The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “I am afraid that the ordinary citizen will not like to be told that the banks can and do create and destroy money. And they who control the credit of a nation direct the policy of governments, and hold in the hollow of their hands the destiny of the people.” —Reginald McKenna (1863-1943)

Upright: “We’ve been working 30 years to develop systems that would shoot down missiles upon launch, in the air, in the atmosphere, and on the way down — except for the fact that Democrats, since Reagan announced it in 1983, have assiduously tried to stop the program. They are going to have a lot to answer for.” —Charles Krauthammer

Blind squirrel finds nut: “We can’t just start having the government pay for everything.” —Sen. Claire McCaskill

Braying Jenny: “The English language is sexist; it has a long history of being sexist.” —University of Michigan professor Anne Curzan

Alpha Jackass: “Conservatives have dominated the Court for the last 50 years, and, knowing that, they feel they are more in power than liberals feel. Interruptions are generally considered an aspect of dominance, and the conservatives feel dominant over the liberals. With Gorsuch entering the Court, that’s going to reinforce that tendency. … If we know going in that he’s a conservative male, then we would think there’s a good chance that he would be an interrupter.” —law professor Tonja Jacobi

Non Compos Mentis: “Middle class and working people are filing their taxes. Many are struggling, paying 30 and 35 percent of their earnings — more percentage-wise than big corporations in America. What is Donald Trump paying? Nothing! Nothing! He is using every loophole, every trick, to avoid paying his fair share of taxes.” —Maxine Waters

And last… “You know a Republican’s in the White House when he fires missiles into Syria, drops a MOAB on ISIS, and Sunday’s big story is his tax returns.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor