Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. don’t touch it.”

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

When we show up, we win.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

“Let’s not pretend [Trump] wants to engage in high-minded discourse.”

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

You are here: Home / The Tax Cut Shitshow Continues

The Tax Cut Shitshow Continues

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This is awesome:

The CEO of one of the nation’s largest coal companies ripped the Senate tax-reform bill, saying late changes to the bill would “wipe out” coal mining jobs.

Robert Murray, founder and CEO of Murray Energy, said Tuesday that the tax hike on coal mining firms that would result from the changes would cancel out progress that President Trump has made on reviving the coal industry, according to CNN.

“We won’t have enough cash flow to exist,” Murray told CNNMoney. “This wipes out everything that President Trump has done for coal.”

The Senate amended its version of the bill last Friday to keep the alternative minimum tax for businesses in order to pay for other changes to the bill — including a more generous deduction for pass-through businesses and the allowance of a property tax deduction for individuals of up to $10,000.

But keeping the alternative minimum tax, and the imposition of new limits on the interest deductions that businesses can mark off, would cost Murray Energy $60 million in taxes, Murray told CNN.

Fucking morons.

Reader Interactions

147Comments

  2. 2.

    BlueDWarrior

    There are likely more unexploded mines in the tax bill as presently constituted.

    A normal legislature would take this time to pull the emergency brake, and actually sort through all the mess

    So of course the Republicans would just accelerate things.

  7. 7.

    Jeffro

    @(((CassandraLeo))): co-sign

    Maybe Trumpov is really a closet environmentalist and decided to stick it to those dirty ol’ coal companies?

    LOL – more likely he’d think by shutting down coal companies, that GUARANTEES he gets actual presents under the tree instead of lumps in his stocking! Tell me that’s not at least a little plausible in the reign of Donnie Two Scoops.

  9. 9.

    Jerzy Russian

    Semi serious question: has Trump actually done anything to revise the coal industry? I am guessing no.

  13. 13.

    pacem appellant

    Did no one ever tell these mofos that when you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas? Let me get the tiny violin for you. Morans.

  14. 14.

    Alain the site fixer

    Folks, I’m back. Doing a few important updates in the next few minutes. Should you hit an issue, take a deep breath and wait a minute and try again.

    Thanks, Alain

  17. 17.

    patrick II

    So, does that lessen the 1.4 trillion dollar deficit I have been reading about? Right now the corporate tax is 35%, but with numerous deductions corporations actually pay an average of just over 20%. So, if there is an AMT of 20%. that seems things will break out about even. Will there be a corporate short form?

  20. 20.

    Alain the site fixer

    @Alain the site fixer: And not registering any requests or complaints. I’m listening to the Met broadcast and missing my mom something fierce(we saw this last season), and just really catching up on much-needed site updates.

  21. 21.

    pacem appellant

    @B.B.A.: We nearly wiped out the GOP in my state. It can be done, but it requires not-so squishy pols who can deftly avoid the both-siderism death pit.

  23. 23.

    SFAW

    @Mnemosyne:

    It’s easy to win if you do nothing but cheat and the referees never blow their whistles.

    C’mon, Mnem, you KNOW they blow their whistles. If they didn’t, how would we ever have known about the greatest threat EVAH to National Security that HER E-MAILS posed?

    Wait: did you mean they never blow their whistles for an ACTUAL violation? In that case: “Never mind”

  25. 25.

    SFAW

    @Alain the site fixer:

    And not registering any requests or complaints. I’m listening to the Met broadcast and missing my mom something fierce(we saw this last season),

    Good to see you. Which opera? (Asking for Siubhan, of course. Because she’s a little shy.)

  29. 29.

    Alain the site fixer

    @Major Major Major Major: When I publish my mom’s details here in the next few days, some amazing things will be revealed – like my mom was a freaking telenueva star! I mean – like WOW!
    And with that wonderful teaser, goodnight to all.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @SFAW:

    (Asking for Siubhan, of course. Because she’s a little shy.)

    Between being shy and being a mob enforcer, I get very little rest.

  43. 43.

