Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Jack Smith: “Why did you start campaigning in the middle of my investigation?!”

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Consistently wrong since 2002

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Jesus watching the most hateful people claiming to be his followers

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. ~Thomas Jefferson

People are complicated. Love is not.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

I really should read my own blog.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

Fight them, without becoming them!

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

All hail the time of the bunny!

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Banana Republicans

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Banana Republicans

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(Tom Toles via GoComics.com)
.

Oh, how I would love to see Catherine Rampell’s Washington Post suggestion in action! “Jared Kushner ‘forgets’ to disclose his assets? Seize them.:

… For the 39th time, top presidential adviser (and son-in-law) Jared Kushner has revised his financial disclosure forms. Kushner disclosed 77 additional assets, collectively worth millions of dollars. These items were “inadvertently omitted” from previous versions of his federal forms, according to a document the White House released Friday…

Maybe Kushner really did forget all those assets, including a stake in a start-up valued at $5 million to $25 million. Just as maybe he really did accidentally submit a security-clearance form that left off more than 100 contacts with foreign nationals…

It’s true that willfully omitting an asset on one’s federal financial disclosure form comes with the risk of criminal action. But how motivating can a threat of prison possibly be if Kushner knows he can just go back and add anything that the press happens to dig up?

That’s exactly why we need the banana republic rule (named for the lawless state, not the store).

Above a certain value — let’s say $1 million — any assets that are “forgotten” on federal disclosures can be seized by Uncle Sam. If they weren’t memorable enough for these forms, then clearly you’re rich enough that you don’t really need them.

Treasury gets to take them, without compensating you.

“That’s socialism!” you might protest. But really, it’s not so different from another policy that the definitely-not-socialist Trump administration already backs enthusiastically: civil asset forfeiture.

This is when law enforcement seizes private property without proving the owner is guilty of a crime, often without even charging the owner with a crime. Just last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was restarting a federal forfeiture program the Obama administration had shut down.

“Civil asset forfeiture takes the material support of the criminals and instead makes it the material support of law enforcement,” Sessions explained, even though the stuff being seized is not necessarily providing “material support” for any crime or any criminal.

With such tenuous logic, why shouldn’t Sessions support appropriating possibly-innocent-but-still-kinda-suspicious financial disclosure omissions, too?…

***********

Apart from (gleefully) imagining a more just world, what’s on the agenda for the day?

Reader Interactions

119Comments

  1. 1.

    Gvg

    Actually I have been wishing some police chief in Alabama would confiscate Sessions home. He is clearly guilty of crimes, including perjury and colluding with Russian mobsters that probably involve bribes and I consider him to be the one most likely behind that asset seizure policy. I think it would help drive home how wrong the policy is. Unfortunately I hear he is popular in Alabama.

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Kushner claims in his statement that his 13 December meeting with the top Russian banker Sergey Gorkov had nothing to do with his business interests, despite the fact that as a New York real estate tycoon his business activities were intricately interwoven with Russian money. “At no time was there any discussion about my companies, business transactions, real estate projects, loans, banking arrangements or private business of any kind.”

    That directly contradicts Gorkov’s own account of the meeting, which was convened, he said, to discuss new business opportunities, with Kushner in attendance as head of his family’s real estate entity, Kushner Companies. The president’s son-in-law expresses no awareness in his statement that Gorkov was trained by the Russian intelligence agency FSB or that his bank, Vnesheconombank (VEB), is widely accepted to be the finance house of the Kremlin.

    “If the Kushner family has had zero financial dealings with the Russians or Russian banks, and are willing to open up their books to prove it, then maybe Jared Kushner will be able to put all this to rest,” said Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer under George W Bush.

    “But until that happens we have to assume there’s a strong likelihood that when a prominent Russian banker goes to see a prominent member of the Trump transition team, finances will have been part of their discussion.”

    And the Republicans he testified to yesterday are absolutely livid about his perjurious performance and even now are filing charges against him.

    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. gasp…. wheeze…. Sometimes I just crack me up.

  11. 11.

    NotMax

    Open thread, so –

    Mr. Cole worrisomely silent regarding John and Company’s Excellent Beach Adventure.

