Insight

“A society is in decay, final or transitional, when common sense has really become very uncommon. Straightforward ideas appear strange or unfamiliar, and any thought that does not follow the conventional curve or twist, is supposed to be a sort of joke.” —G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

Re: The Right

“‘Cheering on’ the Dobbs decision was completely worth it. Just as cheering the overturning of Dred Scott v. Sanford or Schenck v. United States was worth it. Not everything is about short-term partisan gain. You might also cheer because if someone had told you 10, or even five, years ago that Roe would be overturned, you wouldn’t have believed them. Roe has been treated as a sacred text for over 50 years, not only by the press but by most of our institutions. The ‘right’ to terminate life for convenience’s sake had been irrecoverably tethered to feminism and progress. For millions, it probably remains the only SCOTUS decision they can name. And once the left procures a new ‘right,’ it rarely relinquishes it. The prospect of there being six justices willing to uphold the Constitution in the face of this immense pressure was improbable, to say the least. So, yes, cheer.” —David Harsanyi

“Even if we accept everything we’re hearing about the political fallout over Dobbs, the blowback is quite underwhelming. If a two-point swing in the presidential approval rating during a midterm election is the price for overturning Roe, then it was maybe the greatest bargain in history. Just because Dobbs was ‘worth’ celebrating doesn’t mean Republicans shouldn’t have been better prepared for the probable outcome. It always amazes me how timid and ineffective Republicans are at making the pro-life case, which makes me suspect many of them are unhappy that pro-life legislation is no longer just a theoretical proposition.” —David Harsanyi

“If Republicans truly believe that they can’t defend a 15-week ban, maybe they are right to find any excuse to try not to talk about abortion. But that path leads, ultimately, to implicit surrender. You can’t blame Lindsey Graham for wanting his party to do better.” —Rich Lowry

The BIG Lie

“[The Inflation Reduction Act] helped reduce inflation at the kitchen table.” —President Joe Biden

The BIG Lie Enabler

“[The] Inflation Reduction Act — so beautifully named.” —House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Arbiters of “Truth”

“I think there is a risk when you’re talking to certain politicians if you’re willing to say what you’re saying is not true, and sometimes you have to risk looking partisan by doing that. But I think we can’t bow to that threat. I mean, as long as I’m confident when I am that we’re arguing about facts, undisputable facts, I have no problem saying, ‘You’re not telling the truth.’ Even if that causes somebody to say, ‘You’re just being a political hack.’ You have to do that. That’s what we have to stand up for as journalists — right and wrong; fact, not fiction.” —ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos

Hot Air

“We didn’t have any blackouts in California. Ron DeSantis, you were wrong again. You made it up. Lot of people made it up. Folks on Fox, you made it up. I know you wished it happened — trust me, many of them did because they want to kill our green energy transition. They want to double down on stupid and continue to drill and actually do more damage.” —California Governor Gavin Newsom

Just the Facts?

“Locked in a tight race with Rep. Val Demings, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) trots out a transphobic attack on the CDC for using the term ‘pregnant people.’ ‘Pregnant men … I can assure you that’s never happened,’ Rubio says, which is factually inaccurate.” —The Recount, which apparently embraces the gender confusion of females who identify as “males”

Huh?

“Racism, discrimination & human cruelty have played a pivotal role in how immigrants are received at our borders. [Governor Greg Abbott] is without shame or humility. Chicago has been a sanctuary for thousands of newcomers, and we will not turn our backs on those who need our help the most.” —Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot protesting busloads of illegal immigrants from Texas being sent to Chicago (“Migrants are being shipped out of the sanctuary city of Chicago to the suburbs.” —Matt Finn)

Non Compos Mentis Awards

“These vulnerable migrants were reportedly misled about where they were heading; told they would be headed to Boston; misled about what they would be provided when they arrived; promised shelter, refuge, benefits, and more. These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers in places like Mexico and Guatemala.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre

“We’re not a border town. We don’t have a infrastructure to handle this type of and level of immigration to our city.” —DC Mayor Muriel Bowser

Village Idiot

“This is coming straight out of the authoritarian playbook. This is what’s so disturbing about [Ron] DeSantis — is to use human beings, to weaponize human beings, for a political purpose. It’s like when somebody disagrees with him in Florida — like The Walt Disney Company — he punishes them. This is not the actions of a person participating in a democratic process in which there’s an exchange of ideas. This is about punishing political enemies, putting on shows, political shows, political theater. And in this case, this is with the lives of human beings.” —filmmaker Ken Burns

And Last…

“Martha’s Vineyard’s response to 50 illegals being sent to them was to declare a humanitarian emergency, activate 125 National Guard soldiers, and shipping them out of their town in less than 24 hours. You literally can’t make it up.” —Michael Seifert

“Martha’s Vineyard couldn’t handle 50 illegal immigrants for even 24 hours. They called in the buses and deported them from the island. But I thought left wingers loved diversity?” —Clay Travis

“‘Stop moving people around for political stunts!’ said the people who support an open border policy that involves shipping hundreds of thousands of people to small towns and cities across America.” —Ben Shapiro