#81 - The New Image of America in the World

President Trump’s recent derogatory comments about Immigrants from shithole countries like Haiti and from Africa who should be left out of America for good, while we open up our doors for all the white folk from Norway, are just the most recent in a series of comments and actions over the course of his lifetime proving beyond any reasonable doubt, that we elected a good ol’ fashioned bigot to be President of, what used to be, the greatest country in the world.

It used to be that people around the world looked up to us as a beacon of hope and an example of what they could aspire to.  In America, they used to say, it didn’t matter who your were or where you came from or the color of your skin, if you were smart and worked hard, the playing field was level and you could succeed.

Now those same people around the world look at us and they see our president, and they listen to his words and their emotions vacillate from shock and dismay ...to sadness and disappointment ...to anger and hate.  They now conclude that everything they once believed about America, all of it, was just a lie. 

The goodwill and moral authority built up by America over almost two and half centuries by real American patriots of all political persuasions has been eclipsed in the blink of an eye by a self-centered real estate mogul who has pulled the curtains back and showed the world, this is the real America, this is who we really are. We are a country which believes that we are superior to the rest of the world, that we know what is best for all of you, that if you follow us, you will be lucky enough to pick up our crumbs.

I don’t believe that mind you, I don’t believe it all.  But sadly, it is the perception which emanates out from the Oval Office on a recurring basis. And in this day and age of 24x7 news and social media, now more than ever, perception so easily turns in to reality.

Yes, President Donald Trump, consummate salesman that he is, is selling the world on his image of America.  And he thinks it great.

But that’s not the real bad part.

The real bad part is the rest of the Republican Party is fully complicit with his sales pitch.  They will do anything to further their own goals.  Oh sure, a few will release statements denouncing the President’s most recent comments, or any one of the many more sure to come, but it won’t change their actions. They will continue to tolerate his unacceptable behavior, because they have their eye on their own individual prizes, be it tax reform to benefit their ultra-wealthy supporters, or the installation of conservative justices at all levels of the judiciary, or the introduction of legal steps advancing voter suppression or entitlement “reform”.

When will we see one Republican in Trump’s own Administration, in his own cabinet or in Congress stand up and say. “I will not tolerate the actions of this evil man. I will not do anything to lend credence to the falsehoods he spreads, and the only way I can do this today is to resign my position, effective immediately”.

When will a few good Republicans jump on the metaphorical hand grenade and sacrifice themselves for their mates, and for their country?  When will a few good Republicans stand up for the ideals that still make this country great, despite the fact that mad man at the top of the heap wants desperately to mold the country in to his own sickening image?

The truth is you won’t see this, ever.  Those Republicans are long gone.  Those Republicans were from another generation and sadly, they have either died off or are too old and weak to make a difference any more. 

And the Republicans who now remain are all too willing to sacrifice the image of America for their own personal gains. Because you see for this generation of Republicans, it was never about America, like Donald Trump, it’s always been about them.    

#80 - Republicans Say the Darndest Things

I have leaned Right most of my life, but I began leaning Left in the new millennium.  There was no single reason, but a look at my take of the 2017 Top Ten Darndest Things said by born and raised hard core and high level Republicans in the first year of the administration of Donald J. Trump reaffirm for me, that my own shift in political leaning was one of the smarter things I have ever done in my life.

(Limit one quote per person)

#10 - Steve Bannon, former Chief Strategist for President Donald J Trump: “They are going to crack Donny Junior like an egg on National TV” …priceless

#9 - Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor for President Donald J. Trump: “I respectfully decline to answer the question and hereby invoke my Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.”…did I really say National Security Advisor?

#8 - Anthony Scaramucci, former Director of Communications for President Donald J. Trump: “Reince is a f****** paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac…‘Let me leak the f****** thing and see if I can c***-block these people the way I c***-blocked Scaramucci for six months.’” ……….oh Mooch, you had so much potential, and yet we hardly knew you. I have to admit I was despondent when you were let go after only 11 days on the job. File under: Opportunities Lost

#7 - Sean Spicer, former Press Secretary for President Donald J Trump: "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, PERIOD!," ……….are you convinced now?

#6 – Governor John Kasich of Ohio (R), in his 2017 book “Two Paths: Divided or United” on the proposal from Donny Jr, that he run as DJT’s VP: “"He would leave the running of the country to someone else and keep his focus on the smoke-and-mirror aspects of the job of president, helping Americans feel that he was somehow making their lives better just by being at the helm."

#5 - Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina (R): "Because of the manner in which you have handled the Charlottesville tragedy, you are now receiving praise from some of the most racist and hate-filled individuals and groups in our country. For the sake of our nation -- as our President -- please fix this …History is watching us all,"

#4 - Senator John McCain of Arizona (R): "To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain 'the last best hope of earth' for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history."

#3 - Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee (R) “Unfortunately, I think world leaders are aware that much of what he (Donald J. Trump) says is untrue. Certainly, people here are, because these things are provably untrue. They are just factually incorrect, and people know the difference. So I don’t know why he lowers himself to such a low, low standard, and debases our country in the way that he does, but he does. . . . It’s unfortunate that our nation finds itself in this place.”

