Insight

“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions that differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.” —Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Upright

“Sports fans got an otherworldly message when God tapped us on the shoulder to remind every one of us that faith still matters. … The Damar Hamlin story, courtesy of the NFL, is a wakeup call and a reminder that life is precious, and we need to live the best lives we can while we are here on Earth. We should turn away from the things that don’t matter and refocus our mindset on God and living spiritual lives. We must rededicate ourselves to becoming the best versions of ourselves that we can become.” —Armstrong Williams

Re: Big Government

“A government that seeks more control must at the very least demonstrate credibility in implementing its goals; a government that is incompetent can only regain legitimacy by limiting its authority. And yet we have a government that presents the worst of both worlds: incapacity to perform its most basic functions, combined with an ever-expanding encroachment into daily life. … The problem with our government is not one of staffing, but one of incentives — and all the incentives are on the side of inefficiency, blundering and encroachment. That is not likely to stop until the American people recognize that they can have competent government or intensely involved government, but not both.” —Ben Shapiro

“The ultimate problem is human failing combined with too much power: The power to force flawed ideologies on others. The power to crush opposition and forbid alternatives. The power to spread lies. The power to silence and punish those trying to provide the public with the truth. There is only one way out of this mess, and it is to claw back power from the institutions that have acquired too much of it: government, corporations, academia, the media, the entertainment industry.” —Laura Hollis

For the Record

“If you got the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldn’t have [Eric] Swalwell on any committee. … He cannot get a security clearance in the private sector, so would you like to give him a government clearance? … Not only was he getting a clearance, he was inside an intel committee. He had more information than the majority of all the members.” —House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

“You watched them leak photos of sitting-out files of President Trump. Where’s the photos of President Biden’s documents? … This is what makes America not trust their government.” —Kevin McCarthy

Non Compos Mentis

“By the way, my Corvette’s in a locked garage, OK? So it’s not like they’re sitting out in the street.” —Joe Biden when asked: “Classified material next to your Corvette? What were you thinking?”

“I’m suspicious of the timing of it. I’m also aware of the fact that things can be planted on people. … Things can be planted in places and then discovered conveniently. That may be what has occurred here. I’m not ruling that out.” —Congressman Hank Johnson

Circling the Wagons

“Doesn’t it feel like oppo research to you? Does it feel like the Republicans are behind it?” —"The View" co-host Sunny Hostin vis-à-vis classified documents

“I’ve never seen a luckier person than Donald Trump. Just as we’re this close to getting him, somehow these documents appear.” —"The View" co-host Joy Behar

“Anyone with any amount of brain cells knows these are not completely equivalent purely because the volume, the obstruction, the refusal — they had to storm the Golden Castle to get it.” —"The View" co-host Sara Haines

“White House aides’ process to pack up Biden’s workspaces was muddled and hurried as he used his office until the final minutes of his vice presidency.” —CNN

Dumb & Dumber

“The problem with this bill [Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act] is that it endangers some infants by stating that that infant must immediately be brought to the hospital.” —Congressman Jerry Nadler

“The law that you have provided on the Republican side actually can create more harm. It requires immediately taking a struggling baby to a hospital. That hospital could be hours away and could be detrimental to the life of that baby.” —Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky

“[Republicans are] going to do everything possible to … impose government-mandated pregnancies on the American people.” —House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries

“Pro-life is a term … that an entire group wants to use, but that is not an accurate description.” —MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell

Wink, Wink…

“[Joe Biden] went to the [El Paso] migrant center. … There happened to be no migrants at the facility at the time that he visited.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre

Dezinformatsiya

“The science is showing us that having a gas stove, in a small apartment especially with bad ventilation, it’s like having a car idling there. And if you have young kids it can affect cognitive abilities, as well as asthma.” —CNN’s Bill Weir

Veep Thoughts With Kamala

“I think of this moment as a moment that is about great momentum. Inspired by, yes, optimism, inspired by a crisis no doubt, but inspired by also our collective ability to see what can be unburdened by what has been. And that’s critically important.” —Kamala Harris

“CARICOM — it is the Caribbean nations, island nations in the Western Hemisphere. That is where the Caribbean is. We are also in the Western Hemisphere.” —Kamala Harris

Belly Laugh of the Week

“Biden can’t win. Republicans are mad at him because he left classified documents in the garage next to his car. And Democrats are mad because it was a gas powered car.” —Jimmy Failla

And Last…

“Mayor Pete as Transportation Secretary has now presided over a supply chain crisis, a railroad strike crisis, a holiday travel crisis, and a day when every plane in America was grounded. But at least our transportation systems are the most diverse in the world.” —Michael Seifert