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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

Not all heroes wear capes.

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How stupid are these people?

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

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The words do not have to be perfect.

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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Thursday Morning Open Thread: Gauntlets Thrown

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Gauntlets Thrown

by Anne Laurie|  April 4, 20194:55 am| 143 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Dolt 45, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Trump Crime Cartel, All Too Normal

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Tantrums to follow:

BREAKING: Democratic-led House Judiciary Cmte. votes to authorize subpoenas to obtain Special Counsel Mueller’s complete report, its underlying evidence and related matters as well as documents from five former Trump admin. officials. https://t.co/sznd6WTbBM

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) April 3, 2019

“We’re going to work with the AG for a short period of time …if that doesn’t work out, in very short order, we’re going to issue subpoenas” –@RepJerryNadler Chmn of House Judiciary

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) April 3, 2019

Never mind the Mueller report, the real problem for the Trump Crime Cartel will be seeing what’s in Donny Dollhand’s personal records:

Breaking: The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has formally requested that the IRS hand over six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns.https://t.co/PwBsBT1Rm9

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 3, 2019

NEW: Cummings says accounting firm Mazars USA has asked for a friendly subpoena before sends the Oversight Committee 10 years of Trump’s financial records. Story w/ @BresPolitico https://t.co/Bmn2dHSDoj

— Andrew Desiderio (@desiderioDC) April 3, 2019

Richie Neal pulls the trigger – requests 6 years of Trump tax returns from the IRS for private inspection. @ericawerner @damianpaletta @jdawsey1https://t.co/dkbgy08rm2

— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) April 3, 2019

Updated story.

Trump has been using audits as a reason not to release his returns. Neal's request flips that around — making the audits the reason why he wants them. https://t.co/DzdiZoPoOa via @WSJ

— Richard Rubin (@RichardRubinDC) April 4, 2019

Get a load of President Bartleby over here https://t.co/1ZFccZ20uz

— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 3, 2019

The deliciousness of having Trump's tax returns in the hands on Congress in the next week is almost unspeakable.

To quote a hedge fund friend, "He's not a billionaire…*I'm* a billionaire. Trump is a clown living on credit."

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 4, 2019

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Reader Interactions

143Comments

  1. 1.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    April 4, 2019 at 5:27 am

    A. W.
    ‏ @AAkw0523
    10h10 hours ago
    Replying to @ABC

    They will do anything to try and derail him! Did anyone ask for the Clinton’s or Obama’s tax returns?! THIS IS WRONG!!!!

    16 replies . 0 retweets 2 likes

    Stable genius.

  2. 2.

    Jerzy Russian

    April 4, 2019 at 5:29 am

    Tick, Toc, Fother Muckers! (I don’t want to impinge on anyone’s trademark here).

  3. 3.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 5:33 am

    It’s about to get real.

  4. 4.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    April 4, 2019 at 5:36 am

    Jenna Johnson
    ‏Verified account @wpjenna

    Top contributor by occupation to Beto O’Rourke’s campaign so far: Teachers.

    11 replies . 49 retweets 129 likes

  5. 5.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    April 4, 2019 at 5:44 am

    Beto Mania returns to Iowa

    Dreamers for Beto (link)

    Moms for Beto (link)

    Ducks for Beto (link)

    Blondes for Beto (link)

    Brooklyn for Beto (link)

  6. 6.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 6:02 am

    Good Morning, Everyone ? ??

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    April 4, 2019 at 6:03 am

    Two little words:

    Al Capone.

  8. 8.

    JPL

    April 4, 2019 at 6:15 am

    Trump is not going to release his taxes and Steve Munchin is not going to release Trump’s taxes. They will tie it up in courts until he is out of office.

  9. 9.

    Immanentize

    April 4, 2019 at 6:38 am

    I don’t think we will find much in the returns, except his clouded value. But I like that the firm that has all his records is willing to turn things over as soon as they get a friendly subpoena. That means they might have already done so.

    A “friendly subpoena” is one that record holders ask for just to cover their asses. CPAs may have a limited right to claim privacy vis a vis a client, but a subpoena defeats that. Which is why, my friends, if you are a cheat, do not use just a CPA; use a CPA who is also a JD (lawyer). Then you have a lawyer/client privilege which is strong and cannot be defeated by subpoena alone.

  10. 10.

    Immanentize

    April 4, 2019 at 6:38 am

    Oh, to add, BLECH!

  11. 11.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 6:39 am

    @JPL: Add Obstruction of Justice to the innumerable crimes Mnuchin will serve time for.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    A man can dream, can’t he?

  12. 12.

    Immanentize

    April 4, 2019 at 6:43 am

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
    I don’t think the skinny Reverend is Brooklyn anymore.

  13. 13.

    Immanentize

    April 4, 2019 at 6:44 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    I really dislike that smarmy bastard. A real villain.

  14. 14.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 6:51 am

    I feel like people care a lot about food safety and someone could make it a campaign issue:

    The Trump administration plans to shift much of the power and responsibility for food safety inspections in hog plants to the pork industry as early as May, cutting the number of federal inspectors by about 40% and replacing them with plant employees.

  15. 15.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 6:54 am

    @Immanentize:

    INORITE. If I were going to cast a witness for the prosecution in a movie about the Salem Witch Trials, he’d be perfect.

  16. 16.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 4, 2019 at 6:54 am

    @Immanentize:

    do not use just a CPA; use a CPA who is also a JD (lawyer)

    Damn, back to my Rolodex. It’s April 4 already, dude, you couldn’t have given me this advice sooner?

  17. 17.

    Kirk Spencer

    April 4, 2019 at 6:55 am

    @JPL: Probably. Especially since Barr’s the one who would determine how the contempt charge for not responding to the subpoena progresses in court.