    Schlemazel

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Remember the war against Franco
    the kind of war were each of us belong
    They may have won all the battles
    beut we had all the good songs

    – Tom Lehrer, The Folks Song Army

  44. 44.

    MomSense

    This tax scam process is so messed up we may actually defeat it – that is if Democrats don’t fuck up and lose Franken’s vote.

  47. 47.

    geg6

    OT, but apparently, Junior is claiming attorney client privilege for discussions with the Shitgibbon because a lawyer was in the room.

  48. 48.

    Schlemazel

    @MomSense:
    Not just lose Franken’s vote but have the GOP gain a child rapists vote. We can sure feel morally superior while we swirl the drain.

  49. 49.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Alain the site fixer:

    I’m listening to the Met broadcast and missing my mom something fierce(we saw this last season)

    I’ll be seeing Hansel & Gretel encore screening this Saturday. Saw it for the first time with my mother when I was about four years old. My dad was playing cello in the pit orchestra. He had given me a recording featuring Jane Powell as Gretel and Basil Rathbone (!) as the narrator and the Witch. I played those discs to the point that they were almost tissue-paper thin. Will never forget my first opera. Every note of it to this day, 71 years on, reminds me powerfully of my parents.

    I hope your musical memories bring back only the most wonderful recollections of your mother. Let me join in the chorus of those welcoming you back, and looking forward to your return to regular posting.

  52. 52.

    Ken

    @SFAW:

    Either “rutabaga,” or “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,”

    Some people have the weirdest safe words.

  53. 53.

    chopper

    But keeping the alternative minimum tax, and the imposition of new limits on the interest deductions that businesses can mark off, would cost Murray Energy $60 million in taxes

    HAH HAH HAH fuck you, bob.

  60. 60.

    Shana

    What’s the law in Minnesota about getting a replacement for Franken? Is it entirely up to the Governor? Does it have to be someone of the same party as the departing Senator? Is there an absence until they have a special election? Anyone know?

  61. 61.

    Adam L Silverman

    @MomSense: @Schlemazel: If Senator Franken does resign, Governor Dayton is going to replace him with another Democrat. The name being floated right now is the Lt. Governor of Minnesota, which would give Minnesota two women Democratic senators.

  67. 67.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Adam L Silverman: and even if Jones wins in AL, I believeDems would still need to peel one more R to join Corker in opposition to take them down to 49 and eliminate the Pence factor, no?

    Franked’s potential resignation doesn’t really affect the tax bill

  68. 68.

    dmsilev

    @Shana: Handy reference for all of the states. Minnesota is “Governor appoints replacement, who serves until the next statewide general election”. Minnesota’s Governor is a Democrat and would presumably pick a Democrat as the replacement, so Franken stepping down would not change the partisan balance.

  69. 69.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Shana: Yes. Governor Dayton will make an appointment. That person will then stand at the next regularly scheduled election, which will be in 2018. Right now the name being floated is the Lt. Governor, who is a woman.

  72. 72.

    SFAW

    @MomSense:

    I can’t believe we are actually sabotaging ourselves this way.

    Unfortunately, that statement is on a par with “I can’t believe the Republicans are trying to destroy the government.” Meaning: you’re smarter than that.

  73. 73.

    dmsilev

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Yes but. And the but is that, assuming Corker is still a no, McConnell has to keep every one of his Senators happy. Which means that their leverage for …special carve-outs gets very high. At the same time, of course, that the House is pulling out the clause identified at the top of this post and hence needing to find a few hundred billion dollars more in order to comply with the Senate’s reconciliation instructions. There are a lot of moving parts, and getting the gears jammed up is a distinct possibility.

    I still think they’d manage to pass something, because Republicans like their rich-people welfare, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.

  74. 74.

    Davebo

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I’m not sure who that R would be. Collins would be a natural choice but she’s not gonna do the right thing.

    Flake? I doubt it.

    And this all assumes the bill goes into reconciliation which is not a safe assumption. 2018 is sadly the only sure answer and I’m not sure about that.

  76. 76.

    Schlemazel

    @B.B.A.:
    There is however a huge change in the abilities and power that Al brought with him. What other Senator humiliated Sessions so well?

