The Patriot Post® · Monday Short Cuts

The Gipper: “History teaches that wars begin when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.”

Upright: “I have never understood why it would be inappropriate, let [alone] illegal, for the incoming National Security Advisor to talk to the Russian ambassador. … Now, the truthfulness of [Michael] Flynn’s account is another matter. If Flynn misled Vice President Pence about the content of his discussions, knowing that Pence would go out and repeat a misleading version to the public, that’s obviously very troubling.” —Rich Lowry

For the record: “[T]he next four years will see an epic confrontation between judicial activism, the legal handmaid of the progressive agenda, and the rule of law. It is clear on which side of this battle [Judge Neil] Gorsuch stands. In his 10 years on the U.S Court of Appeals, he has proven to be a champion of the rule of law and a critic of judicial activism. That is precisely why Senate Democrats and their allies on the left, with the looming legal war very much in sight, will fiercely oppose Gorsuch’s confirmation.” —Curt Levey

The BIG Lie: “We’re not being obstructionists. I read the Constitution very plainly. I’m supposed to advise and consent and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that we have a thorough vetting of candidates, opportunities to speak about these issues on the floor, and ultimately to give our consent. And, frankly, what the Trump administration is doing, contrary to that, is they’re trying to ram these nominees through without a thorough vetting.” —Sen. Cory Booker

Non Compos Mentis: “Black-on-black murder is not a thing. It’s just a bad argument. Black-on-black crime is not a thing. Don’t talk about it. Shut it down when people talk about it.” —Regis University’s Jack Flotte

And last… “There is an aristocracy now that pervades American politics. It’s got to be broken somehow in both parties, and I think that’s what the Trump message was that echoed so strongly in these flyover communities. … The Democratic Party’s got to do some real hard looks on whether or not they are going to expand and get back working people who used to be the core of their party.” —Jim Webb