    That said there are enough supplemental pressures going on that it might happen. Not least (though not mentioned) are the repeated times the president promised to release his taxes once the alleged audit was completed. Because Mnuchin can now be brought before Ways and Means and asked two questions: are Trump’s taxes being audited, and when did the audit begin? (Please supply documentation.)

  18. 18.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 4, 2019 at 6:55 am

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: Um, nobody *asked* for Clinton and Obama tax returns because they released them in the course of the campaign. Unless I’m missing a joke here.

  19. 19.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 6:57 am

    @Immanentize: If only he had a mustache to twirl.

  20. 20.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 6:58 am

    @Kay:

    I hope you’re right. To me it seems like people only care about food safety when something big happens.

  21. 21.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 7:00 am

    Presidents of the United States make their tax returns a matter of public record. However, the practice of releasing returns as president or when running for office didn’t become commonplace until the late 1960’s. In the run-up to the 1968 presidential election, George Romney (the governor of Michigan at the time) released 12 years of his returns from 1955-1966 after being pressed by reporters. This set the precedent for presidential candidates to release their tax returns. Every president from Richard Nixon onward has made their tax returns public. The only exception was Gerald Ford, who kept his tax returns private.

  22. 22.

    Immanentize

    April 4, 2019 at 7:04 am

    I think folks know, that there is a specific FEDERAL LAW that gives the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee the absolute right to see anyone’s tax returns upon request (that is Chairperson Neal pictured above — another proud son of the Bay State).

    The Committee held hearings and talked to witnesses to create the necessary record that the request for Trump’s taxes was an appropriate oversight issue (including emoluments questions) and not a — uhm, what’s the phrase? — Witch hunt.

  23. 23.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 7:08 am

    @Immanentize: and not a — uhm, what’s the phrase? — Hillary hunt. But don’t worry, it will come back. The classics never go out of style..

  24. 24.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 7:14 am

    Serious question, what was the outcome of the thousands of FEC violations against the Sanders campaign in 2016? He’s now out raising everyone else and it concerns me that he hasn’t even been asked if this campaign has better controls. He was calling for stricter campaign finance laws last time around while his campaign couldn’t even comply with the current laws.

  25. 25.

    waratah

    April 4, 2019 at 7:14 am

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: I love the duckie!
    There is a twitter account for Artemis Beto’s dog. He is not going to be happy if Beto is adding ducks to the list.

  26. 26.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 7:15 am

    @MomSense:

    Oh, I think they do. I feel like it’s pretty simple- they want to buy something and rely on that it is what it purports to be – “inspected” or “safe”. They’re right too- they shouldn’t have to become experts on airplanes or pork quality or auto emission systems testing calibration to make an ordinary purchase. They don’t want more risk and complexity in transactions- they want less risk. They already have to deal with parsing health insurance policies and plans, which is like a part time, unpaid job.

    This is Elizabeth Warren’s lane but it shouldn’t be JUST Elizabeth Warren’s lane. The rest of them could pick some of this up.

    Trump is a really conventional far Right Republican, in addition to being a lying crook. There’s a lot of room for growth in attacking him there.

  27. 27.

    debbie

    April 4, 2019 at 7:17 am

    I believe it was Colbert who pointed out that Trump’s tweeting about Nadler’s hypocrisy in not having wanted the Starr Report released was disingenuous because Nadler objected to it being released to the public, not Congress. Between this and the bullshit 10-year audit, Trump’s running out of excuses.

  28. 28.

    kd bart

    April 4, 2019 at 7:22 am

    @Kay: Suffering from food poisoning to own the libtards.

  29. 29.

    debbie

    April 4, 2019 at 7:25 am

    @Kay:

    As someone’s who dealt with food poisoning a number of times (as in, between 10 and 15 over the past 20 years), food safety should definitely be a campaign issue.

  30. 30.

    Matt McIrvin

    April 4, 2019 at 7:26 am

    @JPL: Or until Trump is reelected and the Republicans take back the House, at which point all of this just stops. I don’t think the general public cares about it anyway; I mean, nothing about the Mueller probe moved opinions about Trump a millimeter in either direction.

  31. 31.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 7:27 am

    @MomSense:

    This may be anecdotal but people “bring me things”, into the law office. That’s how I think of it- they bring me things :)

    Insurance policies or something they signed at a car dealer or something they were told at work about a rule or a reg or a right they do or don’t have- I think they feel overwhelmed and vulnerable – like their ordinary day to day transactions are too complex and fraught with unknown pitfalls. That they will make a bad decision and get screwed- that it’s all adversarial- a contest between them and whoever they’re buying from or contracting with, a contest they will lose because the other side is more sophisticated. I’m sympathetic to that, how they shouldn’t have to be ultra-savvy to make an ordinary purchase on rely on an assertion. People don’t really have time for this. They have to make the money to make the purchase- they can’t inspect the fucking good or service too.

  32. 32.

    debbie

    April 4, 2019 at 7:27 am

    @Immanentize:

    I don’t think we will find much in the returns, except his clouded value.

    My bet is we’ll see lots of sleezeball tactics. The one year he did release showed he claimed a huge NOL($900 million?), even as he paid himself a huge salary ($50 million?).

  33. 33.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 7:28 am

    @Kay:

    I agree that people want to buy something or use a service and know that it’s what it purports to be, that it’s safe, and that it’s inspected. I just think that people don’t think about it until something goes wrong. We’ve had so many issues with food inspection and food safety but the public doesn’t clamor for stricter regulations and increased budgets for more rigorous inspection regimes in between big events.

  34. 34.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 7:31 am

    @JPL: Oh and by the way, I’m pretty sure the state of New York would be forthcoming with his NY tax returns should the committee request them.

  35. 35.

    Amir Khalid

    April 4, 2019 at 7:34 am

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
    Who is A.W.?

