StrangeSox

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 2, 2017 -> 08:41 AM) If it isn't liberal nor consevative philosophy then what is it? Well, I'd say that it actually is perfectly in line with modern conservative philosophy to enrich the wealthy at the expense of everyone else, but there are more ideologies than American conservatism or liberalism. Maybe just straight up plutocracy more than anything, really. The bill doesn't really include anything you'd see in a modern liberal tax plan.

Hypothetically but I'd expect the House to just pass the Senate plan. They're desperate to pass something, and their donors have threatened to cut them off if they don't. I know you might benefit from the pass through part, but any thoughts on the tax plan more broadly? The bill isn't very popular, less popular than the Clinton and Bush 41 tax hikes even, so I'm curious what supporters who aren't multimillionaires see in it.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 2, 2017 -> 08:28 AM) Compromise? This bill was not a compromise bill.

Flake voted for the tax bill after the White House promised to include him in discussion to fix DACA. A White House staffer laughed when asked if they had given Flake a firm commitment to actually get DACA done (link: http://bit.ly/2iAMp5K) bit.ly/2iAMp5K

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 2, 2017 -> 07:45 AM) "I'm just a bill" didn't do as good of a job explaining the process as I thought. The House and Senate bills have many differences so now they get together, rewrite it and both vote again? What was the point of these votes then? Reconciliation conference to craft a bill both houses can pass or the house just passes what the Senate did. My guess is the House does just that early next week, which was the plan with the healthcare bills.

The attempt to redefine a fetus as a person got taken out in a Byrd bath. https://twitter.com/mcclure111/status/93680...src=twsrc%5Etfw

No one should be in favor of rewriting the tax code of the biggest economy in earth in a few hours.

The bill has handwritten scribbles no one can read. https://twitter.com/SenatorDurbin/status/93...src=twsrc%5Etfw That's the official bill.

The GOP list of economists supporting their tax plan includes an office assistant, a guy who doesnt seem to exist, and a bankruptcy attorney convicted of forging a judge's signature, among other shady names. https://t.co/BGDde6wT6L

Gowdy, Benghazi panel settled wrongful firing suit with $150,000 in public funds https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/go...m=.87226aebb92b Fired a guy for not going along with the Benghazi bs

Special perks for private equity firms added, that'll really help the middle class! https://t.co/D305L2nKDZ

QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Dec 1, 2017 -> 05:03 PM) How can you vote yes on a bill that's not written? They'll hold the final vote as soon as they're done writing it, it's just these senators have already said they'll vote Yes because they received assurances that McConnell will maybe think about DACA and will definitely work hard to not cut Medicare (they will cut Medicare)

Collins is a yes so they have the votes, now they just need a bill. Lobbyists not done writing it yet, I guess.

yep!

No, that's how these sort of deals work. They're charging him with something fairly minimal, but the plea agreement specifically says "this isn't all that we know." Flynn is well aware and I'm sure discussions included numerous other charges they were ready to bring if he didn't cooperate.

Never forget that Mitch McConnell knew. And blocked disclosure McConnell, more than anyone else, is responsible for the mess we're in, and not just with Trump.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 1, 2017 -> 12:51 PM) I'm not sure about this. Remember the income tax would also go down in the process. Think about how much money you and I spend, then think about how much the wealthy spend. How much revenue would be generated at 20% from $2,000 suits, luxury automobiles, private aircraft and other things that only the wealthy purchase. There's been plenty of studies on this. A flat VAT is very, very regressive. As a percentage of their total income, the wealthy spend far less than the non-wealthy, who spend nearly 100%. http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2011/01...-is-regressive/ The wealthy save and invest a much higher percentage of their income than the poor or even the middle class. The way around this would be to exempt "necessary" goods like food or clothing from a VAT, but that again makes a more complex tax code. We do that already with sales taxes at least for food, fwiw.

Kushner Is Said to Have Ordered Flynn to Contact Russia Now that the retired general has pleaded guilty, the president's son-in-law could be one of the next dominoes to fall.

Flake moved to Yes based on a promise to "be included in future DACA talks" which seems like a really, really weak ask.

Lawmaker behind secret $84K sexual harassment settlement unmasked Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) used taxpayer funds to end a dispute with his communications director in 2014.

putting your arm around someone's shoulder and your face close to them for a photo seems perfectly normal and is a really weird complaint

100% publicly financed campaigns with zero outside contributions would be nice SCOTUS has basically ruled that you can't have any campaign finance laws though due to free speech.

They're largely already millionaires going in or make most of their money becoming lobbyists and peddling their influence and connections once they're out. And a lot of it comes back to financing campaigns. Billionaire donors hold a whole hell of a lot of sway. It's part of why such accumulating so much wealth in the hands of a few is damaging for democracy and freedom. Our Senators and Reps answer first and foremost to the guys cutting the big checks. You and I are somewhere way down the line.

Really dropping the ball on an easy moment to show some leadership there

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 1, 2017 -> 11:26 AM) "Transition team" is still far different from campaign coordination, at least in my eyes. That is still far more scary. Still a Logan Act violation