#2 - Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona (R): “Reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous, and undignified. And when such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy”

#1 – President Donald J. Trump – “Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart….I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.........to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!”

“Genius”… of course, it’s as plain as the nose on my face. How did I miss it?

The best fiction writers in the world can’t make this stuff up. As for me, an amateur blogger, well, the truth is I’m pretty lazy, and it’s just easier to let Republicans do my job for me.

#79 - An Open Letter to Trump Supporters

In the final years of her life, my mother would receive a blood transfusion once a month or so to counter the effects of a pronounced loss of iron which doctors couldn't explain.   A petite and energetic woman all her life, the blood transfusions treated the symptoms of her illness, and made her feel strong again, it made her feel...alive.  However, as the effects of this energy boost would wear off, and they always did, it was a constant reminder of just how weak she had become.

I suspect that historians will look back at the Presidency of Donald J. Trump and call it out as a turning point for America.  At this point, it's too early to know how the story ends, but our wonderful country is at a critical crossroad in its very young history, and we must ask the driver of the bus to choose our path forward with care and foresight.

To Trump supporters everywhere, I must disclose that I did not vote for your candidate. While a few of his positions held some appeal for me, the majority of them did not, but more importantly, I simply believed he was horrible person, and I thought he would be a terrible president.  I won't recount all the reasons why, I shouldn't have to.  You are aware of all of them yourselves, but you have chosen to ignore them or to rationalize that they are simply not important to you, because unlike other politicians before him, Mr. Trump has given you a voice. Never before in recent American politics has one person looked inside you and shouted out to the rest of the country that you have been wronged.  Never before has any one candidate understood how angry you are, for being ignored for so many years.

I can't feel your pain. I can't walk in your shoes, no matter how hard I might try.  If I had been working all my life, but felt that no matter how hard I had pushed, or how fast I had run, that  I was just standing still, going nowhere, and if I believed the system and my country had let me down, I would feel the same.

And whatever challenges or difficulties I have faced in my lifetime, I am sure that they pale in comparison to yours.  So who am I to tell you how you should feel, or how you should think.  I have no right to do so.

So I won't.  But I will tell you, something you may not have previously considered. it's your turn to to lead.

Donald Trump helped you discover for yourselves, that you had a voice, and it had been so long, you had just about forgotten. He gave you that blood transfusion that you so badly needed to feel good again.  He was just what the doctor ordered, at least for a moment, an oh so brief moment.

And for those reasons, you may feel that you owe him a debt of gratitude.  You might believe you owe him your loyalty and your ongoing support.

Please my friends, you must understand this is not true. You do not owe him a thing, for has been courting you, using you, cosying up to you, playing to your emotions solely for his own selfish reasons, solely for the benefit of his own oversized ego, solely for his own political gain.  But because of your upbringing, because of your sense of fairness, you believe that you owe him a debt, just for helping you feel better, for giving you hope.

Unfortunately Mr. Trump has only been parroting back your symptoms to you in order to gain your loyalty, and he has done nothing to cure the illness that may consume us all.  He promised he would Make America Great Again, he would Drain the Swamp, he would Repeal And Replace, it would easy.  He would build a wall, it would solve all of our problems, and it would be beautiful.   All of this would come to be, so much so that you would get tired of winning.  

So he said, but he never actually told us how he would do this, and now, almost a year into his administration, all we see is disruption.  There are no new ideas, no clear vision, no meaningful path forward and no true leadership. There is just chaos.  Chaos everywhere we look. 

And in the process, in the blink of eye, we have risked losing the very soul of our nation which was born into the world by some of the greatest men in history and then nurtured and fed by other talented leaders for close to two and half centuries.

We want to believe that life is simple.  We go to school, we grow up, we get married, we all look for our place in society and get jobs. Some of us are lucky enough to turn those jobs into careers.  We do our best to raise our kids, we try to be good examples and teach them how they should live their lives.  We do our best to plan for retirement, and we all work hard.  Multiply these routine life challenges by 300+ million individuals or so, add in other macro concerns such as taking care of the most vulnerable among us, maintaining a complex infrastructure, defending individual rights, fighting terrorism, engaging in multiple wars, and sometimes, sometimes, when we stop to think about world we are leaving for our children, our grandchildren and all the generations to come, sometimes we work to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Layer in the inherent responsibility that comes from being the strongest country on the planet, economically and militarily, and that, historically speaking anyway, we have held the role of moral authority for the free world, and well, the simple fact is, life is just not that simple.

Of course everything I have said is as plain as day, so what's the point?

The point is, my friends, we must acknowledge the difficulties and challenges of real leadership.  The world is complex and there are no easy answers. We need leaders with intelligence and skills and experience and real ideas.  We need the best and the brightest of our people. We need leaders with the right character, temperament, fitness, and moral authority, leaders who can teach and guide, inspire and motivate, leaders who can show us, there is a better way.  And, in our imperfect democracy, we need leaders who can reach intelligent consensus with others who have different opinions and beliefs.