  36. 36.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 7:35 am

    @Kay:

    They shouldn’t have to feel overwhelmed and vulnerable or be taken advantage of. I agree. You’ve also said you live in a Republican voting district. Why do those same people then turn around and vote for the people who make their lives more precarious? We have a huge disconnect and my hunch is that yesrs of Republicans creating dysfunction in government have convinced too many people that government can’t help them. My interest is in figuring out how we communicate so people will decide its in their interest to vote for the people who will help.

  37. 37.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    April 4, 2019 at 7:36 am

    @Immanentize: I did not know that. Good news.

    I don’t care if Trump’s tax returns show he’s not a billionaire. I haven’t demanded that of any other president. I don’t even care that he lies to the public about his wealth. I already know he lies.

    I do care if the returns show fraud, tax evasion, etc.

    I was at a long writers group meeting last night, so I’m just catching up on the Mueller’s people leaks. We have a long slog ahead of us yet, but this is a ray of hope.

  38. 38.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    April 4, 2019 at 7:37 am

    @debbie: Dear god, what and where are you eating?

  39. 39.

    debbie

    April 4, 2019 at 7:39 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Ground turkey, eggs (several times), broccoli sprouts, Wendy’s salad, mangos, and maybe a few other things I’m not remembering at the moment. Maybe this is why I can’t give up chocolate. It’s the last safe food. ;)

  40. 40.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 7:40 am

    @MomSense:

    I think it’s partly because we’ve gotten rid of a lot of the “agents”- the everyday “experts”. The intermediary that modern markets decided were inefficient or didn’t add value- the person. You didn’t have to understand “meat”, you had a butcher for that. You could buy a car from a person you knew and you weren’t relying on the auto manufacturer- you were relying on the person not to rip you off. That’s the value those people added, people like travel agents or insurance agents. Sure, you CAN do their jobs, maybe, to a better or worse degree, but that adds its own cost in risk and time spent.

    Fire 40% of inspectors and inspect your own meat. Good luck! :)

  41. 41.

    Bobby Thomson

    April 4, 2019 at 7:41 am

    Gotta say, this highlights the importance of our candidates making their returns public and soon. I’ve been a strong Harris supporter but that could change quickly.

    I don’t expect ever to see Sanders’ returns. They obviously are campaign killers.

  42. 42.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 7:43 am

    @Kay:
    They are messing with my bacon??

  43. 43.

    Matt McIrvin

    April 4, 2019 at 7:44 am

    @MomSense: The great Republican pitch is that the Democrats’ constituencies are taking advantage of them: racial minorities, bureaucrats, poor people on public assistance, foreigners getting aid from the US, Puerto Rican hurricane victims, trans people in public bathrooms, the Republicans say they’re all fakers who are running some kind of scam and trying to get away with something. Think about how Trump always talked about someone or other “laughing at us”. They turn the feeling of constantly being cheated around to their advantage.

  44. 44.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 7:45 am

    @Matt McIrvin: Americans: The Barr letter is not enough

    Overall, three-quarters said the full Mueller report should be made public. That included a majority of Republicans (54 percent). Just 18 percent overall said Barr’s summary is enough.

    Two-thirds (66 percent) also said they want Mueller to testify before Congress, and 64 percent said the same for Barr.

  45. 45.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 7:48 am

    @Bobby Thomson:

    I don’t think Bernie cheats on his taxes. I think he’s a self-conscious Lefty who is embarrassed that he has a million dollars – or whatever he has! I don’t care! But his supporters will. Because they set this up as a purer than thou contest. Bernie made his bed. Turn them over, Bernie. This is ridiculous. George Romney can manage it but Bernie Sanders cannot.

  46. 46.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 7:51 am

    @Kay:

    I remember those agents. A lot of them complained all the time about too much government red tape. I’m just saying that we have to deal with magical thinking. One of the reasons Reagan and now Trump are so popular is because they keep pushing the idea that you can have it all without paying for it. People want to believe in the impossible.

    How would you message the reality of the choices we face?

  47. 47.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 7:55 am

    @Matt McIrvin:

    They are masters at distraction and deflection using prejuduce, bias, and racism to full advantage. It’s sickening.

  48. 48.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 7:56 am

    @Bobby Thomson:

    Taxes for members of congress who are running are really important for one thing, IMO. They show if the person made lots of money after entering office, or while in office. That’s an issue. Gillibrand did not (she might be the “poorest” of the bunch, so far, especially for living in NY, which is expensive) and neither did Klobachur. They have their senate salaries and then a spouse’s income. They’re what you would expect.

    I looked a long time ago so it may have changed but Biden hasn’t gotten rich while in Congress either. I also looked at Sherrod Brown at one time and he has exactly what one would expect for a career in government, not substantially more. He has a salary and an upper income (but ordinary) house and retirement savings. The Obama’s had higher income because Michelle was a high earner, but Obama made what one would expect from a public employee.

  49. 49.

    Searcher

    April 4, 2019 at 7:58 am

    @Kay: George Romney gets a lot of credit from me for trying to desegregate housing (though he was shutdown by Nixon).

  50. 50.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 7:59 am

    @Kay:

    We called this back in the summer of 2016. When the pressure started building for him to release his tax returns, he dropped millionaire from his stump speech. He also changed 1% to .001%. One of the benefits of being on the periphery for Sanders was that he could say what he wanted without ever having to walk that talk. He has never had to deal with the scrutiny of being a player. I hope we change that soonest.

  51. 51.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    April 4, 2019 at 7:59 am

    @Amir Khalid: a rank and file Dump supporter responding to the news.

  52. 52.

    gene108

    April 4, 2019 at 8:01 am

    @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:

    Not sure about how many years of returns Obama released, but Hillary released 39 years of returns in 2016.

    No one has to ask you for something, if you do it voluntarily.

    What a disgrace of a human being.

  53. 53.

