The Patriot Post® · Friday Short Cuts

Insight: “Though of all poses a moral pose is the most offensive, still to have a pose at all is something.” —Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Upright: “Those claiming that the president of the United States (Obama or Trump) is ‘overall’ more detrimental to press freedoms than the leaders of Russia, Turkey, Egypt or China not only denigrates those truly fighting for press freedoms in authoritarian nations but also shows us that they don’t really understand how American rights work to begin with. Because not only is the United States far more superior in its embrace of open political discourse than authoritarian states, or developing nations, or (nearly) every state in Middle East, the United States is superior to Western European nations, as well.” —David Harsanyi

Preach! “I don’t think we need more gun control; I think we need more idiot control.” —Sen. John Kennedy

Come again? “The one regret I have is that I should have spoken with Senator Grassley before [I made the Fusion GFS transcript public]. And I don’t make an excuse but I’ve had a bad cold and maybe that slowed down my mental facilities [sic] a little bit.” —Dianne Feinstein

Braying Jenny: “In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic. It’s so pathetic.” —Nancy Pelosi on how GOP tax reform has yielded significant raises and bonuses for American workers

And last… “As a culture, we’ve elevated ‘authenticity’ to a new form of moral authority. We look to our feelings for guidance. Actors, as a class, are feelings merchants. While they may indeed be ‘out of touch’ with the rest of America from time to time, actors are adept at being in touch with their feelings. And for some unfathomably stupid reason, we now think that puts us beneath them.” —Jonah Goldberg