But most of all, most of all, we need leaders who understand in every fiber of their being, that it's not about them.  It's about everyone else.  And that the honor and privilege of successfully serving others is the ultimate reward.

So my friends I say to you that your candidate is not the medicine you need to cure your ills.  He is not the candidate to cure any of our ills.   He never was.  Deep down, you know this. No one has to tell you.  Still, you just can't find a way to let go.  But let go, you must.

None of us know what will follow in the years after Trump. No one can guarantee you that these years will be better for you and your lives will immediately improve, but you must know by now, that Donald Trump is not the answer for you, or for anyone else, and he is certainly not the answer for the country

Your time has arrived, and you must not let it slip by.  You must speak out now and tell your candidate that while you voted for him in early November of last year, you can no longer provide him support.   You will no longer provide him with the life sustaining blood transfusions he so desperately needs to keep lurching forward, in desperate search of any “win” in any undefined arena.  You must put an end to his ponzi scheme of hate and vitriol, pointing to all sorts of individuals and groups as the enemy, all to conceal the fact that this emperor is wearing no clothes. 

And as you end the blood transfusions to his ongoing campaign, he will get weaker, and you will grow stronger. And you will find your own voice

Yes, my friends, you are driving the bus. You have been doing so all along.  You just never realized it.

I understand what I ask is not easy,  It will seem unnatural, and you will have to dig deep to resurface your own strength, but please, understand that there is no loss of honor here.  Fresh air will fill your lungs and you will feel good again, for you will gradually recall, that honesty with oneself only leads to a higher dignity.  Sadly, so very sadly, our president does not understand this fundamental principle of humanity, but it is my fervid belief, that you do.  

This is why you are not like him. This is why you are so much better than him. This is why, it's your turn to lead.

This is your time. The country is waiting friends, and the whole world is watching.

#78- The Approval Rating of DJTrump - Down, Down and Down

We have all heard the stats.

George W. Bush ended his first calendar year at 86% approval, John F. Kennedy hit 77%, George H.W. Bush reached 71% and Dwight Eisenhower hit 69%.  Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all finished their first calendar year with approval ratings in the mid-to-high 50s

President Donald Trump's approval rating sank to a new low in CNN polling last week*, earning the approval of just 35% of Americans less than a year into his first term.  That’s down from 45% in March of this year

*The CNN Poll was conducted by SSRS December 14-17 among a random national sample of 1,001 adults reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer.  Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points,

That’s an actual drop of 10%, over just a relatively short 9 month term, which is pretty remarkable.

It comes with the realization, that the iconic video of DJT riding down the escalator (with Melania dutifully in tow), the day he announced he was running for President, would prove to be a prophetic metaphor for his soon-to-be drop in popularity.  Down, down, and down….

If this trend continues, and DJT succeeds in remaining in office through the end his first and only term, if you extrapolate it out, his popularity will actually drop to a NEGATIVE 1.7% two months ahead of the 2020 Presidential election!

There are many reasons for this, too many to mention on this beautiful snow-filled white Christmas morning in New England.  But the one that stands out the most, the one that is head and shoulders above the rest, and the one that even hard core Trump supporters will tell you disappoints even them, is that DJT has done nothing to bring the country together, nothing to get us all marching in the same direction and nothing to provide a pathway to the future for the country. 

And, if you get a few eggnogs in them, many of them will readily admit, that he has only worked to drive a wedge between us all.

Mathematicians, statisticians, pollsters, physicists, teachers, waitresses, cops, cabbies and construction workers will all line up to tell me – This is mathematically impossible.   It can’t happen.  By definition, there is no human being on the planet who can receive an approval rating …below zero.  It is a physical impossibility, according to both the laws of man and of God.

But in the Age of Trump, I maintain, that anything is possible.

Merry Christmas everyone.  [Oh, and for the record, and I have been saying this for the better part of my 63 years, for as long as I could talk, long before DJT road his escalator down, down, down]

#77- Collusion In The Highest Levels Of The US Government

Sorry to disappoint you friends, but I am not talking about the possible collusion of members of the Trump Campaign with Russian backed entities to tilt the election away from the Hillary Clinton.  In all my posts, I have never once addressed this because, at this point in time anyway, collusion with Russia has not been proven, and because, simply because,  there is more than enough incompetence within the Trump administration to keep me busy for a lifetime,

No, the collusion of which I speak is so blatant, so disingenuous, so corrupt, so absolutely mind boggling, and blanketed in hubris that it leads me to believe that our country has truly lost its way, that we are incapable of being responsible for acts of true good in the world, because we are simply incapable of being responsible to ourselves. 

No, the collusion of which I speak is openly and coarsely perpetuated by every single Republican member of Congress who is in the process of voting for this upcoming give-away to corporate America and the top 1% of the country.

A paragraph from the Washington Post on Monday morning, discussing the upcoming vote  on proposed Republican tax “reform” sums it all up

“The plan schedules many of these individual-side tax cuts to expire in eight years, though Republicans say they expect a future Congress to extend these cuts and, as such, should be considered permanent.”

REPUBLICANS SAY THEY EXPECT A FUTURE CONGRESS TO EXTEND THESE  CUTS, AND, AS SUCH, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PERMANENT

What?