    Bobby Thomson

    April 4, 2019 at 8:02 am

    @Kay: the returns may not show that he’s dirty, but his extreme reluctance to disclose them despite the blowback means they’ve decided, like Trump and Mittens (who disclosed only one full return), that the political cost of disclosing them is higher. Whatever is in there, it’s bad. It may show hypocrisy, it may show fraud, but it shows something.

  54. 54.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 8:03 am

    @debbie:

    My bet is we’ll see lots of sleezeball tactics.

    I think they will be more than sleazeball tactics. There will be things that are flatly illegal and would have been caught had his taxes actually been audited.

  55. 55.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 8:04 am

    @Kay:

    but Obama made what one would expect from a public employee.

    and best selling author.

  56. 56.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 8:07 am

    @MomSense:

    OTOH, and I know I’ll get shit for this but it IS, in my view, an issue and one of the reasons Clinton was vulnerable on high income and assets was because they made it while in or around government. That’s what upsets people. You can come in a rich person (FDR, Kennedy, Romney) but people can’t think you got rich as a result of serving in government. Romney is actually vulnerable there and it’s why Obama was so effective attacking him.

    Bernie (famously) didn’t work until he was 37 or whatever so if he has substantial income or assets he got them while in Congress. Not illegal! But that’s the issue.

  57. 57.

    plato

    April 4, 2019 at 8:07 am

    @Kay: Both totus thug and bs have killed that tax returns are a must for prez run tradition/meme forever. The voters don’t seem to give a shit anymore about if their rulers are utterly corrupt.

  58. 58.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:07 am

    @Roger Moore:

    We are going to find out he is cash poor and living on credit. We are also going to find out that he has lied in a lot of loan applications and financial disclosure forms.

  59. 59.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:10 am

    @Kay:

    My recollection is that the Clintons made their money after Bill left office, just like every other president. W joked about needing to refill his coffers because everyone knows former presidents make bank on speaking fees, books, boards of directors, etc.

  60. 60.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 8:11 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Right. The book sales were huge. They probably believe they have less money because Michelle did unpaid work for a decade, and based on what she made in the private sector, they would be right to think that. They lost about half a million a year in her earning capacity. I don’t think they’re crying about it and I would be horrified if they did but it is a fact :)

  61. 61.

    A Ghost To Most

    April 4, 2019 at 8:12 am

    @MomSense:
    I think this likely. He may owe more than he is worth.

  62. 62.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 8:14 am

    @MomSense:

    Right but W’s wife didn’t then run for President, or they increased earnings after office would have been an issue. And should be, IMO. I know most people here disagree with that.

    We all know it goes on. I think Paul Ryan quit because he’ll make MUCH more money as the former “Paul Ryan, R, WI” but if he runs for President down the road it should and will be an issue.

  63. 63.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 8:24 am

    @MomSense:

    My recollection is that the Clintons made their money after Bill left office

    And while Hillary was in the Senate and then SoS. As far as I know, they released damn near everything and nothing untoward was ever found, but that didn’t stop the GOP from creating a Montana sized cloud of smoke and call it evidence of corruption to add to their 20 year smear campaign.

  64. 64.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:26 am

    @Kay:

    W’s wealth before becoming president was all thanks to his Dad who was veep and pres and just about everything else before that. That W had any money or Jobs was all thanks to his dad and his government connections and it didn’t matter at all in his campaigns for president. Hillary was completely transparent about her sources of income and she was penalized for it like no one else has been. What would be interesting is how Michelle would be treated for becoming wealthy because of her role as FLOTUS if she decided to run for office. I mean it’s a small sample size of former First Ladies period let alone those who seek office themselves.

  65. 65.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:28 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    It wasn’t the GOP though. It was Sanders who did it and he didn’t even have the decency to be honest about what he was accusing her of.

  66. 66.

    Betty Cracker

    April 4, 2019 at 8:31 am

    @Kay: I agree with you on that. People using government service as a springboard to a big payday isn’t illegal, but it plays into the narrative that public servants are crooks and beholden to lobbyists and special interest groups, etc.

  67. 67.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 8:32 am

    @Kay:

    I don’t think Bernie cheats on his taxes. I think he’s a self-conscious Lefty who is embarrassed that he has a million dollars – or whatever he has!

    I don’t think it’s how much money he has that’s the source of embarrassment; it’s the source of that money. It would be deeply embarrassing to mister purity pony if his personal wealth had come from the kind of big companies he’s been criticizing- or maybe the few he hasn’t been criticizing, like the gun manufacturers.

  68. 68.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 8:33 am

    @MomSense: The GOP made a whole lot of noise with their unending committee investigations into supposed irregularities during her time as SoS. Yes, Sanders planted a few seeds but it was the GOP who plowed and fertilized that field for years.

  69. 69.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 4, 2019 at 8:34 am

    I need to write a couple of these best selling books. Took my car in for a regular service (a bargain at just $343!) and got back a list of recommended repairs totaling (pause for dramatic effect) $6,246. Guess it’s time to abandon the dealership and go back to the sketchy Russian guy….

  70. 70.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:36 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    I think it’s a narrative that is only applied to Democrats.

  71. 71.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 4, 2019 at 8:37 am

    @MomSense: yeah, their family fortune was made by doing dirty work for actual blue bloods

  72. 72.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:38 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    True but the whole wall st speeches thing was Bernie.

  73. 73.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 8:39 am

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Blue bloods and NAZIs – the OG NAZIs.

  74. 74.

    artem1s

    April 4, 2019 at 8:41 am

    @MomSense:

    He’s now out raising everyone else

    Actual donations? or thousands of $27 bribes from Russian bots? Did he ever return those foreign donations from 2016?

