The Patriot Post® · Friday Short Cuts

Insight: “The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it’s so rare.” —Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003)

Blood in the water: “Gen. Flynn’s resignation is not the end of the story. It is merely the beginning.” —Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

“In the days and weeks ahead, the Trump administration has many serious questions to answer. These questions must be asked by independent and unbiased law enforcement officers. … I hope our Republican colleagues will join us in this call because the crisis here rises above party.” —Chuck Schumer

The bottom line: “The puzzle remains. Why did Flynn lie? Until we answer that, the case of the cover-up in search of a crime remains unsolved.” —Charles Krauthammer

Alpha Jackass: “The one thing Congress has done on guns since Sandy Hook is to make it easier for very mentally ill people to get guns. Think about being a parent in Sandy Hook and knowing that the only thing that Congress has done since that massacre is to make it easier for people like [Sandy Hook killer] Adam Lanza to get their hands on assault weapons. This is outrageous.” —Sen. Chris Murphy

And last… “For pundits on the Left, the idea that conservatives can judge the presidency issue by issue is completely unacceptable. As important as attacking Trump is, depicting conservatives as fellow travelers who enable fascism confirms every preconceived notion they harbor about the Right.” —David Harsanyi