Excuse me, but what kind of crystal ball are Republicans using to predict that the economics of 2024 will permit that Congress to extend the cuts?

Excuse me, but what kind of crystal ball are Republicans using to prove that the $1.5 trillion tax cut and deficit builder which grotesquely favors corporations and the wealthy will trickle down to the LONG TERM benefit of those most in need?

Excuse me, but what happens if things aren’t hunky dory eight years from now?  It’s a distinct possibility you know.  Sh*t happens.  You don’t have to go back too far in our history to remember that.  It was less than ten years ago on September 15, 2018 that Lehman Bros. failed and many economists and financial types were whispering the “D” word, for fear that if it was spoken aloud, it might just come to pass…..

And that crisis was of our own making.  It was not caused by external forces such as authoritarian dictators in the Middle East or the latest manifestation of your basic head chopping terrorists or a little Rocket Man in North Korea. 

We did it to ourselves.

Despite the fact that the 1980’s were a time which proved real estate values can decline precipitously, just two decades later, we permitted the sub-prime industry, which was predicated on real life estate values never declining, to grow and prosper, and it nearly took us down. 

We were in control of our own destiny and we couldn’t control it.  

With this in mind, how in heaven’s name are we to put our faith in a future Congress when we have no faith in the current one ?

And even if we can get past our own collective incompetencies, how can we be sure that external developments will permit us to provide more tax cuts seven years from now ?

Republicans in Congress, let by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, can’t legally make the individual cuts permanent today, so they have colluded to subvert the rules of the reconciliation process, which were written to prevent stupid politicians from doing stupid things. 

They have colluded together openly, willingly, abusively, all to placate the selfish desires of their real base, large corporations and the ultra wealthy, and they colluded with President Donald J. Trump to ride the back of the so-called populist movement he created which attracted lower and middle class, less educated, working Americans, and then chose ...to turn their backs on them.  

Betrayed, in the blink of an eye.  

If that is not collusion in the highest levels of the US government, I don’t know what is. 

#76 - To Trump Supporters Everywhere: "Donald Trump thinks you are all buffoons"

To Trump Supporters everywhere, who believed he cared about you:  

     

Donald Trump thinks you are all buffoons

I don’t believe him my friends, but that's what he thinks.  It's the only plausible explanation.

Mr. Trump has stated that the prospective Republican tax legislation making its way through the  reconciliation process with the House and the Senate will “cost him a fortune”.  And that the plan is a "one of the greatest Christmas gifts for the middle class".  He infers that he is sacrificing his hard earned fortune for your personal benefit and for the good of our country.  How many of you folks believe him when he says that? 

Please raise your hands now.

OK, there are many of you. That’s not surprising.  If I supported a candidate for a long time, I would want to believe that he was telling the truth as well

But how many of you really understand the different components of the suggested tax changes in the proposed legislation?

Again, please, raise your hands. 

Sure, only a few.  That’s not surprising either.

Tax law can be extremely complex. And I claim no expertise, but my own business background has provided me with an awareness of the structural changes being put forth by Republicans which have received full-throated endorsements from Mr. Trump because:

(a) he needs a win, any kind of a win, on any topic or any issue, it doesn’t matter, simply because Mr. Trump can't be perceived as a loser, and 

(b) and this one is important, so take it in slowly and appreciate what it really means, he doesn’t care about helping you in the least, because when the day is done, it's just about him.  And he will do anything to continue enriching himself.  

It's true.  Don't take my word for it.  Let's look at some of the changes in the tax plans and some which were conveniently left out, which work to the specific benefit of the man you support

o  The top corporate rate would move down to 21 percent from 35 percent, and shareholders and others with investment income would see their tax bills cut by one-third or more. 

o  Owners of businesses that are taxed at the same rates as individuals would see their top tax rate drop from nearly 40% to closer to 30%. The Trump Organization consists of about 500 such "pass-through" entities, according the Presidents lawyers.  

o The legislation would also allow full expensing of capital investments for businesses— rather than requiring them to be depreciated over time (although this is phased out over time). 

o  The estate tax threshold would get doubled to $22 million for married couple, saving Donny Jr. and the Little Trumps approximately $4 million, when DJT Sr. kicks the bucket.

o  Parents would be eligible to use a type of tax-preferred savings plan — known as a 529 plan —, previously only available for college educations, to save for their children’s elementary and secondary education as well.  I am going to go out on a limb here, but I don't think DJT's kids and grand kids go to PS234.

o  During the campaign, DJT railed against certain wealthy investment managers (Private equity, hedge funds, real estate)  who, thanks to the so-called carried interest loophole, pay taxes on the majority of their pay at a lower capital gains rates. The only change requires the investments be held three years vs. one year, which is very common for these type of investments.  The change is a nothing burger.

        

o  Oh yes ,and the deduction for golf course owners, well that remains.  How many of you are helped by that tax provision?  Please raise your hands

Anyone?

Last question: Did you know that the individual tax actual cuts, your tax cuts, will expire in 2025, but the business tax cuts the ones that benefit DJT go on... forever?

