The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what they help distribute to the public; by which means a falsehood once received from a famed writer becomes traditional to posterity.” —John Dryden (1631-1700)

“Democrats will not be able to stuff their most radical amnesty proposals into the reckless taxing and spending spree they are assembling behind closed doors. This just illustrates how radical Democrats’ aspirations are and how unmoored their far-left wish list has become from the procedures they want to use to ram it through. Democratic leaders refused to resist their progressive base and stand up for the rule of law, even though our border has never been less secure. After decades of failing to enact their amnesty agenda, Democrats tried this latest unprecedented gambit. It was inappropriate and I’m glad it failed.” —Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell

“Unfortunately, I believe the chances of a Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan have increased tenfold in the last month, because, as Xi has looked at Biden, I fear that Xi has made the determination that Biden is too weak and too unable to do anything that this is now a ripe opportunity for China to move militarily on Taiwan. If that happens, it would be utterly disastrous. But weakness invites aggression. … When you have a president who rolls over for everything, it only invites the bad guys to do worse and worse things.” —Senator Ted Cruz

“The vaccine mandate is going to be struck down in court. They know that. But the president is defying the law because he wanted the press to start defending him and stop talking about the disasters in Afghanistan. And he’s counting on a bunch of big businesses, in particular, forcing their employees to comply before the matter is ever adjudicated and before the order is struck down.” —Ted Cruz

Friendly fire I: “Yes, there are lots of things we need to amend about the capitalist system. We have crony capitalism in this country, no doubt about it. I’m just saying, you’re wearing ‘Tax the Rich’ on your a** and people are always saying the rich don’t pay taxes. The rich pay some taxes! They pay a big part of the freight already. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be more perhaps, but let’s not lie.” —Bill Maher

Friendly fire II: “I think [Biden’s] got a pretty big credibility crisis on his hands. … These policies have turned into becoming a magnet. So, he’s got a lot of work to do.” —NBC News’s Chuck Todd

Non compos mentis: “They’re not intending to stay here for a lengthy period of time.” —White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki after being asked, “If [an illegal immigrant] walks into the country, right across the river, does somebody ask them to see their vaccination card?”

Tone-deaf: “In America, capitalism is our system, it is our economic system, but it has not served our economy as well as it should.” —House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, net worth: $100+ million

Grand delusions: “I have already made and my colleagues have made a major compromise, going from $6 trillion down to $3.5 trillion. … All I am telling you is the $3.5 trillion is much too low.” —Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders

Hot air: “Now, maybe you can tell me, or somebody else can tell me, how much we should spend to save the planet, because what the scientists are telling us is that, if we don’t get a handle on climate change within the next few years, there will be irreparable damage. And you know what? I got four kids and seven grandchildren. And I think we have a moral responsibility to leave them a planet that is healthy and is habitable.” —Bernie Sanders

The Party of Science™: “I don’t have a really firm answer for you on [natural immunity]. That’s something that we’re going to have to discuss regarding the durability of the [COVID] response.” —Dr. Anthony Fauci

And last… “More FBI employees have been indicted than members of the Trump family. More people connected with the Clinton campaign have been indicted than members of the Trump family. But the biggest indictment of all may wind up being the FBI itself. … It doesn’t get anymore serious than adults sexually assaulting children, and yet the FBI could not get that right. … When cops get more excited about investigating presidential candidates than they do investigating men [like Larry Nassar] who rape children, something is wrong. And when you botch school shooting and terrorist attacks but get really excited setting people up in false statement cases, something is wrong.” —Trey Gowdy