Double Standards

“Our democracy is in peril. The reality is we have people in the state of Tennessee, a Republican Party, who are much more interested in turning our democracy into their mobocracy for mob rules.” —Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson (D), who led an “insurrection” on the floor of the Tennessee legislature

Hot Air

“There is no rational discussion of our energy future which is not also about climate change, and there’s no serious discussion about climate change which is not also about energy.” —Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm

Belly Laughs of the Day

“I am grateful to have a president and a vice president who are fighting tooth and nail for the freedoms that we hold near and dear to our hearts.” —Madison, Wisconsin Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway

“I would suggest that anybody who thinks that this country is in decline — come to cities! Because Democratic mayors all across the nation are creating great places where people want to be.” —Satya Rhodes-Conway

Grand Delusions

“You just gotta keep going out there making sure that people connect the good things that are going on with the president, because they’re happening because of his policies.” —DNC Chair Jaime Harrison

“The reality of the economic recovery that we’re living through is pretty dramatic. The fastest and best economic recovery of any place in the world.” —Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)

The BIG Lie

“President Biden was very warmly received there [Hawaii]. And I think also that the president has a unique capacity to connect with people and express empathy for what they’ve been going through.” —Tina Smith

For the Record

“In the Jewish community, death of a loved one is followed by shiva, a seven-day period of mourning. … The first rule of visiting a shiva house: Don’t talk about your own experiences with death or pain. It’s gauche and irrelevant and trivializing. Yet this is Biden’s first move.” —Ben Shapiro

“Empathy is the quality of putting yourself in the place of others. But Biden isn’t an empath. He’s someone who believes that everyone else’s pain is merely a reflection of his own.” —Ben Shapiro

Political Futures

“People in the DeSantis campaign see the day of the first Trump indictment as the day their momentum stopped. It’s an insane situation. You’re running for public office. Your opponent is indicted. And the indictment hurts you, and helps him.” —Byron York

“Aspirants to the nation’s highest office should be asking themselves why they want it. Do they want to be someone? Or do they want to do something? The American people are looking for a leader whose motivation is the mission of country, its operation, and the quality of life of American citizens. They are looking for a leader dedicated to fixing and improving our country and not someone who really, deep down, is trying to solve some kind of personal need for fame and recognition.” —Star Parker

A Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut

“We owe those [Kabul Airport] Gold Star families everything. We owe them transparency, we owe them honesty, we owe them accountability if appropriate. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones.” —Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, finally getting something right