This Week In Quotes: Nov 20 – Nov 26

by John Hawkins | November 28, 2009 3:48 am

No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems– of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind. — Michael Barone[1]

What a good country or a good squirrel should be doing is stashing away nuts for the winter. The United States is not only not saving nuts, it’s eating the ones left over from the last winter. — William H. Gross[2]

When I was in law school, this story was told about accountants: A CEO is going to hire a new accountant and summons a series of candidates. He asks each applicant, “What is two plus two?” The first two candidates answer, “Four.” They don’t get the job. The third responds, “What do you want it to be?” He gets hired. The climate alarmists’ attitude toward data appears to me much the same as that fictional accountant’s attitude toward arithmetic. — John Hinderaker[3]

“This whole idea of global warming, I’m glad that’s over, done, we won, you lost, now get a life.” — James Inhofe[4]

If we pass this health care reform bill, a bunch of people are going to leave their employer health insurance under this plan for some subsidized plan–millions of them, according to the CBO. If the government goes bankrupt, millions of people will lose that subsidized coverage and be much worse off than if we’d done nothing. — Megan McArdle[5]

The American people have an anger about the growth of the deficit because they’re not getting anything for it.” — Nancy Pelosi[6]

The Left has declared war on Palin because she threatens their existence. Liberals need women dependent and scared so that women, like blacks, will vote Democrat. — Robin of Berkeley[7]

Interests, not emotions, dominate the world of realpolitik. — Gabor Steingart[8]

Some years ago, when Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian and ensuing episodes of her sitcom grew somewhat overly preoccupied with the subject, Elton John remarked: “Okay, we know you’re gay. Now try being funny.” I wonder if Sir Elton might be prevailed upon to try a similar pitch at the next all-star White House gala: Okay, we know you’re black. Now try being president. — Mark Steyn[9]

Obama’s much vaunted “bipartisanship,” to which so many “moderate” conservatives were partial a year ago, seems to have dwindled down to an impressive ability to take one side of an issue in his rhetoric and another in his actions. — Mark Steyn[9]

About himself, the president speaks loudly. For America, he carries a small twig. — Mark Steyn[9]

I happily suspend disbelief when a magician says he’ll saw a woman in half. That’s entertainment. But when Harry Reid says he’ll give 30 million additional people health coverage while cutting the deficit, improving health care and reducing its cost, it’s not entertaining. It’s incredible. — John Stossel[10]