    Once the precedent is set expect this same bullshit against other Dems who will also be forced out while the pedophiles & rapists on the right merrily make sure all women pay dearly for enforcing purity on the left.

  77. 77.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @dmsilev: and I hope that happens, but even so, it’s about reducing the number of ‘yes’ votes. I’m no parliamentarian but I don’t think the number of “no”s actually matters. They’ve got to get to 50, plus Pence. From the Dems’ perspective, Joe Mancin, maybe Heitkanp, are bigger threats to stopping the bill than a Franken resignation.

  78. 78.

    SFAW

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    After Alain mentioned Nozze, I started listening to it, then segued into “La ci darem la mano,” various versions, with Terfel, Hampson, Hvorostovsky. Which got me to wondering: who are your favorite baritones? I was always partial to Ramey and Milnes, but that’s more because of my age. I seem to remember you really liked Hvorostovsky (based on comments I thought I remembered from you, when he died). But you’re also much more refined in your tastes than I am (re: opera), so I thought I could learn something.

    This should probably should have been saved for an OT, but I’m lazy.

  79. 79.

    Ian G.

    I’m thinking about whether I’d be willing to sacrifice the individual mandate if it meant the final destruction of the coal industry in this country….

  80. 80.

    Schlemazel

    @Shana:
    The Gov will appoint with an election held next fall. Remember just a few years ago we had 2 of the worst Republican Senators from Northern states. All squeaked out a win after recount against a corporate whore and the next person may not be so lucky

  86. 86.

    Davebo

    @Schlemazel:

    Humiliating Sessions isn’t exactly a rare skill.

    I say we wait to see what Franken decides, then burn that bridge when we get to it.

  87. 87.

    Schlemazel

    @Adam L Silverman:
    Klobuchar is an empty suit. She voted with Bush for 2 years and now studiously avoids controversy so she can build her chances for higher office. The Lt Gov is a blank slate. I am involved in DFL politics and I have no clue who she is at heart. Neither give me great confidence they can equal Franken’s out front liberalism.

  88. 88.

    Mary G

    @Adam L Silverman: Betsy and Erik’s parents didn’t do a great job in the teaching manners, the definition of hard work, and humility departments. Erik’s like “I’ve been here 2 1/2 hours, 3 1/2 hours, 3 hours now, and I flew in from Africa this morning…” Whaa Whaa Whaa. Also so many “I don’t remembers.” He can’t tell time or remember anything and he’s rude to members of Congress. And Trump wants to pay him a gazillion dollars to break the Geneva Conventions.

  89. 89.

    B.B.A.

    @Schlemazel: Yeah, well, maybe we should have thought of that before we elected a serial groper.

    I’m being unfair here, but life isn’t fair. Don’t get mad, get even. More and better Democratic ratfuckers!

  90. 90.

    Mnemosyne

    @Schlemazel:

    Once the precedent is set expect this same bullshit against other Dems who will also be forced out while the pedophiles & rapists on the right merrily make sure all women pay dearly for enforcing purity on the left.

    Yep. Now that the standard is “he squeezed my waist during a photo op,” every Democratic politician who ever touched someone during a photo op is fair game for anonymous accusations and demands for their resignations.

  92. 92.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mary G: When you’re a billionaire heir with a private mercenary army financially backed by the Peoples Republic of China…

  94. 94.

    SFAW

    @B.B.A.:

    Yeah, well, maybe we should have thought of that before we elected a serial groper.

    Good job! I was wondering who would come up with the most assholish thing to say.

  96. 96.

    Schlemazel

    @B.B.A.:
    Gee, its so simple! Why has nobody thought of that before?
    Al IS one of the better Dems but he will also be only the first to go if this bullshit works. Then you can shove all those better Dems where the GOP flows from.

    BTW – Al has the right to the investigation he has requested before you so blithely able hium a serial groper. We can tell 3 of those are out right lies so lets give the process a chance to play out before you start spewing GOP garbage

  97. 97.

    Davebo

    @Schlemazel:

    Klobuchar is an empty suit. She voted with Bush for 2 years

    I was going to say that’s a bit of an over generalization but as I look at her record now I’m not so sure.