  15. 15.

    Mustang Bobby

    Hey, if you’re in South Florida — Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe Counties — South Florida Theatre League is hosting their Summer Theatre Fest. Each Monday night a different theatre is hosting a reading of a play by local playwrights. It just so happens that next Monday, July 31, Actors’ Playhouse in Coral Gables is sponsoring the reading of my play “All Together Now.” Curtain time is 7:30 p.m., and it’s free.

    #shameless self-promotion.

  16. 16.

    raven

    I don’t care what anyone here thinks of Mornin Joe, him screaming in the camera “Donald you need to stop watching the news, it’s making you C R A ZY” is funny.

  18. 18.

    Felonius Monk

    @Baud: I hope you are going for fun and will not be wandering in the desert incanting lamentations. ?

  26. 26.

    TS

    Kushner thinks he’s the Crown Prince giving the royal wave to the crowd (the press) when he headed out yesterday morning. Do not think for a minute that this family will not try to become the government. Dad will try and appoint him as AG when he removes sessions.

  28. 28.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    What I’ve always appreciated about this blog’s readership is that it’s values are progressive and organized on pragmatism, realism, and history.

    So with that in mind, here is today’s moment of zen:

    Today is a vote on “Motion to Proceed” (which means bringing the bill forward for a floor debate).

    It would be nice if it failed. So people should call.

    But if “Motion to Proceed” does occur then you must continue to call in order to kill it during debate.

    Highly charged bills have received a “Motion to Proceed” to the floor, only to be defeated during the floor debate.

    In 2007, the Bush administration worked with Ted Kennedy TWICE to pass immigration reform. On May 21st, their bill received “Motion to Proceed” by a 69-23 vote. After nearly 3 weeks of debate, it died on the floor by a vote of 45-50. Three weeks later, they tried to pass immigration reform again, and once again it received a “Motion to Proceed” on June 26th by a vote of 64-35. Only 2 days later it died on the floor by a vote of 46-53.

    In 2013. four months after the Newton massacre, a bill on background checks received a “Motion to Proceed” by a vote 64-34. After 10 days of debate, the bill was filibustered.

    So as Aesop would say: KEEEP FUCKING CALLING.

  40. 40.

    Mustang Bobby

    Am I the only who’s noticed that there’s a remarkable resemblance between Jared Kushner and Martin Shkreli (Pharma Dude)? Has anyone ever seen them in the same room at the same time?

  43. 43.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Mustang Bobby: I wish I could get there – I love that play. Go the the reading if you can; I have a copy and it’s wonderful.

    # sincere promotion

    @Mustang Bobby: I saw that same resemblance – smug and smarmy. Jared is just slightly more polished.

  44. 44.

    Jeffro

    Rampell does have a nice way of pointing out hypocrisy and hoisting Republicans on their own spite-stained petards.

  48. 48.

    efgoldman

    @Mustang Bobby:

    Am I the only who’s noticed that there’s a remarkable resemblance between Jared Kushner and Martin Shkreli

    Hey, that sounds like a good back story for a new play……

  49. 49.

    Lapassionara

    Good morning, everyone. Did anyone else read about Trump’s speech to the Boy Scouts? Chilling.

  60. 60.

    debbie

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    I didn’t think anything could top that CIA speech where he whined about the size of his Inauguration crowd. I was wrong. This is like watching a billion-car chain reaction crash. It does not end.

  65. 65.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Good morning, all! Fluff dog Pippin and I are watching a spectacular sunrise and trying not to think about speeches to Boy Scouts and the fantabulous – and growing – collection of creepsters at the WH. Will call my solid Dem senators in a bit to thank them for their ongoing opposition to DeathCare. Now to make coffee.

  66. 66.

    rikyrah

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    I like that.
    Outrage rage..
    Good description
    Which is why I have no tolerance for anyone who even remotely suggests that we need to “understand” the other side. For what they have done to this country, they can burn in hell.

  67. 67.

    Baud

    Watching the news on Trump criticizing Sessions over Hillary’s emails. Interestingly, the news isn’t saying that the reason that even Sessions isn’t pursuing an investigation is that it would be frivolous. Now why would the media bury that fact?