  75. 75.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 8:45 am

    Elizabeth Warren wants CEOs to go to jail when their companies behave badly

    The Corporate Executive Accountability Act builds on the Ending Too Big to Jail Act, which Warren also introduced.
    ……………………………….
    Through his research, Garrett has found that corporate prosecutions and corporate enforcement at the federal level have declined under President Donald Trump’s administration. He told me that generally, in about only one-third of cases where public companies enter a plea agreement or deferred prosecution agreements, are convicted, or admit there was a crime, people associated with the case are prosecuted.

    Pieces of legislation like these would be tough to sell among moderate Democrats, not to mention Republicans. Democrats would have to take back the Senate in 2020 and probably abolish the filibuster to get something like this passed, and even then, there are no guarantees.

    Moreover, past administrations have also promised to get tough on financial crimes and corporate America only to soften up once they’re in control. Of course, Warren has bet much of her career on railing against corporations and banks, so this could be different.

    I’m not holding my breath, but this is why I send her money. Not because I think she could become President.

  76. 76.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 4, 2019 at 8:46 am

    Get a load of President Bartleby over here

    Lol

  77. 77.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 8:48 am

    @Steve in the ATL:

    and got back a list of recommended repairs totaling (pause for dramatic effect) $6,246.

    Did it come with a list of preferred vacation spots too?

  78. 78.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 8:49 am

    @MomSense: Yes.

  79. 79.

    Raven

    April 4, 2019 at 8:50 am

    @Steve in the ATL: That’s either engine or tranny. I’m liking my KIA 10 year 100,000 mile warranty even better!

  80. 80.

    Betty Cracker

    April 4, 2019 at 8:51 am

    @MomSense: Mostly true, and that’s unfair, but here we are. I wish the Dems made more noise about rooting out corruption in Congress, which is rampant among Republicans, but the presence of a handful of crooks in their ranks, like Menendez (D-NJ), makes that a heavier lift. ETA: Also, the fact that bribery is pretty much legal makes it tough.

  81. 81.

    Aleta

    April 4, 2019 at 8:53 am

    @Steve in the ATL: It was a sad day when our dentist sold her boat, for we’d put so much into that beauty.

  82. 82.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 4, 2019 at 8:55 am

    @Kay: I don’t think his hardcore supporters will care, it’s a cult of personality. Besides, when have lefties ever shied away from following wealthy leaders?

  83. 83.

    snoey

    April 4, 2019 at 8:56 am

    @Roger Moore: Charitable contributions are probably quite light as well. After all his mere existence is a pretty large gift to the universe.

  84. 84.

    zhena gogolia

    April 4, 2019 at 8:56 am

    @Steve in the ATL:

    Deripaska?

  85. 85.

    zhena gogolia

    April 4, 2019 at 8:57 am

    I think Bernie is probably hiding things that are much worse than what you all think.

  86. 86.

    Spanky

    April 4, 2019 at 8:57 am

    @Steve in the ATL: Ah, you have a VW, I see.

  87. 87.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 4, 2019 at 9:00 am

    @Raven: nothing so dramatic–a couple of sensors, a couple of tires, brake pads, etc., plus $1,800 for a piece of the glass panorama roof that shattered for no reason but totally isn’t a manufacturing defect.

  88. 88.

    geg6

    April 4, 2019 at 9:00 am

    @Kay:

    I don’t think Bernie cheats on his taxes.

    Perhaps. But I’m quite sure his grifting wife does.

  89. 89.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 4, 2019 at 9:01 am

    @zhena gogolia: not THAT sketchy!

  90. 90.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 4, 2019 at 9:02 am

    @Spanky: different German brand. Should have gone Asian….

    @Aleta: lol

  91. 91.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    April 4, 2019 at 9:04 am

    @Aleta: You guys. I prefer to invest in infrastructure, like the wing of the public library paid for by my overdue fines.

  92. 92.

    Betty Cracker

    April 4, 2019 at 9:11 am

    On one of the recent Sunday shows, Sanders claimed his taxes are almost ready to be released, once the “i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.” I’m glad he’s being asked about it and don’t think he’ll get away with excuses this time, like delaying it until the primaries are over and then never releasing it because he lost. He may get away with releasing only the 2018 taxes though. I wonder if he was able to hide a lot of cash from 2016-2017 like a common one-percenter.

  93. 93.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 9:11 am

    @MomSense:

    I actually had no problem with the foundation. The Clintons leveraging their wealthy friends for good works is all good as far as I’m concerned :)

    I guess I think the paid speeches are bullshit anyway- it annoys me that companies pay so much for such dumb stunts.

    We have a Ford dealer here- nice man, I’m good friends with his wife, and he was going on and on about a Condi Rice speech at a Ford Motor event and I’m thinking “OMG, how much did you idiots pay for that?” I feel the same way about inspirational football coaches who get huge speaking fees – we can get all this on the cheap from a viewing of Friday Night Lights :)

  94. 94.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 9:14 am

    @geg6:

    I get a really bad sense from her too. It’s probably not fair because it’s just gut dislike.

  95. 95.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:15 am

    Tom Watson (@tomwatson) Tweeted:
    Holy crap – “a group called the ‘Progressive International’ was announced at a convention last year held by the Sanders Institute, a think tank founded by the presidential contender’s wife and son.” Haven’t we had enough foreign interference in US elections? https://t.co/YfKAlHWgWb https://twitter.com/tomwatson/status/1113789741965762561?s=17

  96. 96.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 4, 2019 at 9:16 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I remember those days…and then I got a Kindle and it was never an issue again

  97. 97.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:17 am

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    “Jared Kushner is a billionaire. He has lawyers look at every single doc he’s ever filled out. So when you submit paperwork that leaves out of 100 foreign contacts & meetings—it’s clear there’s something sinister there.” Scott Dworkin on MSNBC https://t.co/0PZ8KQlsBz https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113623471836270594?s=17

  98. 98.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:18 am

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    AG Barr buried summaries written by Mueller’s team meant for public release. We need to see those immediately, in addition to the full report. We also need to see all communications between AG Barr and the White House around the time of Barr’s letter. This is a massive cover up. https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113685188024905729?s=17

  99. 99.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:19 am

    Anyone got video of this?
    Hint hint FrontPagers

    Kim Wexler’s Ponytail (@MadisonKittay) Tweeted:
    Lawrence O’Donnell dragging @BernieSanders for not releasing his tax returns, after Dana Milbank did it on CNN this afternoon, is like cool, cool water to me. Y’all wanted Bernie to be treated like a front-runner? THAT’S how a front-runner gets treated.

