The Patriot Post® · Thursday Short Cuts

Insight: “A good writer of history is a guy who is suspicious. Suspicion marks the real difference between the man who wants to write honest history and the one who’d rather write a good story.” —Jim Bishop (1907-1987)

About that “vast right-wing conspiracy”: “President Trump’s assertion that his phones at Trump Tower were tapped last year has been treated as hilarious — and in some circles as beyond contempt. But I can vouch for the fact that extracurricular surveillance does occur, regardless of whether it is officially approved. I was wiretapped in 2011 after taking a phone call in my congressional office from a foreign leader.” —former Democrat Rep. Dennis Kucinich

A futile effort: “I think there’s a difference between not supporting an order on policy grounds and finding it unconstitutional. I do not think [Trump’s travel ban is] unconstitutional. I do think the Supreme Court will uphold it even if [Neil] Gorsuch is not yet on the Supreme Court.” —Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz

Alpha Jackass: “The senator from Kentucky [Rand Paul] is now working for Vladimir Putin.” —Sen. John McCain

Demo-gogues: “I think what’s going on now is a fundamental question in our government about whether or not the Justice Department, including our U.S. attorneys, are truly independent and committed to the rule of law or whether or not they are tame and more committed to Donald Trump and Donald Trump’s agenda.” —Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Late-night humor: “College students are out of town for spring break. This is the time of year students take a well-deserved break from partying and drinking at school to go party and drink on a beach or perhaps another town.” —Jimmy Kimmel