  70. 70.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud: Because there aren’t any DEMs pointing it out? They are after all, little more than stenographers.

  71. 71.

    Baud

    @OzarkHillbilly: Fair enough. The hack deficit strikes again.

    Also, unfortunately, because of the party schism, Dems have to be cautious when dealing with Hillary. I understand that.

  72. 72.

    Jeffro

    You know when the president is OK with firing not just the FBI director but also the attorney general (who happens to be an extremely long time and loyal supporter of his) … there just might be something to that Russian scandal, hmm?

    It is just like Josh Marshall at TPM says : Trump cannot allow that investigation to continue

  73. 73.

    Steve in the ATL

    I’m doing some high end lawyering this morning (fixing a traffic ticket for my wife) and I’m amazed by what people wear to court. And if I were the solicitor, I would throw the book at the dudebro with sunglasses on the back of his head.

    Really, I’m only typing this to show off to the non-lawyers in the courtroom that I get use my phone and they don’t. Totally makes all the misery of law school and the bar exam worth it.

  74. 74.

    A Ghost to Most

    Happy and safe travels, Baud.

    We are driving down to Santa Fe from Taos today. Has anyone been to the Georgia O’Keefe museum, or have other tips about Santa Fe?

  75. 75.

    Laura

    @rikyrah:
    Which is why I have no tolerance for anyone who even remotely suggests that we need to “understand” the other side.

    It’s BECAUSE you understand the other side -and the malevolence that motivates and guides their actions that your moral compass and comments get right to the heart of the matter. When my late mother delivered a hard or unwelcome truth, she’d preface it with “here’s a glass of ice water in the face.”

  76. 76.

    Cheryl Rofer

    @A Ghost to Most: The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is an excellent choice. I love it. Her home in Abiquiu is between Taos and Santa Fe, but would be a side trip from Espanola, and you have to have an appointment to see it. But you would see some of the country that inspired her, and if you drove a little further, to Ghost Ranch, even more of those colorful cliffs.

    Lots of museums and art in Santa Fe around the Plaza. And Canyon Road galleries. Also very many good restaurants. The Shed is traditional for New Mexican specials, but no reservations for lunch, and I suspect it’s crowded with tourists.

    More museums at Museum Hill, where I plan to have lunch today.

  77. 77.

    pamelabrown53

    @A Ghost to Most: @74.

    The Georgia O’Keefe museum is fabulous. You won’t regret the visit. If you have time, I’d suggest the Folk Art Museum. It’s probably the largest of its kind. Hope you’re having a wonderful trip.

  79. 79.

    rikyrah

    Said it before..

    The KKKeebler Elf has no self-respect, and is living out his White Supremacist fantasies.

    He will have to be FIRED by Dolt45

  80. 80.

    rikyrah

    CongressionalGOP: This isn’t just about tricking you into genocide via Healthcare. Trump needs a recess appt to fire Mueller. #ThatsAllOnYou
    — bardgal (@bardgal) July 25, 2017

  81. 81.

    rikyrah

    Is ConGOP setting up to short the market?
    If they kill ACA, the industry will collapse.#NoRepeal #FixACA #TrumpRussia #NoRecessAppointment
    — bardgal (@bardgal) July 25, 2017

  82. 82.

    rikyrah

    McConnell & GOP are trying to pass Legal GENOCIDE.
    Trump wants a recess appointment.#NoRepeal #FixACA #DontBeDistracted #TrumpRussia
    — bardgal (@bardgal) July 25, 2017

  86. 86.

    rikyrah

    If the media reports are true, the President of the United States just confirmed a CIA covert action program. On Twitter. https://t.co/fEmuqHDWN9
    — Ned Price (@nedprice) July 25, 2017

    This is a classified program. This acknowledgement is a good lever for FOIA’ing material about it from the CIA. They can’t “Glomar” it now. https://t.co/S1Is1ClMJ6
    — Jon Gambrell جون (@jongambrellAP) July 25, 2017

  87. 87.

    rikyrah

    Repub senators voting to proceed on hth care need to explain to electorate why they’re OK with these predicted coverage losses (h/t: NYT) pic.twitter.com/JbIlYcbAwF
    — Jared Bernstein (@econjared) July 24, 2017

  90. 90.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @rikyrah: These dumb fucks in the GOP have no idea how bad things are going to get if they vote “yes” on this abomination of a bill. No. Fucking. Idea. Maybe this is what Putin wants. Who needs nukes?

