The Gipper: “For too long, the world was paralyzed by the argument that terrorism could not be stopped until the grievances of terrorists were addressed. The complicated and heartrending issues that perplex mankind are no excuse for violent, inhumane attacks, nor do they excuse not taking aggressive action against those who deliberately slaughter innocent people.”
Upright: “If you’re … more angry at your domestic political opponents than you are at the man who killed 50 people or the movement he reportedly pledged allegiance to, then you need to take serious stock of your moral priorities. To fight the enemy, we have to focus on the enemy.” —David French
Observations: “In terms of politics, the fall-out from the Orlando attack will pit The Ban (Trump’s Muslim ban and its associated rhetorical emphasis on toughness and the folly of PC) versus The Resume (Hillary’s case that she is the experienced, steady hand who is the safest choice in a crisis).” —Rich Lowry
Re: The Left: “So determined is the president to avoid the subject of Islamist, ISIS-inspired or ISIS-directed terrorism that he concluded his remarks with an astonishing insistence that ‘we need the strength and courage to change’ our attitudes toward the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. That’s just disgusting. There’s no other word for it. America’s national attitude toward LGBT people didn’t shoot up the Pulse nightclub. … An Islamist terrorist waging war against the United States killed and injured 103 people on our soil. We Americans do not bear collective responsibility for this attack. Quite the opposite.” —John Podheretz
Alpha Jackass: “Say a prayer for [the Orlando victims] and say a prayer for their families — that God give them the strength to bear the unbearable. And that He give us all the strength to be there for them, and the strength and courage to change.” —Barack Obama (Why should WE change because of what a radical Islamist jihadi did?)
The BIG Lie: “We mourn with the people of Orlando and the LGBT community as a whole on the news that — once again — we have lost precious lives to the gun.” —New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
Haters gonna hate: “50 dead in Orlando club massacre — THANKS, NRA.” —New York Daily News front page
Braying Jackass: “It’s about them crashing and hitting a building — a place where people live. It’s about the terror that they cause in people when they strafe neighborhoods. That’s something I hear about all the time when Blue Angels fly overhead.” —San Francisco City Supervisor John Avalos after Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss gave his life to save civilians when he crashed in Nashville earlier this month
And last: “Hillary Clinton said … that she would like to see the FBI investigation of her emails wrapped up. Hillary then said, ‘Or deleted. Whatever’s easiest.’” —Conan O'Brien