    #VettingBernie https://twitter.com/MadisonKittay/status/1113638077535277056?s=17

  100. 100.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:23 am

    ??????

    https://twitter.com/djchefron/status/1113782402760024064

  101. 101.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 9:24 am

    @rikyrah:

    I don’t know. To me it’s completely in keeping with their whole world view.

    They DO NOT believe the rules that apply to other people apply to them. It goes further than that, they think people who follow rules are suckers, because NOT following rules gives them an edge.

    They don’t think “what if everybody ignored the rules the way we do?” They think “it’s good that all these suckers follow rules, because that’s my edge”.

    The thing is he’s special and he doesn’t have to comply. I don’t think we can even get our arms around the extent of the entitlement at work here. Life-long. Imparted to him. Since he was two years old. At every step of his life, there it was, providing a boost and a safety net.

  102. 102.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 9:25 am

    @Kay:

    It’s probably not fair because it’s just gut dislike.

    Your gut is unconsciously cuing into various signs that you have learned to distrust because others who displayed them in the past turned out to be scumbags. Following one’s “gut” as a teen or 20 something is not necessarily smart. As a 50 or 60 something person? You’d be a fool not to. As a lawyer who has probably seen far more than your fair share of scummy people and scummy behaviors?

  103. 103.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 9:26 am

    @MomSense:

    W’s wealth before becoming president was all thanks to his Dad who was veep and pres and just about everything else before that.

    That’s an oversimplification. W’s money mostly came from his ownership share in the Texas Rangers, who prospered while he was running the team. It’s true that his value to the team was mostly because of his political connections rather than his baseball knowledge*, but those were W’s own connections within Texas politics, not his father’s national connections. You can plausibly argue that his father effectively staked him in Texas politics, but at that point you’re arguing about how much success an heir can attribute to his own skill vs. his inherited wealth.

    *I don’t think he was nearly as bad at running the team as other people suggest. For example, the Sammy Sosa trade, which people including W have pointed out as a mistake, looks like a perfectly good trade to me; Sosa did eventually pan out, but not until after the end of the contract he was under when Bush traded him.

  104. 104.

    Eunicecycle

    April 4, 2019 at 9:26 am

    @MomSense: and I believe he found out about it because she released her taxes!

  105. 105.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:28 am

    ???

    Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) Tweeted:
    A country where a president can avoid any accountability because his appointed AG neutralized a report and then hid it from the public is not a functioning democracy. https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1113759486748106752?s=17

  106. 106.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:30 am

    Scott Dworkin (@funder) Tweeted:
    Sarah Sanders says Democrats are “playing a very dangerous game,” by investigating White House security clearance abuses. I think the actual “very dangerous game” is giving security clearances to people who shouldn’t have them. https://twitter.com/funder/status/1113156158272024576?s=17

  107. 107.

    Aleta

    April 4, 2019 at 9:30 am

    Idle Q about bots for votes. For ex., if that @David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: were one. Do they just set the retweet subjects to a proportion, according to target audience ? That one could be (all retweets) 80% animal feel-good, 4% football, 5-10% indirect call out (HOBBY LOBBY is looking to hire someone like you! Are you interested?); 5% and up direct politics as needed.

    BTW First I searched this question. The 1st site that came up looked phony to me. (Can’t say if that’s true or my projection.)

  108. 108.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:33 am

    Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) Tweeted:
    Dear @realDonaldTrump: Since you believe #WindmillsCauseCancer, will people who live near windmills be viewed as having a preexisting condition? This is very important because you and @GOP are suing in court to eliminate the law that protects preexisting conditions coverage. https://t.co/S2fFcLzbQO https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1113777002799075331?s=17

  109. 109.

    TS (the original)

    April 4, 2019 at 9:34 am

    @Kay:

    I think Paul Ryan quit because he’ll make MUCH more money as the former “Paul Ryan, R, WI”

    I’ve always thought he quit because he couldn’t handle the heat when people began to realise he was no policy wonk & a useless speaker. That he could make money outside government was a bonus.

    Edit: He also had concerns as to whether he would be defeated at the polls

  110. 110.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 9:35 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    That’s true. You do get better at it. You have that internal “nope- not buying this”

    I still get fooled regularly. I cannot tell you how many positive drug screens have disappointed me. I have like a 50% correct guess rate. I would get beat by people who throw darts at boards. We once had a juvenile placement case – they need a place to go rather than detention which you must provide to the judge to make his job easy- I basically do his whole job which is the real secret of my success- where every single adult in an extended family who came forward to house the kid and monitor him tested positive.

  111. 111.

    JR

    April 4, 2019 at 9:37 am

    @Kay: I think that’s true, but there’s no industry with more fraud/corruption than the building trades and consumers are completely reliant on agents/contractors as their intermediaries.

  112. 112.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 4, 2019 at 9:38 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Following one’s “gut” as a teen or 20 something is not necessarily smart. As a 50 or 60 something person? You’d be a fool not to.

    I do not support following one’s gut, especially in liking people. That is exactly where bigotry happens. People followed their gut that Hillary wasn’t trustworthy. Following one’s gut becomes truthiness very, very quickly.