  92. 92.

    rikyrah

    #Georgia mails out 383,487 voter roll address confirmation notices. This includes #Crosscheck. https://t.co/Xxq7g7EouG … #VoterSuppression pic.twitter.com/pONPf5Qitf
    — Greg Palast (@Greg_Palast) July 25, 2017

    Note that the postcard return rate is SIX PERCENT. https://t.co/Xxq7g7EouG #Georgia #Crosscheck #VoterSuppression #ElectionFraud #Resist pic.twitter.com/EYQsiMPt2B
    — Greg Palast (@Greg_Palast) July 25, 2017

  93. 93.

    rikyrah

    Abandoning subtlety, Trump lashes out at AG Jeff Sessions
    07/25/17 08:40 AM—UPDATED 07/25/17 08:45 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Last week, Donald Trump complained bitterly about Attorney General Jeff Sessions, condemning the Alabama Republican’s decision to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation into the Trump-Russia scandal. The president’s argument wasn’t subtle: Trump wanted Sessions to help shield the White House, and he’s outraged that the A.G. isn’t helping cover up the controversy.

    Almost immediately, there was a question about whether Sessions, lacking the confidence of the president who appointed him, would have to resign, but the attorney general vowed to remain at his post.

    That, in turn, has apparently led to a new strategy: Trump will attack Sessions publicly, in the hopes that the attorney general will get the hint and quit.

  94. 94.

    rikyrah

    Even the Boy Scouts aren’t exempt from Trump’s boorishness
    07/25/17 08:00 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Donald Trump recently said his bizarre antics and behavior may not be “presidential,” per se, but he believes they’re “modern-day presidential.” In practice, evidently, that means putting on a partisan political show for a group of children.

    President Trump looked out Monday evening at the sea of Boy Scouts who were gathered in a remote field, far away from the travails of the capital, and declared that he would not talk about politics.

    “Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the Boy Scouts?” he asked.

    As it turns out, Donald Trump wants to speak about politics when he’s in front of the Boy Scouts.

    The rules of the Boy Scouts appear to discourage participation in partisan political events, but Trump – the honorary president of the organization for over a century – just couldn’t seem to help himself. He spent his time yesterday lashing out at journalists, pollsters, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Affordable Care Act.

    Trump celebrated the 2016 electoral-college map, promised the restoration of “Merry Christmas,” and threatened to fire his HHS secretary if the Republican health care plan didn’t pass Congress.

    If it sounds like I’m describing a Trump campaign rally, it’s because, in effect, I am. From Trump’s perspective, that’s precisely what his appearance was supposed to be.

    Daniel Dale highlighted the 17 “most jaw-dropping moments” from the president’s appearance, which included a meandering five-minute story about developer William Levitt:

  95. 95.

    rikyrah

    This segment from Maddow last night is just another reason why the Democrats were PHUCKING MORONS AND WEAKLINGS to not object and stall and delay on this nomination. Their spinelessness just phucking disgusts me.

    HE. SHOULD.NEVER.HAVE.GOTTEN.OUT.OF.COMMITTEE.

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/24/17
    New facts uncovered about Trump FBI pick, confirmation vote looms
    Matt Katz, reporter for WNYC, talks with Rachel Maddow about the sketchy employment by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie of Donald Trump’s pick to replace James Comey has director of the FBI, Chris Wray.

  96. 96.

    Chris

    @Laura:

    This a thousand times. The people who say they want us to “understand” Trump voters don’t want us to understand them. On the contrary, what they want is for us to go along with them in constructing a comfortable lie about these people so they don’t have to judge them harshly and can continue to tell themselves that, nah, my uncle/cousin/high school friend is TOTALLY not a racist, and those unhinged rants about Mexican rapists and drug dealers and Muslims celebrating 9/11 in New Jersey are just a cry for help.