  98. 98.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Adam L Silverman: it’s the “heir” part that gets to me. So much of the addle-pated fuckery corrupting our country comes from trust fund babies born (if I may torture Ann Richards’ metaphor) born in the club house after the game was won and thinking they hit the winning grand slam. Prince, the entire living trump clan, Kushner. I heard Steve Forbes the other day talking about how Obama shouldn’t be allowed to discuss world affairs. And let’s not forget George W Bush, who I believe remains the most destructive president in US history, if no longer perhaps the worst president

  100. 100.

    Shalimar

    @Schlemazel: Voted with Bush for 2 years on what? No significant legislation passed in 2007-2008 before the end of term bailouts, which were bipartisan because we were approaching a depression. Also, there aren’t many higher offices above Senator. What exactly does she seem to be positioning herself for?

  107. 107.

    Schlemazel

    @Davebo:
    Damn straight. Wife & I spent hours and many dollars on her campaign when she ran in 06. It looked like we had a chance. Then she voted with the GOP on key bills and when I called her office re staff flat out lied to me. When I saw he in person I challenged her on the lies & on her votes. She promised to get back to me & never has. Her support for out causes is a micron deep.

  109. 109.

    Schlemazel

    @Shalimar:
    I can think of two higher offices than US Senator . . . give it a think.

    As for the votes maybe you should look those up too

  112. 112.

    Shalimar

    @Schlemazel: I’m not going to look up and guess whatever votes she betrayed you on. And I’m not sure what is wrong with ambition if it has already gotten you to U.S. Senator.

  113. 113.

    SFAW

    @Alain the site fixer:

    I am SO going to start an Opera series. You’ve been impressed!

    Alain, you ALWAYS impress me.

    But, on the off-chance that you mean the other definition of “impressed”: better to leave that to Siubhan, she is far more knowledgeable than I am about opera and things of that sort. My opera knowledge is superficial, at best.

  114. 114.

    MomSense

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The problem is that we will have set a precedent such that we react with resignations for every accusation no matter how credible.

    And notice that the focus is off of trump, Moore, and Farenthold.

  115. 115.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @SFAW:

    I wouldn’t argue with any of the names you mentioned. Would add Cornell MacNeil — I never saw him, but remember loving some of his Verdi recordings. But Hampson is a great favorite, and Hvorostovsky will be greatly missed not only as a singer but also for his acting chops. And, by all accounts, he was a real mensch, just a super nice guy beloved by all his colleagues.

    And for the record, I have no special insights or expertise, just a love of the art form.

  118. 118.

    Alain the site fixer

    @SFAW: I did intend that meaning, and I hope to rope you both in – participatory. You can attest your approval and carry on. I figure she’ll help guide and write, share her knowledge.

  119. 119.

    SFAW

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    And for the record, I have no special insights or expertise, just a love of the art form.

    Oh, so now I’m a liar? From opera stud-ette to Mob Enforcer in two paragraphs, it’s a new record CD.

  122. 122.

    SFAW

    @Alain the site fixer:

    I second Siubhan’s “wonderful!”, but I’m telling ya, there are at least 10 regular commenters here, and probably more, who are head-and-shoulders above me for that stuff. Please trust me on this.

  125. 125.

    Alain the site fixer

    @SFAW: Ok. I’ll start it soon and hope you’re part of the Opera crew – I know a few others will be there but want less-expert folks who just love it, knowledge and/or sophistication be damned!

  127. 127.

    Ilefttxwhenannlost

    Long time reader…love this site…I don’t want Franken to resign…he is a great senator, smart unabashed liberal who works diligently…on the spectrum of sexual misconduct, his misdeeds seem to be groping and bad photo..,I agree with zero tolerance for this going forward…immediate resignation without investigation needs a higher level of offense…like settlements paid Conyers farenhold etc…requesting the ethics investigation was right and would likely snag others in congress…in fact, I would rather all the payouts from the settlement fund be detailed and public…not payers just the congress critters…makes more sense and has more me too relevance than Franken just resigning

  130. 130.