  113. 113.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:38 am

    Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) Tweeted:
    Fmr. Assistant FBI Director Frank Figliuzzi: “If this is indeed the first leakage we’re seeing from the special counsel’s team, we need to stand up and pay attention to that … That tells us they are not happy with what the attorney general is doing.” @allinwithchris https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1113597138720690176?s=17

  114. 114.

    tobie

    April 4, 2019 at 9:40 am

    @waratah: I’m seeing a pattern here with a son named Homer and a dog named Artemis. Beto’s also talked about the value of education in acquainting people with poetry and inspiring them to write poetry. Yay, humanities. It’s such a relief to here someone emphasize that education is about more than STEM.

  115. 115.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 9:40 am

    @Kay:

    I guess I think the paid speeches are bullshit anyway- it annoys me that companies pay so much for such dumb stunts.

    This. The paid speeches are a symptom of the bigger problem of big corporations- and the wealthy in general- having more money than they can productively use. If Goldman Sachs has enough money to pay $500K for a 1-2 hour speech, it’s a sign we need to tax and regulate Wall Street more thoroughly.

  116. 116.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 9:42 am

    @Kay:

    It’s probably not fair because it’s just gut dislike.

    It doesn’t have anything to do with her bankrupting the community college she was running, or her getting a sinecure at a Bernie-aligned think tank?

  117. 117.

    TerryC

    April 4, 2019 at 9:44 am

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: I learned two days ago how to go online and renew the library books I have out rather than letting them sit around for weeks collecting fines.

    It has never been a question of “is there a fine” just a matter of “how much”. This might change the dynamic. What will they do without my money?

  118. 118.

    Aleta

    April 4, 2019 at 9:45 am

    @Aleta: yikes, it sounds like I called David M C K a bot. I meant the account in David’s link, as a pretend example …. Hope you will kindly excuse this defamation of character, David MCK.

  119. 119.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 9:45 am

    @Eunicecycle:

    I believe he found out about it because she released her taxes!

    Which is obviously why he’s afraid of releasing his own taxes. He knows there’s stuff in there that would be even more toxic than the stuff he found in Hillary’s.

  120. 120.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:45 am

    Amene (@Ange_Amene) Tweeted:
    Nightly reminder

    Bernie Sanders is NOT a better choice, nominee or candidate than Donald Trump.

    Bernie Sanders & Sonald Trump both benefited from Russian interference and trashing Hillary Clinton. https://twitter.com/Ange_Amene/status/1113638912998535168?s=17

  121. 121.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:46 am

    skeptical brotha ? (@skepticalbrotha) Tweeted:
    i know the IRS is independent. i believe that the person heading that agency is about to be fired if they attempt to comply with the law and turn over any tax information related to Trump. https://twitter.com/skepticalbrotha/status/1113667193701638144?s=17

  122. 122.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 9:47 am

    @Roger Moore:

    After all his failed businesses and other problems, his career would have been over without his dad. He never would have had the Texas Rangers opportunity without so many nail outs from dad and his friends over the years.

  123. 123.

    EthylEster

    April 4, 2019 at 9:48 am

    The deliciousness of having Trump’s tax returns in the hands on Congress in the next week is almost unspeakable.

    Does Rick Wilson really think this is happening in a week?

  124. 124.

    rikyrah

    April 4, 2019 at 9:48 am

    Thread

    The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) Tweeted:
    I imagine William Barr will get the worst sleep of his life tonight.

    He’s now wholly implicated as corruptly obstructing justice.

    If I’m him, I’m thinking I can either cut and run – let the summaries fly and abandon obstructing full release – or go all-in on full cover-up.

    1/ https://twitter.com/HoarseWisperer/status/1113670576332267520?s=17

  125. 125.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 9:53 am

    @Kay:

    I still get fooled regularly.

    I should have phrased that as “listen to one’s gut”. One’s gut isn’t always right. Here in Methopotamia seeing a yard full of abandoned vehicles, boats with motors halfway disassembled, and just simple junk is not uncommon (1 in 10?). It can be taken as an indicator of drug use but quite often it is just a sign of impoverishment. Add in piles of garbage scattered by the wind with used disposable diapers, rotting meat and the ’67 Chevy septic system….

    ETA

    where every single adult in an extended family who came forward to house the kid and monitor him tested positive.

    is a lot more common than people think

  126. 126.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 9:59 am

    @JR:

    consumers are completely reliant on agents/contractors as their intermediaries.

    No. Most locales have building permit offices and inspectors who enforce the nationally standardized building codes. Here in Washington Co MO, there is no code enforcement and the situation is indeed “buyer beware” but that is not the norm for wealthier locales and major metropolitan areas..

  127. 127.

    Kay

    April 4, 2019 at 10:01 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    When heroin really hit here I was disbelieving not because they’re not drug users or addicts but because I thought of it like an exotic “rock star” drug- it was if you told me they had all become addicted to imported champagne. My first addict I was like pissed at him- “oh, THIS now? The drugs of the rich and famous? METH wasn’t good enough for you?” I thought law enforcement and prosecutors had hit on another fad- like how they thought everyone was a devil worshipper or a “gang member” for a while. They have fads, those people. I’m skeptical of their judgment.

    Then I found out how much of it there was and how cheap it was.

  128. 128.

    tobie

    April 4, 2019 at 10:07 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: Are there federal statutes regarding the individual responsibiity of executives for business decisions in LLCs and incorporations? It seems like that is where Warren is going, so instead of handling this piecemeal based on named bad actors and named industries, it would make more sense to focus on the broader principle.

  129. 129.

    hueyplong

    April 4, 2019 at 10:08 am

    @EthylEster: I think he is setting up his readers to be pissed when Congress does not have the returns in a week.

  130. 130.

    Roger Moore

    April 4, 2019 at 10:10 am

    @rikyrah:

    i believe that the person heading that agency is about to be fired if they attempt to comply with the law and turn over any tax information related to Trump.

    If the choice is between complying with the law and being fired or violating the law and keeping their job, they should get fired. It’s not a hard call.

