“Government is inherently incompetent”
"Government is inherently incompetent, and no matter what task it is assigned, it will do it in the most expensive and inefficient way possible" was the first of six basic premises in a…
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“The most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it’s so rare”
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) was elected New York senator in 1976. On March 1, 1976, Moynihan endorsed Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, a Washington senator, for the Democrat nomination…
“The difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets”
"Death and taxes" are two things that have been called inevitable. Syndicated newspaper wit Robert Quillen (1887-1948) wrote many jokes about "the difference between death and…
“There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt”
John Adams is often credited with the quotation: "There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt." There is no record that Adams ever said…
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people”
American Revolution orator Patrick Henry (1736-1799) is often credited for having said: "The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument…
“Those who forget the pasta are condemned to reheat it”
George Santayana (1863-1952) wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." "Those who forget (cannot remember) the pasta are condemned (doomed) to reheat…
Pizza Tumor
Pizza often has burnt bubbles of cheese that some like and others dislike eating. There's no formal name for them, although "pizza bubble" and "pizza blister" have been…
Sucker Rally (Sucker’s Rally)
A "sucker rally" (or "sucker's rally") is a brief rally that is not sustained. It is similar to the "dead cat bounce," where a stock has fallen so far that, like…
“The most bullish thing the stock market can do is go up”
In the late 1960s, Wall Street had a consensus that "the most bullish thing" (an event causing stocks to rise) would be for the Vietnam War to end. Various other circumstances would be…
“The Senate is the saucer into which we pour legislation to cool” (Senatorial saucer)
The "Senatorial saucer" conversation between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson is part of U.S. Senate legend. Jefferson had returned from France and was breakfasting with Washington.…
“A liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn’t own”
"A liberal is a man (person) who will give away everything he doesn't (they don't) own" has been credited to Frank Dane (in the 1980s and in internet newsgroups since 2000) and…
Fat Cat (Fatcat)
Frank Richardson Kent (1877-1958) was a longtime political pundit on the Baltimore (MD) Sun, writing a syndicated column titled "The Great Game of Politics." Kent popularized the term…
“A conservative is someone who makes no changes and consults his grandmother when in doubt”
"A conservative is someone who makes no changes and consults his grandmother when in doubt" is often credited to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), but there is no evidence that…
“A liberal is a man too broad-minded to take his own side in a quarrel”
"A liberal is a man too broad-minded to take his own side in a quarrel" is usually credited to American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963). Frost used the quote in January 1961 (discussing…
“A conservative man is a man who just sits and thinks, mostly sits”
"A conservative man is a man who just sits and thinks, mostly sits" is a saying that has been attributed to Woodrow Wilson and that has been printed on many images. Woodrow Wilson…
“The trouble with political jokes is that they get elected to office”
"The trouble with political jokes is that they get elected to office" is a quote frequently attributed to Henry Cate VII, but he appears simply to be a 1990s contributor to rec.humor. The…
Death Tax (estate tax)
The term "death tax" has been used for "estate tax," "inheritance tax" and "succession tax." The estate of a person who died is taxed. "Death tax"…
“A statesman is a politician who is dead”
The term "statesman" often is regarded as more lofty than the term "politician." A "statesman" thinks of a country's interest while a "politician"…
“A neoconservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality”
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikiquote: Irving KristolIrving Kristol (born 22 January 1920 - 18 September 2009) was an American columnist, journalist, and writer who was dubbed the "godfather of…
Dead Tree Edition
A "dead tree edition" is a paper copy (such as a newspaper, magazine or book), as opposed to an edition that's online and doesn't require paper. "Dead tree edition"…