The Patriot Post® · Monday Short Cuts

The Gipper: “Are you willing to spend time studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that information to family and friends? … Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business. If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he’ll eat you last.”

Good advice: “Right now we have a big race coming up in ‘18. You have to get out. You just have to get that enthusiasm. Keep it going. The word really is complacent. People get complacent. It’s a natural instinct. You just won and now you’re happy and you’re complacent. Don’t be complacent.” —Donald Trump

For the record: “[The new tax law] certainly means corporations will pay quite a bit less in tax than they otherwise would. When we make money in 2018 domestically, and subject to a lot of little things here and there, basically we’ll be paying at 21% instead of 35%. That’s a lot of money.” —former GOP tax reform critic Warren Buffett

Braying Jackass: “I certainly don’t know who he is having an affair with. … If I did, it would be in the book.” —Michael Wolff, who has implied on numerous occasions (including in his book) that Nikki Haley is Trump’s mistress

Good luck with that: “Who better to take on Trump than me?” —Terry McAuliffe

Braying Jackass: “There doesn’t seem to be even a moment of silence and compassion and thoughtfulness on the part of gun advocates for what has happened. There’s something kind of aggressively and inhumanly repetitive about this line that guns are essential to American liberties. Hard one to stomach when so many thousands of people are dying every year for this so-called liberty.” —New York Times columnist Bret Stephens

And last… “Events like the CNN town hall go a long way in convincing gun owners that gun control advocates do have a desire to confiscate their weapons. The advocates can’t confiscate weapons right now, so they support whatever feasible incremental steps are available to inch further toward that goal. We don’t know how this plays out in the long run. In the short run, though, it does nothing to stop the next school shooting.” —David Harsanyi