  131. 131.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 10:11 am

    @Kay:

    Then I found out how much of it there was and how cheap it was.

    That has surprised me too. I believe it has overtaken meth in popularity here in the hills and hollers.

  132. 132.

    MomSense

    April 4, 2019 at 10:15 am

    @Kay:

    I knew as soon as I heard the announcement about our retaliation in Afghanistan that we would soon be facing another epidemic.

  133. 133.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 10:20 am

    @tobie:

    Are there federal statutes regarding the individual responsibiity of executives for business decisions in LLCs and incorporations?

    In the article they state that under current law execs have to take active measures in pursuit of illegal business practices for them to be prosecuted. Warren’s legislation would change the requirement to if they do not exercise due diligence to insure that illegal activity is not occurring, they can be prosecuted. If guilty they would be sent to prison for a year on a first time offense and 3 years for a repeat.

    It does not mention financial penalties but I would be very surprised if they weren’t there too. I think the chance of being stripped of home, cars, and bank accounts as the poisoned fruit of illegal behavior could be just as strong an incentive as any jail time.

  134. 134.

    Aleta

    April 4, 2019 at 10:34 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    As a 50 or 60 something person? You’d be a fool not to.

    I think the gut is one of the readings one can take, but I’ve also noticed people (like my libertar. sister) claim their gut is an infallible judge of character when they have unacknowledged bias. Or they haven’t even met the person IRL. People who enjoy punishing others seem to fall back on it as a reason for what they do.

    I’d say, don’t ignore your gut but don’t assume it’s always right. (My exception is if it’s a safety issue. Not worth suffering through.)

    A few people who wholeheartedly adopted their military training as a way they could exist in the world (instead of a tool) seem to believe their gut should come first. People who feel the need to carry everywhere seem too inclined to believe their gut.

  135. 135.

    laura

    April 4, 2019 at 10:35 am

    @MomSense: the “big event” or “something goes wrong” is and has always been PEOPLE SICKENED, HOSPITALIZED AND DIED. Children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are most vulnerable, but any/everyone could suffer a food poisoning and die.
    Daughter and granddaughter of butchers and meat cutters. Before the concentration of the industry in the 1970’s, deliveries were still “on the hook,” and no carcass came off the delivery truck until the butcher made a final inspection-after at least two prior inspections. Now, meat is processed at an ever increasing rate of speed. Much of the work is done by immigrant labor, inspections are incidental, and multiple portions of carcasses (sourced domestically and imported) come sealed in plastic making it impossible to do inspection upon delivery.
    It should come as no surprise that ecoli outbreaks followed shortly thereafter, or that food poisonings are multi-state instead of isolated incidents.
    In the absence of government regulation and where inspections are done by the company, those inspections will decrease and illness and death will follow.
    And this is a known fact. This is a decision made knowing there will be a body count.
    My last food poisoning involved a pre-formed patty on a cheeseburger of death. I didnt eat ground beef for a decade, and now only purchase from an open meat case butcher.

  136. 136.

    tobie

    April 4, 2019 at 10:36 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: Thanks..this is what I read yesterday in Warren’s post for the “Ending Too Big To Jail Act.” For my taste–and this is just my taste–she wastes too much time talking about Wells Fargo’s malfeasance. I would have preferred to hear more about corporate reporting requirements and size requirements (it’s businesses with a revenue of $1 billion or more, right?). I don’t know if the latter provision passes constitutional muster but I agree that the absence of any personal liability has let powerful CEOs gamble with everyone else’s livelihoods.

  137. 137.

    Aleta

    April 4, 2019 at 10:45 am

    @Aleta: edited but didn’t take
    ETA @125 OzarkHillbilly
    I see now you qualified that. That’s a good example, the house with the spare parts in the yard. In fact this one makes me angry, having known well-off summer people who complained about my neighbor until they need a car or plumbing repaired in a place where there’s no garage or hardware store. He is a disgrace to ‘their’ neighborhood because driving by they feel unsettled below their belt, not because they know him.

  138. 138.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 10:51 am

    @Aleta: Yeah, I corrected myself in my next comment to Kay by changing the phrasing to “listen to one’s gut”. I always listen to my gut but I don’t always do what it tells me because after looking more closely I decide it is wrong for whatever reason.

    My bad.

  139. 139.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 4, 2019 at 10:55 am

    @tobie:

    (it’s businesses with a revenue of $1 billion or more, right?)

    I would have preferred something like $250 or $500 million but what ever number is offered in the legislation is largely meaningless at this point because no doubt it will change during negotiations.

  140. 140.

    Aleta

    April 4, 2019 at 10:56 am

    @Immanentize: (+ 9., etc) I appreciate the info from you this morning. The extra clarity helps.

  141. 141.

    john fremont

    April 4, 2019 at 11:10 am

    @tobie: This! I work in a technical field, one that’s in the headlines right now, aviation/aerospace. The thing of it is , STEM being STEM, information from your training and education becomes obsolete quickly. The arts and humanities give you insights that can last over one’s life.

  142. 142.

    opiejeanne

    April 4, 2019 at 11:12 am

    @Aleta: I think the “AAkw0523” account that he quoted from is a bot, and you just described that guy’s post content perfectly.

  143. 143.

    J R in WV

    April 4, 2019 at 11:42 am

    @Kay:

    The Trump administration plans to shift much of the power and responsibility for food safety inspections in hog plants to the pork industry as early as May, cutting the number of federal inspectors by about 40% and replacing them with plant employees.

    Fortunately, several of my neighbors raise hogs for meat, and local butchers are pretty well clean operations, as the farmer delivering a hog can take a close look at the operation. Plus experience with the returned cuts of meat. Plus you have a good idea of what was fed out to those hogs.

    BUT that said, the fukin gall of these fudkers!!!!

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