Hmmm, silence.. no hands.  You seem surprised?  Shocked?  Would you like me to repeat the question?

So you see my friends, Mr. Trump believes you will take everything he says as gospel, and you won’t speak out against his one-sided, self-centered plan.

That’s because, he believes... that you will believe him, when he says it's all good for you.  

That’s because, he believes... you will let Republicans provide he and his family with one of the biggest tax windfalls in the history of taxation on Planet Earth.  

That's because, he believes... you are all buffoons.

I don’t believe him friends, I don’t believe him at all,  

But I can't prove it.  Only you can.

#74A- The Republican's "PT Barnum" Approach to Tax Reform

There are many reasons why the Republican monstrosity on tax reform should not see the light of day, but let me focus just on one.  It safer that way, if I put too many points into one posting, I would be afraid too many readers might just lose it completely and spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes. I wouldn't want that on my conscious

You may have heard that there are a lot of positive tax reductions for businesses, and there are also tax reductions for many, but not all individuals.   This part is true. 

But do you know that the business tax reductions are permanent?  Which means it's very possible that they could stay in place for all of eternity or until hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

But, but, but the individual tax cuts, on the other hand, are set to expire in 2025.  Did you know that?! Coincidentally that would be one year after DJ Trump's second term.  How convenient.  Let someone else clean up his f**k up.

As perverse as this is, Republicans, including Speaker Paul Ryan, blamed, what they consider to be, the arcane Senate rules, for causing this “disconnect”.  Imagine my surprise.  I thought those rules were in place to keep stupid politicians from doing stupid things.   It shows you just how little I really know. 

The arcane problem to which Republicans will refer is that if the individual tax cuts were permanent, that would jack up the calculated cost of these tax cuts from $1.4 trillion to somewhere in the range of $1.9 trillion, according to the fiscal watchdog group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is roughly $.4 trillion over the so-called arcane Senate limit. 

Republican leaders, in promoting their PT Barnum “there’s a sucker born every minute” approach to tax reform say, don't worry, don't worry, Congress will do the right thing in 2025 and extend the individual tax cuts.  Right...the only thing we can be sure of is that Congress will only do what is good for Congress.  There is no direct correlation that their actions will be good for our country.

“The savings, the score (i.e. the $1.4 trillion stated cost), it just isn’t valid because you know that they’re not going to follow through,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), an avowed fiscal conservative, said in a recent interview. “You can’t assume that we’ll grow a backbone later. If we can’t do it now, then it’s tough to do it later.”

It should be noted, that Senator Flake has voted for this plan anyway.

In a desperate attempt to appear relevant, and to placate their donors, and to line their pockets, Donald Trump and the Republican Congress have falsely promoted their tax plan as the grand middle class tax cut, and in the process, they have sold America down the river.  

Even PT Barnum would have been impressed.

#75- Three Losers Walked Into A Bar

Three losers walked into a bar, fresh off a historical political loss in the state of Alabama.

The first loser said, “We may have lost this race, but at least I can go home and keep collecting my Seinfeld royalties”.

The second loser said, “We may have lost this race, but at least I can go home and keep abusing teenage girls”.

The third and biggest loser of the night said, “We may have lost the race, but there are hundreds more Republican Congressional candidates up for re-election over the next three years, none of whom will want my endorsement, so at least I can go home ….and watch Fox and Friends in the morning, work on my handicap in the afternoon and spew out hateful tweets at night.  My own personal recipe for Making America Hate Again" 

#74- Republican Leaders Need to Grow a Back Bone

Republicans politicians, for once in their sorry lives, need to grow a backbone

There are many reasons why the Senate version of tax reform should not see the light of day, but let me focus just on one.  It safer that way, if I put too many points into one posting, I would be afraid too many readers might just lose it completely and spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes. I wouldn't want that on my conscious. 

You may have heard that there are a lot of positive tax reductions for businesses, and there are also tax reductions for many, but not all individuals.   This part is true.

But do you know that the business tax reductions are permanent?  Which means it's very possible that they could stay in place for all of eternity or until hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

But, but, but the individual tax cuts, on the other hand, are set to expire in 2025.  Hmmm...maybe it's just my own personal, always optimistic, glass half-full outlook on life, but that seems to be a few years shy of eternity to me.

Yes, I know, it hard to comprehend, so let me try explaining it another way.  It’s pretty much the equivalent of you getting a good job out of college at age 22 and agreeing with your new employer that you will work 10 hours of overtime a week, for the good of the company, until the day you die, but your employer will stop paying you overtime pay before you reach your 30th birthday.  That’s fair, right?  That's something you can swallow. 

As perverse as this is, Republicans, including Speaker Paul Ryan, blamed, what they consider to be, the arcane Senate rules, for causing this “disconnect”.  Imagine my surprise.  I thought those rules were in place to keep stupid politicians from doing stupid things.   It shows you just how little I really know. 

The arcane problem to which Republicans will refer is that if the individual tax cuts were permanent, that would jack up the calculated cost of these tax cuts from $1.4 trillion to somewhere in the range of $1.9 trillion, according to the fiscal watchdog group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is roughly $.4 trillion over the so-called arcane Senate limit. 

