The Patriot Post® · Friday Short Cuts

Upright: “According to the Founders’ vision, American political life was to be vibrantly local and limited in scope. Our contemporary obsession with national politics, the natural result of the centralization of enormous political power in Washington, was not what they intended.” —Robert Curry

Political futures: “Until the conservative movement makes a serious, long-term effort to train young people to manage the federal bureaucracy competently until it can be reduced, the swamp will keep winning.” —Lyman Stone

Good for the goose… “I’m hoping that some of my Democratic colleagues will take more seriously that Christopher Steele was a foreign agent paid for by the Democratic Party to gather dirt on Trump.” —Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) after Trump said he’d “take it” if a foreign government offered dirt on a political opponent

Free stuff isn’t free: “Are you truly free if you are unable to go to a doctor when you are sick, or face financial bankruptcy when you leave the hospital? Are you truly free if you cannot afford the prescription drug you need to stay alive? Are you truly free when you spend half of your limited income on housing, and are forced to borrow money from a payday lender at 200 percent interest rates? Are you truly free if you are 70 years old and forced to work because you lack a pension or enough money to retire?” —Bernie Sanders in his speech defining socialism

Complaints, she has a few: “Leader McConnell seems to take great pride in calling himself ‘The Grim Reaper.’ It’s part of his political campaign, it’s part of the pride he takes as leader of the Senate. … [Many Democrat proposals] won’t even get a vote.” —House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Nailed it: “For the first time in my memory, I agree with Nancy Pelosi. … I am indeed the ‘Grim Reaper’ when it comes to the socialist agenda that they have been ginning up over in the House … that would turn us into a country we have never been.” —Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Flashback to 2006: “I do not view abortion as a choice and a right. I think it’s always a tragedy, and I think that it should be rare and safe, and I think we should be focusing on how to limit the number of abortions. There ought to be able to have a common ground and consensus as to do that.” —Joe Biden with what would now be an untenable position

Blind squirrel finds a nut: “The Supreme Court has gotten things horrifyingly wrong in the past. That’s why Congress must preserve our power and independence: we are part of the check + balance.” —Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“All of us should remind her and her comrades of this truth the next time they suggest that, say Roe v. Wade is ‘settled law.’” —Peter Heck)

Non Compos Mentis: “Asylum seekers have heartbeats. So take your fake ‘pro-life’ hypocrisy and shove it where the sun don’t shine.” —Alyssa Milano (“Nobody is advocating for killing asylum seekers with heartbeats. But abortion activists ARE advocating for killing pre-born babies with heartbeats.” —Liz Wheeler)

And last… “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention. Good for you. Getting outraged and paying attention are both stupid.” —Frank J. Fleming