Insight

“A radical is one who speaks the truth.” —Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr. (1859-1924)

Credit Where It’s Due

“We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values. And we need responsible gun ownership.” —actor Matthew McConaughey

Steve Scalise, Call Your Office

“I believe I’m the only member of this House that is a victim of gun violence.” —Congresswoman Jackie Speier

Race Bait

“According to [a Washington] Post-Ipsos poll, 51 percent of African Americans said they have not considered buying a gun since the Buffalo massacre. Why is no mystery. The right to self-protection, let alone the right to bear arms, doesn’t exactly apply to Black people. … So, no, I won’t be getting a gun. Ever. But would I actually leave the country for my own protection? It’s a question many people of color have been pondering the past several years.” —Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart

“I don’t blame us marginalized people for being scared. The warnings of a potential loss of freedom, liberty and life are omnipresent and unrelenting, like being in the middle of Times Square with every sign flashing ‘You in danger!’ And it’s all because the number of ‘crazy’ White people in America fearing ‘replacement’ appears to be growing — and they seem ready to do whatever it takes to stay at the pinnacle of American life.” —Jonathan Capehart

“We talk about Buffalo and we talk about the racial component, but nobody is bringing up the fact [Uvalde] was a school of brown children. So I have some questions related to that as well. … Would it be different if they were not brown little children? Would [Republicans] care a little more?” —Texas State Representative Jasmine Crockett

Braying Jenny

“Let me be clear. I don’t want anybody to have any questions. The blood of these children is on the hands of the Republicans in the state of Texas. Period. No question about it, because let’s talk about who has been in control in the state of Texas for at least the last 30 years. It’s been Republicans and their failed policies.” —Jasmine Crockett

Non Compos Mentis Awards

“Any suggestion that more guns could have prevented the Holocaust are profoundly anti-Semitic, immoral and flat out wrong.” —DNC Deputy National Finance Chair Andrew Weinstein (“What ended the Holocaust, genius?” —Jim Treacher)

“Student debt cancelation is an issue of LGBTQ+ justice. … They disproportionately experience the crushing student debt that has burdened many millions of Americans.” —Congressman Mondaire Jones

Missing Context

“Republicans talked about it, but we oversaw a deficit reduction of $350 billion last year — and we’re on target to reduce the deficit by the end of the fiscal year by $1.7 trillion.” —Joe Biden (“His ‘keep reducing’ boast is, as we have noted previously, an accident of timing. Biden took office after most COVID spending had already been approved. After tacking on an additional $1.9 trillion to that, the deficit has ‘gone down’ since the day after that spending. Not that he wanted it to, mind you. Remember, he tried to shove through his Build Back Better boondoggle last fall. He can lie about it costing ‘zero dollars’ all he wants, but that would have added trillions to the national debt this year and every year going forward.” —Nate Jackson)

And Last…

“It’s totally insane that somebody tried to assassinate a Supreme Court Justice [this week]. Think about that. They want to kill babies so badly they’re willing to murder a man AND destroy our Republic.” —Liz Wheeler

“It is nice to see that the attorney general has finally decided that the Justice Department does have a role to play here, and that this is intolerable. … This is where we are and it is utterly distressing to see this in our country — lack of respect for the rule of law and rage. We live in an age of rage and it’s incumbent on those of us who have a voice … to stop with the hateful rhetoric, to stop with the threats. … It’s very dangerous.” —Brit Hume