Republican leaders, in promoting their PT Barnum “there’s a sucker born every minute” approach to tax reform say, don't worry, don't worry, Congress will do the right thing in 2025 and extend the individual tax cuts.  I suppose that is possible. It is also possible that the approval rating of Congress will top 15% by 2025 as well, but I wouldn't put any money on it. 

“The savings, the score (i.e. the $1.4 trillion stated cost), it just isn’t valid because you know that they’re not going to follow through,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), an avowed fiscal conservative, said in a recent interview. “You can’t assume that we’ll grow a backbone later. If we can’t do it now, then it’s tough to do it later.”

Great point Senator Flake, thank you for trying to get your Republican friends to think intelligently.  It’s an uphill battle I know.  And here’s another question you can ask them.  Why don't Senate Republicans just make the individual cuts permanent and allow the business ones to lapse in 2025 instead?

That would be because many Republicans politicians cater more to their donor class than to their citizen class.   

#73- Republican Leaders Sink To New Low

In a desperate attempt to prove they are not a bunch of bungling, selfish bullies, masquerading as the leadership of our country, the Republican led Senate firmed up plans to fleece the American Public and jam through a bunch of tax cuts under the guise of tax reform.

The Senate released the 515-page text of its sweeping tax legislation for the first time Monday evening — and Republican leaders are now planning to hold a floor vote on it within 10 days.   10 days!

Oh and by the way, in between those 10 days, instead of actually discussing and debating the implications of the bill, Mitch McConnell, the Obstructor in Chief, and the other disinguine, power hungry abusers took a week off, so they could all celebrate Thanksgiving back in their home states and give thanks to the short-sighted obliviousness of their own base who will believe anything they hear, as long as it's not from a liberal snowflake.

So you appreciate the implications of the incredible brevity in play here, in contrast, the last time we had a rewrite of the tax code back in 1986, the process took months, and the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have assailed for seven years now, all to no avail, took six months.

Oh, and there is one more reason for the expeditious process, my friends.  Republicans don't want you to know what's really in it. They claim it's a tax break for middle America, while the real winners are the ultra rich. And, and, and, because it's going to increase the annual deficit to the tune of $1.5 trillion over the next ten years, it will mortgage the futures of your children and your children's children, so a few bungling idiots might appear relevant for once in their sorry lives.

If Republicans were really serious about tax reform, it would go through the time honored process of discussion, review and debate...discussion, review and debate.  Sadly, Republicans continue with their obstructionist agenda, having concluded that our country does not deserve that luxury

That’s because they wasted the better part of the year failing to Repeal and Replace...something, we are not exactly sure what, and all because Donny Sr. and all the Little Trumps want something to brag about at their Christmas table.

At least one GOP senator has complained about the pace of the proposed legislation.  “I’ve got a real problem with this process,’’ Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said Monday on WISN radio. “I would prefer that this bill would’ve been introduced months ago.’’

“Months ago” said...one Republican senator.  Sigh, common sense, once a stable trait of the Grand Ol’ Party, the party with which I used to vote, is now in the clear minority of its members.

Why is this so upsetting? Well, one independent analysis found Tuesday that the Senate legislation would result in between $1.3 trillion and $1.5 trillion in lost revenue over 10 years — EVEN AFTER CONSIDERING ECONOMIC GROWTH EFFECTS. The Penn-Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania released the finding, which counters assertions from the bill’s proponents that it would pay for its tax cuts with increased growth. THE TRUTH IS WE DON’T YET KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE, BUT 10 DAYS, INCLUDING THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, IS A SURE SIGN THAT REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE HIDING SOMETHING.

You should note that Penn-Wharton is that fine university where Donald J. Trump supposedly matriculated, but can we be sure? Has anyone ever seen his graduation certificate?

Republicans won’t be draining any swamps in the near future. They are too busy digging new ones.

[Data points from today’s post from Sahil Kapur of Bloomberg News, righteous indignation courtesy of WMTN(m)]

#72- The Holy Grail of Republican Tax Reform; Repeal of the Estate Tax

Listen up friends, this one is important

In introducing the tax plan proposed by the Republican led House of Representatives, which will add $1.5 Trillion, $1.5 trillion  to the national debt over the next 10 years, Speaker Paul Ryan gleefully boasted, “With this plan, the typical family of four will save $1,182 a year on their taxes.  For many families, having an additional $1,182 more will make a real difference”.

Lost in the midst of the Republican speeches, the celebration, the applause, the self-congratulatory back-slapping of the day was the planned silence of, oh a rather small piece of the new proposed Republican legislation, the elimination of the Federal Estate Tax.

  

It was a classic move of misdirection.  Distract them with a little reward, over here…and walk away with the big prize, over there.  Classic.

And let me make this important  point, House leaders are not discussing simply changing the tax, they are not talking about lowering the rates.  They are not talking about increasing the taxation levels.  They are talking about ELIMINATING THE TAX,!COMPLETELY!  Gonzo! Poof! 

When, in the history of taxation on Planet Earth, has this ever happened?

