What are the odds that Corker sticks to this?
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who announced last week that he won’t seek re-election next year, told NBC News he will not vote for a tax reform package if “we’re adding one penny to the deficit.”
He added: “I am not going to be for it, OK. I’m sorry. It is the greatest threat to our nation.”
My guess is Republicans come up with some kind of creative accounting that “allows” them to say that not one penny is being added to the deficit and Corker then votes for the thing.
But maybe since he’s retiring he can show some backbone. I doubt it though.
clay
I dunno. Republicans at or near retirement tend to get a lot more honest.
Corner Stone
I think Corker is also reaching petty grudge fucking level against the GOP as a party, ala McCain. So he might throw a spanner in the works.
Hunter Gathers
He’s a used car salesman. Sand as lubricant, no reach around.
Gin & Tonic
@Corner Stone: I’ve got a picture of Andrew Jackson here that says you never use the word “spanner” IRL.
NotMax
Anything the Rs are proposing does not qualify as tax reform, so put him in the Aye column.
West of the Cascades
I don’t think these chuckleheads are going to be able to control the blue-state Rs in the House who are almost certainly shitting bricks over the proposal to eliminate the deduction for State and Local taxes. They need that to “increase” revenue to off-set the massive tax cuts for the wealthy, but it will obliterate some of the Rs in blue/purple states (including ones that are heavily gerrymandered like Pennsylvania). This tax cutting effort may end up being even more of an unsuccessful clusterfk than the health care repeal efforts.
Corner Stone
@Gin & Tonic: Haven’t you heard? People here like throwing a spanner in the works because YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME, MISTER AND FUCK YOU THAT’S WHY!!
dmsilev
You’ve got to read the fine print. He won’t vote for it if it adds “one penny” to the deficit. Billions and billions of pennies, on the other hand, is just fine.
hueyplong
It’s an odd thing for Corker to say at this particular point in time.
The only thing I know is that very nearly the only GOPers who ever say anything remotely truthful are either out of office or not running for reelection. This is why we should probably appreciate Murkowski at least a little bit.
dmsilev
@West of the Cascades:
Unpossible.
But very very amusing if it happens.
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: Blah, blah. blah…
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus: The more you say blah the more I want to say FUCK YOU THAT’S WHY!
You know why? BECAUSE FUCK YOU, THAT’S WHY! AND I’M REALLY AN ADULT, I FUCKING PROMISE!
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: Thank you for your response.
Ruviana
It’s so great to have Corner Stone back!//
Corner Stone
@Ruviana: Thanks!
cgordon
Deficit hawks, argh!
FlipYrWhig
If I were Luther Strange I’d do exactly this too.
hellslittlestangel
The tax plan doesn’t add a penny to the deficit. It adds a trillion and a half dollars.
danielx
Pigs might have wings….
Another Scott
It sounds like posturing to me, but who knows. Any net tax cut is going to increase the deficit, and Republicans are always (since Reagan) about cutting taxes (for the 1%) no matter the consequences. Smart politicians who know that every single vote is critical would be making noises about not voting for a bill unless they get their particular bits of pork.
The Senate plan being worked on apparently can increase the debt by up to $1,500,000,000,000.00 over the next decade, but not a penny more. But it’s all kabuki so far:
IOW, a few old Teabagger white guys will work in secret to craft a bill that they will madly whip their members into passing.
If that happens, then there will be tremendous pressure for there to be enough votes to get it to Donnie’s desk.
We’ll see.
Cheers,
Scott.
Steve in the ATL
@Corner Stone: Is anyone in the Houston area? Someone needs a hug!
Gin & Tonic
@Corner Stone: I wasn’t paying much attention, I guess.
Duane
Remember Judith Mann Costello? You won’t believe what she looks like now!
Corner Stone
@Steve in the ATL: I’m near Houston! Point me at ’em!
Corner Stone
@Gin & Tonic: It was hard to keep track of. Some people wanted to talk about the flag and disrespecting our country. Then others started talking about daddy issues. Not sure how it got there, honestly.
Librarian
“See how he uses a spanner to tighten that nut!”
Gin & Tonic
@Duane: Is there such a thing as anti-clickbait? Most of the day my Google News feed has had a link in the “Health” section for “Woman turns discarded vagina skin into jewelry.” I wouldn’t click that in a million years.
Although it brings to mind an old, old joke about a mohel and a wallet.
Suzanne
@clay:
Mr. Suzanne has a pipe dream that McCain will switch parties right before he retires or dies in office, so that Governor Douchey has to appoint a Democrat to the seat.
I told him it’s a fantasy, but I admit it’s a good one.
Corner Stone
@Duane: Don’t quite recall the nym, tbh. A burlesque dancer in Dallas in the ’20s? The lookout for the anti-Vietnam War group that committed a string of bank robberies in the ’60s?
Drawing a blank, I apologize.
Gin & Tonic
@Corner Stone: I’m glad I ignored it.
rikyrah
@West of the Cascades:
The blue state GOPers have to know that their constituents will be able to trace their tax hike directly to them.
TS
@hueyplong: In Alaska Murkowski won a write in election – against a RWNJ and 100% of her campaign was teaching people how to spell her name – because the GOP running the election were going to make sure she lost based on spelling. She never has to worry about the next election. If she stands, she will win regardless of how she votes in congress.
Which is not to say she doesn’t deserve thanks for standing up to tRump and the GOP bribes.
Duane
@Gin & Tonic: I’d like to hear that joke. Actually, I just want to know what a mohel is.
NotMax
@Duane
A mohel performs ritual circumcision. Cut to the chase:
“Ah, but it’s a very special wallet. When you rub it, it becomes a suitcase!”
Felanius Kootea
Nice Arrested Development reference in the title. “Take me to another place,” indeed.
Duane
@Corner Stone: That anti-Vietnam war group was called the SiubhanDuinne Liberation Army I think.
burnspbesq
Just gonna drop this here as a reminder.
http://danshaviro.blogspot.com/2017/09/neither-tax-reform-nor-plan.html
Duane
@NotMax: And I’ve learned two things. Thanks.
Corner Stone
@Duane: Ah! The SLA! Of course. Didn’t one of the unindicted co-conspirators get no-billed after she ratted out all her compadres in exchange for going to work for the Canadian government?
catclub
@West of the Cascades:
I think if I looked at the history of the Democrats when they passed a somewhat unpopular bill – Obamacare- running from it does not help. The best choice for those guys is loud and proud.
catclub
@hellslittlestangel:
and that is IF the GDP growth rate is 3% for the next ten years.
Duane
@Corner Stone: It all makes sense now. Glad we figured that out.
randy khan
@catclub:
If tax reform passes with elimination of the state and local tax deduction, they are all dead men walking. And they’ve already started saying no.
Jackie
@TS: Yes she did! That was quite the election! And, look at her now! ?
Shalimar
Corker isn’t just retiring. He most likely will run for Tennessee governor in the future. Sticking to “conservative principles” helps him in that race, and doesn’t cost him anything.
Mel
@Gin & Tonic: “Discarded vagina skin”???
How, exactly, would that have been obtained? Assuming that she’s not a human / snake hybrid upcycling her fall molt…
The mind boggles!
Emily68
@Suzanne: Couldn’t Gov. Douchey get around this by appointing a guy who’s really a Republican but who just switched parties himself to be eligible?