Quickies: A Gem From The BlogFather

     At his venerable blog -- now a group operation -- Glenn "InstaPundit" Reynolds doesn't often accompany his citations of articles with his own thoughts, but today he does so at USA Today, and produces a gem of penetration:

     Because political leaders’ chief concern is their own power and position, they’re willing to do almost anything to stave off a collapse, except reduce their own power and position. Kicking the can down the road usually just makes the problem worse in the end, but politicians would rather do that than make any sacrifice up front....

     ...as you vote, remember that the more resources you put under the control of the political class, the more likely it is that things will eventually go bad. Politicians seldom look past the next election, and they’re willing to sacrifice pretty much anything to hang on. And that “pretty much anything” includes you.

     If I may say so: Indeed! So unflinching a statement of the key political dynamic should be spread far and wide. Apropos of this, when attempting to assess whether it would be wise to rely upon a political candidate's promises, remember Everett Dirksen's Three Rules of Politics:

Get elected.
Get re-elected.
Don't get mad, get even.

     Politicians swear by that code.