Trump: The Foreign Relations Chairman is incompetent.
Corker: Trump is a threat to our security, and he'll be remembered for the debasement of our nation.
Paul Ryan: FIRST OF ALL, THESE CORPORATE TAX RATES ARE JUST TOO GOSH DARN HIGH!
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) October 24, 2017
.
"I want to thank President Trump for his leadership," @SpeakerRyan says of tax cuts. "We are on the verge of doing something very historic."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 24, 2017
As a historian, I'll remind everyone that we consider some things "historic" because they were exceptionally *bad*.https://t.co/AKvret03Pt
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) October 24, 2017
Paul Ryan implores voters to look past the "Twitter dispute" between Trump and Corker and just focus on tax reform.
Just like Paul Ryan is doing.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) October 24, 2017
Between desperate sobs and glances over his shoulder at the Kochs. https://t.co/l5qEBPLJAO
— Schooley (@Rschooley) October 24, 2017
(((CassandraLeo)))
Indeed. Events in the Congo Free State were historic. The Great Depression was historic. Pearl Harbor was historic. 9/11 was historic.
I’m not saying that the GOP’s tax bill would be as destructive as 9/11 was, mind you. Then again, I’m also not not saying that.
Felonius Monk
I have been reading Ken Stern’s book. I think he’s full of shit.
NotMax
So, last night between 3-ish and 8:30 am. the power went bye-bye. One guess who happened to have a bout of rampaging insomnia at the same time.
Internet connection has been going in and out all day, came back up steady only an hour ago.
Planet seems to have eked out another day.
trollhattan
Shorter Paul Ryan: “Just lie back and think of
EnglAyn Rand.”LurkerNoLonger
So what happens if this tax “reform” goes through? Do they all jump ship? Or do they find another excuse to look the other way?
Brachiator
@trollhattan: That’s very good.
@LurkerNoLonger:
Oh, they are just getting started.
Major Major Major Major
I find myself in a dark and contemplative mood, saddened that it’s all come to this. Before bed, I leave you with one of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs, Samson in New Orleans, from his 2014 album.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Funny how they spent years bitching about the deficit, screaming “we’re broke” and how grandchilden shouldn’t be left with debt. They wouldn’t even fund emergency hurricane relief without offsets. Now they’re salivating over increasing the debt by $2,200,000,000,000.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: Worse than that, we were going to turn in to Greece.
NotMax
Nah, not skewed by design at all. (/sarcasm)
Online poll currently up on home page of the RWNJ-owned fishwrap that is the local newspaper:
Reform now apparently is an exact synonym for cutting.
Millard Filmore
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch:
No No! These tax cuts will pay for themselves, doan cha know.
Major Major Major Major
@NotMax: Reform has always been an exact synonym for cutting when Republicans say it.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@NotMax: “tax cuts should be lowered”
Someone needs a copyeditor.
It is certainly telling that there isn’t an option for suggesting that taxes be raised on any income bracket, though.
Highway Rob
Cilizza*, two weeks from now**: “Why hasn’t Hillary Clinton held a press conference on the ethics questions swirling around the Russia uranium deal?”
Meanwhile, passage of the Trump tax cut is relegated to A-23.
*-Not necessarily, but seemed as likely a choice as any. **-I hate to be this cynical, but I think two weeks might be generous.
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Highway Rob: I have newly discovered footage of Cillizza’s coverage of the Clinton campaign.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@?BillinGlendaleCA: yes, yes – GREECE!
NotMax
@Major Major Major Major
Spent a few minutes on onion reform earlier tonight.
Must remember to ask “Who reformed the cheese?” next time an occasion warrants.
:)
@(((CassandraLeo)))
Good catch.
jl
The GOPers who have substantial support from upper income voters who will be hit hard by elimination of state income tax exemption are starting to squeak. Heard two of them whining about it on the news this morning. Seems like that should be a pressure point. Eliminating the exemption will hurt some blue state budgets hardest, but upper income GOPers will be hurt somewhat in every state.
Is there any organized opposition to the GOP’s rich person’s tax slash? Or does it seem so hopeless that no one is organizing for a fight? The tax fight seems as important to me as the health care fight, so if anyone gives a link on who is doing something, I will look at it.
amygdala
@jl:
Not that I’m aware of, but given the absurd Medicaid and Medicare cuts, I wonder if health wonk Twitter will summon the masses who called their Reps and Senators.
Highway Rob
@(((CassandraLeo))): By a stunning coincidence, the monks at the beginning of the clip are me doing my morning scan of the day’s news.
Unrelatedly, I wonder why Apple won’t offer me extended warranties on iPads anymore?
(((CassandraLeo)))
@Highway Rob: It is a riddle for the ages, no doubt.
@NotMax: Thanks.
I suspect I’d best get some food and then some sleep. G’nite all.