Most Americans don’t know much about the estate tax, and that’s not a surprise. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, 99.8% of estates owe no federal estate tax at all, leaving only the estates of 0.2% of the wealthiest Americans to pay up.  Let me say that again, .2%

How does the estate tax work?  Well, today, the estate of a married couple with net worth of $11 million won’t owe a dime of estate taxes, but anyone with a larger estate would owe a tax of 40% on anything over this level,

Let’s use a simple example, so you all understand what’s at stake here. In May 2016, then presidential candidate Trump filed a personal financial disclosure form that detailed a net worth of more than $10 billion.  That’s billion with a B.   

Fox News Lovers, take note.  This is not fake news.  This figure is from Trump’s own certified statement. So, it would appear that under the current tax law, when Donny Sr. kicks the bucket, his estate will likely have to shell out oh, roughly 4 billion, that’s billion with a B, dollars, in federal estate taxes

But, if the current Republican tax reform passes and the estate tax is repealed, Donny Jr and his siblings will pocket their share of the $4 billion savings, and each of them will be able to go out and buy….their own personal skyscrapers!

So you see, if you are in the stratosphere of the ultra-wealthy, this change in the tax law is the whole ball of wax.  It is the pot of gold at the end of rainbow. It is the Holy Grail.  

In 1980, the top 1% of families owned 25% of the country's wealth. In 2012 that same 1% now owned 42% of the country's wealth.  42%, The ultra-rich have been accumulating wealth for the last four decades, how’s that worked out for you?  Are you still waiting for your trickle down? 

So I ask, at a time when the wealth accumulation of the ultra-rich is at an all-time high, and our annual deficits are already severe,, and we are faced with the greater risks from terrorism, war and climate change, and and and the dysfunctional Republican led government can't agree on a sane way to offer all Americans affordable health insurance, is the repeal of the estate tax really something that should even be on the table at this time?

In his introductory speech for the new tax plan Speaker Paul Ryan actually said and I quote “we are getting rid of loopholes for the special interests and yes we are leveling the playing field”  Leveling the playing field!!  He actually used those words.

Let’s me close with quick review.  What does all this mean?

Well, you get $1,182.

Donny Jr. and all the other little Trumps win the lottery, collect the pot of gold, and in the process treat you like the doormat they take you to be, and laugh at you, all the way to the bank

Is that what it means to level the playing field? 

Is that what it takes...to Make America Great Again?

#71 - Common Sense Diplomacy

I love a good ol’ fashioned common sense perspective, as it sometime seems lacking in the world today, and while watching Fareed Zakaria GPS this morning with guest Richard Haas, President of the Council on Foreign Relation, I received a much needed dose.

I have always enjoyed Haas’s perspective as he seems to be a straight shooter, who I have heard both criticize and compliment Barack Obama in the past.  Recently, Haas called for the resignation of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but not because of the reason you might think, that at different times, his own boss has gone out of his way to emasculate him in public.

It’s true, while Tillerson was meeting with Chinese counterparts, the President disparaged his own diplomatic efforts, and separately undermined the Secretary of State at every turn as he tried to work a deal between Saudis and Qatar.

But Haas went on to say that Tillerson has made a bad situation worse, because of his focus on reducing the size of the State Department staff.   Calling the savings a routine rounding error in the budget, Haas asked why we should be doing this with magnitude of the diplomatic challenges we currently face, including one in South Korea, asking “Why don't we have an ambassador there nowa?”  He went on to say:

“We face as large a diplomatic inbox any administration has ever faced in modern times, and this Secretary of State seems focused on reducing the diplomatic capacity of his own department staff.  I simply don't think that is wise ”.

Neither do the majority of Americans who still believe that the world doesn't end on the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

#70- Pass the Torch to the Hands of a New Generation

I watched an interview about a week after the horrific Las Vegas shooting on ABC conducted by Martha Raddatz with Congressman Seth Moulton (D) of Massachusetts and Congressman Scott Taylor (R) of Virginia who debated aspects of gun control legislation, specifically the possible banning of bump stocks, which for the price of dinner for four at Applebee's, can convert a semi-automatic rifle into an outright killing machine.

The interview was noteworthy for it brought together two men with somewhat opposing positions to discuss those positions intelligently and rationally, and for anyone watching it was a very small sign of hope, that… the country might return to better days, and it was even more meaningful because of the unique background of both of these men.

Moulton graduated from Harvard University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in physics, joined the United States Marine Corps after graduation and served four tours in Iraq. In 2008, during his final tour, General David Petraeus requested Moulton's assignment to work as a special liaison with tribal leaders in Southern Iraq. On his return to the States, Moulton went on to earn his master's degrees in business and public policy in a dual program at Harvard University. 

Taylor, enlisted in the United States Navy right out of high school and served with the Navy SEALS for eight years. He is fluent in Spanish and served overseas in South and Central America in counternarcotics and foreign internal defense missions. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Taylor was a SEAL sniper.  He earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts concentrating on International Relations from Harvard University Extension School, and also received a certificate in government contracting from Old Dominion University. He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group of centrists and moderately conservative republicans in Congress. 

