The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.” —Edward Bernays (1891-1995)

For the record: “The very same people who should be making the argument for more government are also the ones acknowledging how incompetent, inept, mistaken, and unreliable government has been and continues to be.” —Peter Heck

Upright: “The feds now collect about $6 billion a year in royalties. Canceling those payments would be a small price to pay to save an industry that employs several million workers. Under federal law, the president has the executive authority to take this action. America has become the world’s largest oil and gas producer — and the Russians and the Saudis want to end that supremacy. Trump can and should make sure they don’t succeed by slashing the taxes and royalties this critical industry pays until the coronavirus crisis is over.” —Stephen Moore

Braying jenny: “President Trump called this a war, and it is exactly that. So let’s act like it. In World War II, there weren’t people lining up at the Capitol to protest the fact that they had to drop everything they were doing and build planes or tanks or to ration food. They rolled up their sleeves, and they got to work.” —Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, apparently missing the irony that she’s demanding her state not get back to work

Political futures: “I’d take [Michelle Obama] in a heartbeat. She’s brilliant. She knows the way around. She is a really fine woman.” —Joe Biden on a running mate

And last… “Democrats are cheering economic devastation, rooting for the destruction of certain industries, and blocking small business relief bills because their politics requires decline, stagnation, and misery.” —Sean Davis