M. Bouffant
@Felonius Monk: I just saw him on the telly. I agree. Wonder how wonderful all those cretins would have been to Ken were he a few shades darker.
Fucking former chief Totebagger. Sheesh.
NotMax
Big pile of grains of salt as it is the Daily Mail, but still….
seaboogie
@Major Major Major Major: Pretty much my mood tonight too. Love me some Leonard.
M. Bouffant
@NotMax: Also, sickening old perv G.H.W. & Teri Hatcher, 10 yrs. ago.
seaboogie
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: Seems like everyone in the GOP got a legacy pass into college and still managed to fail maths, sciences – and most especially- the humanities, while ranting against affirmative action. Tossers!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@seaboogie: What good are legacy admissions if you actually have to do the work?
Patricia Kayden
Also historic: Trump failed to implement the sanctions against Russia on October 1st per the law he signed and Congress has been mum about it.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Patricia Kayden: “When the President does it, it’s not illegal.”
R.M. Nixon.
sharl
OT, I did not know this:
sharl
Oh, goody, BBC’s Hard Talk snagged Joe Arpaio for their half-hour interview show. Great get, you guys! I guess Kellyanne Conway and that TPUSA diaper boy weren’t available.
hellslittlestangel
I’ve known junkies better able to distinguish between long-term goals and short-term gratification than these Republicans.
sm*t cl*de
@sharl:
Even now scientists are drilling into it to see what UNSPEAKABLE ABOMINATIONS THEY CAN AWAKEN.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@NotMax: Poppi has a history:
Imagine the corporate media reaction if Jimmy was running around doing this.
barb 2
Josh Marshall — TPM
sharl
@sm*t cl*de: Thanks! That looks like fascinating research.
sharl
@David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: I don’t think you actually have to imagine what the media would do to Jimmy Carter. They went bug-fuck insane over his 1976 “I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust” statement.
Then as now, there has never been evidence of Carter having cheated on Rosalynn, but just the same, it would have been better if Carter had gone with the option of silence. Not everyone was nuts: as I recall one observer noting back then – to paraphrase – ‘every man knows exactly what he means.’ An overly broad observation to be sure – ignoring the existence of gay men and those who aren’t very sexual – but that response was closer to being an educated and civilized response than what so much of the media offered up at the time.
sm*t cl*de
@sharl:
In other news of entertainment value to NZ residents (if no-one else), the recenty-defeated right-wing party has just been dinged NZ$600,000 for theft of intellectual property rights. In a previous election they stole an Eminem track to use in their advertisements, in order to Appeal to the Youf.
They are not well-pleased about the court’s judgement, and the party’s representative is plaintively telling the media of all the effort they went to, covering their arses and shopping around for a legal opinion that they could get away with the theft.
When I say “right-wing party” I mean “centre-left” by US standards.
Raoul
One way things could get “historic” for watery-eye Paul. A historic wave election in 2018.
Larry Sabato: “In 41 Democrat-versus-Republican races in federal and state legislative special elections since Trump’s victory last November, Democratic candidates have out-performed Hillary Clinton’s margin in their district by an average of 11 percentage points and have won eight of the 28 GOP-held seats that were up for grabs while not losing a single Democratic-controlled seat.”
And I’ve been following Iron Stache Randy Bryce in the Janesville House dist. He’s raised over $1,000,000 as of the Sept quarter, 14 months before the election. Against a sitting US Speaker. Go ‘Stache!
I would dearly love to see Ryan lose his Speakership. Not sure the CW says the GOP can lose the House. But I think they could. It’d be some rich, rich frosting on the cake if Ryan lost his actual seat, too. No matter what, he’ll have to fight hard to keep it.
sharl
@sm*t cl*de: That seems to happen somewhat regularly with conservative U.S. politicians as well, although I don’t recall many cases of the courts levying fines; as far as I can recall, usually there are non-monetary consent agreements involved. I don’t know how our judicial system compares with yours as far as performance and turnaround; our courts are rather slow, which may explain the rare reports of court-mandated fines that might otherwise be contested by guilty politicians. Appeals by the losing side to a higher court can chew up a LOT of time.
It’s possible politicians on the (American) Left are guilty of music thievin’ as well, but the most popular bands and artists tend to be lefties as well I think, so any transgressions are perhaps quietly dealt with or forgiven (again, assuming they actually happen to any significant degree).
It was clearly a labor of love for whomever created that video in your second link, lol.
Just one more canuck
@sm*t cl*de: Krakens? Balrogs?
Matt McIrvin
@sharl: In the US, by this point I think conservatives deliberately go out of their way to lift music from outspoken liberal artists without permission. They want to get them to complain. It’s a “piss off the liberals” move.
rikyrah
Ryan would sell his mother to Lucifer for those tax cuts
sm*t cl*de
It gives me a certain degree of schadenfreud to know that someone became such a spineless, degraded, bootlicking streak of sputum that he could bring himself to say those words without immediately drowning in his own vomitus.