  101. 101.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @Chris: And until White America finally has that painful dialogue about racism in this country, things are only going to get worse.

  103. 103.

    Laura

    @Chris: thanks, but I can’t take credit -it’s Rikyrahs. I just tagged along holding the hem of her cape. :)

  104. 104.

    Quinerly

    @A Ghost to Most:
    I see that you have lots of suggestion. Be sure to spend some time just poking around La Fonda. Love the main restaurant there and the bell tower. Be sure to check out the view from the Cross of the Martyrs (and the history lesson as you walk up). Personally, I think Canyon Road is a bit overrated but the walk is beautiful..the outside art and bronzes. House sangria and tapas at El Farol. Marcy Street is nice. Try to get docet tours of the Palace of the Governors and the Museum Hill museums…especially for the Folk Art Museum. Have fun. One of my favorite cities (if you have time, take a drive out highway 14..Turquoise Trail…check out Cerrillos and Madrid.)

  106. 106.

    dexwood

    @A Ghost to Most:
    Yes on the on the O’Keefe museum. I love simply sitting on the plaza people watching while eating a fajita from the cart usually there. Museum hill is a must, as others have suggested, The Girard wing of the Folk Art museum is a lot of fun. While on the Hill, check out the Wheelwright Museum and their Case Trading Post. Second Quinerly’s suggestion of Madrid. If you make it to Albuquirky, I’d buy you a beer or coffee. Quinerly can vouch for me. I’d bet one of the front pagers here would kindly connect us.

  107. 107.

    cmorenc

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:

    @OzarkHillbilly: they were discussing adoptions.

    Unlike most of you, I DO believe the meeting was about adoptions – what policies the Russians wanted the Trump administration to adopt, and how many orphan Russian dollars Kushner/Trump could adopt.

  108. 108.

    DesertFriar

    @A Ghost to Most:

    See Meow Wolf. I was actually disappointed in the O’Keefe Museum. Not really a lot of her better works. And rather small.

    If downtown, I would recommend The Shed for lunch.

    And in case I didn’t mention, see Meow Wolf.

  113. 113.

    Quinerly

    @dexwood:
    The Wheelwright Museum is a favorite. New jewelry wing is great. Wonderful docents. I’m bit quirky on this NC beach trip. Have read 3 older Tony Hillerman novels while adding freckles and wrinkles. Missing NM…and taking notes for my 5 week winter trip!

  114. 114.

    Lurking Canadian

    @cmorenc: As I understand it “adoptions” means collusion. The reason there are no more US adoptions of Russian orphans is that Russia is pissed off about US sanctions.

  115. 115.

    dexwood

    @Quinerly:
    Wheelwright is a gem. Up until last year, it was the only free museum in Santa Fe. Five bucks for admission, free for Natives, is still a deal. Mrs. dexwood spent 5 years of her museum career there. We’ll have to disagree about the O’Keefe. For me, I find the place interesting as an insight to her early work and especially like her urban paintings from before her time in New Mexico, Got a bit burned out on the flowers and NM landscapes. I can drive in any direction to see fantastic landscapes, though, I do appreciate her time here. Will pay attention to live music during your visit. You should have been with us Saturday night for Los Lobos. Free show, Route 66 blocked off for the street party and ass shaking.

  117. 117.

    Brachiator

    @rikyrah:

    Abandoning subtlety, Trump lashes out at AG Jeff Sessions

    I think I missed whenever it was that Trump embraced subtlety.

  119. 119.

    stinger

    Threads are always dead by the time I get a chance to comment, but…

    Does anyone imagine that Jared filled out those forms while sitting around the table after supper? “Hey, honey, these are all our assets, right? If you think of any others, let me know, okay? And by the way, who was that heavily accented guy I was chatting with at the party the other night–not a foreign national, was he?”

    Surely his team of high-priced lawyers (as opposed to the lawyers who hang out at BJ) do the paperwork for him, especially the asset disclosure, and then he signs it. I just don’t get how it’s one guy who “forgets” stuff. How could he be trusted to revamp the federal government, arrange for peace in the Middle East, and perform all his other responsibilities with a memory like that?

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