The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

From the “Incredible Shrinking Surplus” Department: “The tea party burst into Washington pledging spending restraint, balanced budgets, and accountable government. Even the possibility of defaulting on the national debt was an acceptable price of reform. Roughly a decade later, budget deficits are again reaching $1 trillion, spending is soaring, Obamacare remains on the books, and Republicans are raising the debt limit and eviscerating their lead accomplishment, the Budget Control Act. With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?” —Brian Riedl

An unfortunate reality: “Republicans have ceded any and all credibility on fiscal responsibility.” —Erick Erickson

For the record: “The ‘Squad’ is a very Racist group of troublemakers who are young, inexperienced, and not very smart.” —Donald Trump

“Purple Face” Award: “I’m not going nowhere! Not until I impeach this president.” —Rep. Rashida Tlaib

Non Compos Mentis: “I can’t allow people to be living off tips, you know, relying on tips for wages. It’s just not enough to support our families. … By the way, when we started it, it should have been $15. Now I think it should be $20 [an hour].” —Rashida Tlaib (“They should make it $1,000 an hour and cure income inequality inside of a month, obviously.” —Ben Shapiro)

Braying Jenny: “Too many of our children languish in inadequate, ill-equipped schools. Thank you, Betsy DeVos. I really wish she was not from Michigan. I think we should send her back.” —Sen. Debbie Stabenow

Alpha Jackass: “[Assassination] is Trump’s goal when he uses targeted language & threatens elected officials who don’t agree w/ his political agenda. It’s authoritarian behavior. The President is sowing violence. He’s creating an environment where people can get hurt & he claims plausible deniability.” —Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Non sequitur: “Where I live in El Paso, Texas, could be the Ellis Island of today. Perhaps millions of people who become Americans coming from Mexico and El Salvador and the Western hemisphere first set foot in the United States in my hometown. So, though we’re about 2,000 miles apart, El Paso and New York, we’re connected in that common story of America.” —Beto O'Rourke

And last… “Lee Payne from Stephen Austin University has said before that parties vote with their platforms 82 percent of the time. It’s a shame that spending, for some Republicans, is the exception.” —Tony Perkins