So it was not lost on the audience that both of these men held resumes which included military training and experience in armed conflict, an anathema to more than 99% of Americans, and that they were willing to sit down TOGETHER and have a real conversation on a topic that has been extremely divisive for our country

Here is the real kicker.  A lot of Republicans shy away from this discussion.   While many are recipients of NRA financial support, who will wave the flag and proclaim the right to bear arms as if it were god given, none wish to get anywhere near an intelligent discussion about reasonable considerations for gun control.  Scott Taylor didn't, and this friends, is a small sign of hope.

Now both of these men are still young enough that they have not yet been burdened by the divisiveness that exists in our politics.  Perhaps that’s the solution we need to move our country forward in a positive manner.  Every day it seems to become clearer that just about everyone in my generation (the Baby Boomers) is past our prime and so, when it comes to solving some of the mega-problems that stand in front of us, perhaps it would be best, if we just got out of the way. 

In President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inauguration speech he spoke of passing the torch of leadership to the hands of a new generation.  I think that time has come again.  We are the generation that voted Donald J Trump into the office as the 45th President of the United States. If the country was divided before, under the Presidency of Donald J Trump, that division has become a chasm.  Many of us did not vote for him and do not support his behavior, but we have been part of the history that led us to his candidacy, and when it mattered the most, we failed to convince our contemporaries that this was wrong.

Yes that’s right we failed, and we did so spectacularly. 

So the time has come to get out of the way, clean the slate, clear the path, let the minds of a new generation, raised in the new millennium, tempered by war, disciplined by a seemingly unattainable peace, proud of our unique American heritage and unwilling to permit the slow unwinding of that heritage, take the reins.

They can't do any worse than us.

I lean left in my politics, after many years of leaning right, but more than anything in the world I just want the outright divisiveness of the Presidency of Donald J. Trump has openly tried to foster and promote, to go away, as quickly as humanly possible.  

Let a younger generation show us, there is a better way.

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Footnote #1 - In the House, Rep. Moulton, along with Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida have since introduced legislation to ban the sale of bump stocks, but there's been no action taken by the Republican leadership in the House.

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Footnote #2– this past Friday the state of Massachusetts became the first state to completely ban the OWNERSHIP of bump stocks.  The bill previously passed the legislature on an almost unanimous vote of 158 to 3 and was just signed in to law by our Republican Lt Governor (filling in for our Republican Governor Charlie Baker, who was out of state).  Being first in Massachusetts is nothing new, as it was also the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage.  I am happy to say that I live in this great state, and I am proud of our cooperative, bi-partisan leadership.

#69 - The Twilght Zone

Here is the latest from a Fox News poll conducted from 10/22 -10/24 with 2017 registered voters (+/- 3% PTS), regarding the man, the legend, the guy with the “big brain”, President Donald J Trump:

Approval 38%

Disapproval 57%

Not honest / trustworthy 63%

Doesn’t care about people like me 60%

Lacks knowledge to serve effectively 60%

Lacks judgement to serve effectively 60%

Lacks compassion to serve effectively 60%

As someone who has been consistently making all of these points for the better part of 10 months or so, I have to say,

these numbers give me goosebumps.

And let me emphasize the fact that this was a Fox News poll, so if there was any bias in this poll, and I am not saying there was, it would have understated these numbers.

Now while the results of this poll indicate that there is still a large minority of the country who remain hypnotized / bamboozled/ mesmerized / infatuated / intoxicated with the Presidency of Donald J. Trump, it is also an indication that the majority of the country understands that somehow in our recent past, somehow we lost our way, unaware of our own misdirection, and oblivious to the grave error which would cause us to wander into this new, uncharted territory, And it is also an indication that the majority of the country understands, that we can’t get out fast enough.

For on the surface, these numbers are horrific for any sitting president.

Now I’d like to think that my little posts in WMTN(m) in several left leaning politically oriented Facebook groups (the right leaning ones won’t take me) were the turning point and they convinced a small percentage of average Americans “to see the light”, well yes, that would be nice, but, but, but…I know better, a lot better, and that’s because I don’t have the overinflated ego of our President which would permit me the luxury of effortlessly separating truth from reality on a daily basis.  Oh, how I wish I could. 

No, the truth is that DJT’s continuous drop in the polls over the last nine months is entirely his own doing.  He gets all the credit.  Never before in the history of our country have we seen incompetence exhibited on such a consistent basis.   You really have to hand it to the guy, most people would be incapable of screwing up so routinely, dividing our citizens, ignoring the most vulnerable, disrespecting our allies, and insulting our enemies and in the process steering our country, OUR country, into uncharted territory, into..,

“...a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man, a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension which we call the Twilight Zone”.

While the now dearly departed Rod Serling may feel a small amount of redemption for having tried to warn us about this so many years ago, I am certain that he finds no satisfaction in the knowledge that we have landed in the place he knew so well.

And for the sake of our country, I am sure he wants us to get out, I am sure he wants us to find our way back home.

But sadly, Rod can’t help us, we wandered in here all on our own, and so it’s up to us now, to find our own way out.