Kinsley Quotes & Sayings

The case decided on Thursday, though, seemed promising to takings fans because it wasn't about compensation. It was about the requirement that any government taking must have a 'public purpose.' — Michael Kinsley

What exactly is a Rubik's Cube party?" Becca asked.

"It's simple: everyone wears different colors - red shirt, blue shorts, green socks, whatever - and once you get to the party, you have to swap clothes with people until you're wearing all of the same color."

Kinsley tsked. "Sounds like an excuse to see people in their skivvies."

I tossed my luggage onto my bed. "Yes, well, isn't that basically the meaning of life in the first place? — R.S. Grey

In any event, the proper question isn't what a journalist thinks is relevant but what his or her audience thinks is relevant. Denying people information they would find useful because you think they shouldn't find it useful is censorship, not journalism. — Michael Kinsley

In recurring episodes over the next couple of decades, the minority view gradually won. A profusion of factors differentiates each case from the others, including naked partisanship on both sides, but the trend has been clear. — Michael Kinsley

They can't take your house and give it to the mayor's mistress, even if they pay you for it. But they can, apparently, take your house and tear it down to make room for a development of trendy shops and restaurants, a hotel and so on. — Michael Kinsley

Among the social sciences, economists are the snobs. Economics, with its numbers and graphs and curves, at least has the coloration and paraphernalia of a hard science. It's not just putting on sandals and trekking out to take notes on some tribe. — Michael Kinsley

Who are you going swimming with?" Kinsley asked again.

"You're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition," I replied.

"Stop changing the subject! With whom do you plan to swim?! — R.S. Grey

Journalistic conventions make it hard for reporters to deal with a big, complicated lie. — Michael Kinsley

So the danger of conservative judicial activism has been averted for another year. Stay tuned. — Michael Kinsley

If hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue, piousness is virtue paying tribute to itself. — Michael Kinsley

Kinsley Grace Bryant, you crazy beautiful loon, marry me so we can make hundreds of little soccer prodigies. — R.S. Grey

A gaffe is a politician inadvertently telling an inconvenient truth. — Michael Kinsley

Many 'hard' scientists regard the term 'social science' as an oxymoron. Science means hypotheses you can test, and prove or disprove. Social science is little more than observation putting on airs. — Michael Kinsley

The 'takings' clause of the Fifth Amendment is for conservatives what the equal protection clause of the 14th is for liberals. — Michael Kinsley

There is a deadening conformity in the culture of cyberspace in which we don't intend to participate. — Michael Kinsley

It wouldn't be fair to say that conservatives cherish property the way liberals cherish equality. But it would be fair to say that the takings clause is the conservatives' recipe for judicial activism just as they say liberals have misused the equal protection clause. — Michael Kinsley

I have a saying: the scandal isn't what's illegal, the scandal is what's legal. — Michael Kinsley

A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth. — Michael Kinsley

A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida. The one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work. — Ronald Reagan

Americans don't want leadership. They want alchemy. — Michael Kinsley

The solution when you don't like someone's speech is not to silence that person, or that corporation. It's more and louder speech of your own. — Michael Kinsley

In 1977, at least, he wished to have people believe that he shared and was proud of an attitude toward women that is not acceptable in a politician. In 2003, all he has said is that he doesn't remember the interview. — Michael Kinsley

Anything that keeps a politician humble is healthy for democracy. — Michael Kinsley

However well you do in the competition for the greatest toys, longest life, and healthiest brain, the best medical research indicates that eventually you're going to be dead. And you're going to stay dead for many years longer than you were alive, and all that will be left of you is people's memories of you, which is to say, your reputation. — Michael E. Kinsley

The logic is often far-fetched - how does medical marijuana affect interstate commerce? - and some conservatives would like judges to start throwing out federal laws wholesale on commerce clause grounds. The court once again said no thanks. — Michael Kinsley

Almost any government activity can also be seen as taking property 'without just compensation.' The basic model of an unconstitutional 'taking' would be if the government threw you out of your house. — Michael Kinsley

He's nice enough not to want to be associated with a nasty remark but not nice enough not to make it. Lacking the courage of one's nastiness does not make one nice. — Michael Kinsley

I'm not playing around with you, Kinsley. I want to be with you," he whispered in my ear before releasing my arm. I stumbled into the hallway, trying to gather my wits. — R.S. Grey

One answer is that the town's elected officials thought that the project served a public purpose and that the various subsidies and favors were worth the price. But they may or may not have thought this. — Michael Kinsley

This has to be a joke. After all, an owl hadn't dropped a letter down my fireplace to let me know I'd been accepted into a special school, and I certainly hadn't taken an enchanted train to get to Kinsley High. — Michelle Madow

If sexual intercourse, as the poets tell us, began in 1963, it was another decade and a half before the American political system began to take notice. — Michael Kinsley

Miss Kinsley regarded him with the look of disgust girls reserved for snails and frogs. "Any man who would suggest to a young woman that she should elope rather than listen to her papa's advice can only be up to no good."
"Elope?" Oliver queried, his eyes narrowing on Miss Kinsley. "This scoundrel proposed marriage to you?"
"Now, Miss Kinsley," Nathan began in his best placating voice, "we both know it wasn't like-"
"Quiet!" Oliver snapped at him. "Or I swear not even Maria will keep me from throttling you."
Nathan swallowed. Hard. — Sabrina Jeffries

He hasn't said whether he remembers the episode itself - or, if he doesn't, whether that is because it never happened or because it happened too often to keep track. More important, he hasn't said what he thinks about it all from the perspective of 2003. — Michael Kinsley

What could be more absurd than the idea that genuine anti-Christian prejudice is a major force in American politics. — Michael Kinsley

Is there any other democracy where the voters are as spoiled as they are in the United States? Especially, of course, in certain states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, where the old joke is literally true about the citizens who say they haven't yet formed an opinion about a candidate because they've only met the fellow a few times. — Michael Kinsley

Of course, conservatives always claim to be against judicial activism. — Michael Kinsley

A Supreme Court decision that concessions of this sort were unconstitutional would have taken them off the table and actually increased the effective sovereignty of elected officials. — Michael Kinsley

In those days, the late 1970s, one of the leading politicians was a soon-to-be uncle by marriage of Arnold Schwarzenegger, named Ted Kennedy. — Michael Kinsley

Conservatives and liberals alike have been waiting for this moment for a third of a century. — Michael Kinsley