    Ilefttxwhenannlost

    This shit is pervasive…all women have experienced unwanted groping to be sure…on the bus or train…in a crowd…it is not okay…every time I have experienced it I made that clear to the proper…still exists and is pervasive

  131. 131.

    J R in WV

    @Ian G.:

    Don’t bother. Mostly it is going to die because all the profitable and valuable coal has already been mined. In another few years, no coal worth mining will be left.

    Plus, solar is now less expensive than even gas fired power. Once we have storage capacity, we’re golden as far as electric goes.

  132. 132.

    MomSense

    @Corner Stone:

    The Rs and media will ebolabenghaziemails groping allegations against Ds only. They’ll probably throw in a lot of werenwe too lenient with Bill Clinton and countdown clocks for Hillary’s response time for each allegation.

  134. 134.

    Alain the site fixer

    @Omnes Omnibus: Thanks, and I hope to interest you and others in it. It’s not for nothing that it has such appeal – it is the grand show. I’m as much into the costumes, set, materials/fabrics, lighting, as I am the performance of the orchestra or singers. But even just the audio of a good performance can be almost orgasmic.

  137. 137.

    Ilefttxwhenannlost

    @Lyrebird: congrats on gettin out…last straw…don’t like your neighbors get new ones..straight to San Francisco…the ubiquitous all carry gun thing happened at the same time…my thought was great now traffic accidents will turn into shoot em ups

  138. 138.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Robert Murray, founder and CEO of Murray Energy, said Tuesday that the tax hike on coal mining firms that would result from the changes would cancel out progress that President Trump has made on reviving the coal industry, according to CNN.

    My brain just boggled at this. Are they really this useslessly stupid?

  140. 140.

    Lyrebird

    @Ilefttxwhenannlost: Yeah, so true. When the “um please don’t bring your gun, however legal, in here” signs popped up at every convenience store, post office, etc, I thought… ahhhhhhhh no, maybe not my true home.

  141. 141.

    Ilefttxwhenannlost

    @Lyrebird: when I went back to visit…ubiquitous public building signage…universal symbols of no for smoking pets handguns..nuff said…even outside of liberal austin…on the road to the airport…billboard saying only the unarmed are mass murdered…holy crazeballs wtf

  142. 142.

    laura

    Fuck this rush to Shirley Sherrod AL Franken! Seriously, what is the heedless rush to cave in when Due Process is warranted?
    What other Rights are we willing to sacrafice, and what, if anything do we get in exchange?
    And just who are we to deny anyone ANYONE’S rights and then expect them to be there when we need them?
    Protect and defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and AL Franken and everyone else will be subject to Due Process of Law. Deny him and others and good luck reestablishing our rights.

  143. 143.

    TenguPhule

    @MomSense:

    This tax scam process is so messed up we may actually defeat it – that is if Democrats don’t fuck up and lose Franken’s vote.

    We are so fucked.

  145. 145.

    Vhh

    @J R in WV: true in principle but it takes much more storage than you think. Telstra, the biggest Telco in the sunniest country on Earth, runs its outback microwave relay stations on solar power. They have found that they need 10 days of battery backup power because even in Australia there are clouds and rain for that long.

  146. 146.

    Robert Sneddon

    @J R in WV: Coal mining is declining in West Virginia and the Appalachians but it’s still viable there for a long time assuming enough heavy automation which means a lot fewer jobs. Out West in the Powder River basin there’s several hundred years of accessible and profitable coal to be strip-mined at low cost and delivered by rail to coal-burning power stations in the East. The US has the largest proven reserves of cheap coal in the world. There’s no real indication of US coal consumption dropping much in the next few years (a little less than 3 tonnes per capita per annum, a bit more than the Chinese rate of consumption of a little more than 2 tonnes per capita per annum). People will talk about renewables and saving the planet and Earth Day but they’ll dig up every bit of black gold there is and burn it to keep the A/C running when it’s hot outside.

  147. 147.

    Zinsky

    Given the sober, thoughtful deliberate approach these GOP vultures took to so-called “tax reform”, is it any wonder this erasure-smudged legislation is riddled with errors, mistakes and unintended consequences? It doesn’t help that the intent was never “reform” so much as “gutting the ability of the U.S. Government to function properly”.

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