We’ll outsource the commmentary on the hideous Republican tax bill to the Twitterz:
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/936733201464258560
Dems arguing against this tax cut because "deficits" are falling into a terrible trap. Because their own words will force cuts in spending on things that make our lives better.
— Dave Johnson (@dcjohnson) December 2, 2017
I think we can stop calling the Senate "the world's most deliberative body."
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) December 2, 2017
This could be my most important tweet ever. https://t.co/rDBV8uDnMm
— Stephanie Kelton (@StephanieKelton) December 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/Thers/status/936809715920596992
This, plus eleventy gajillion:
Now that republicans have shown, once and for all, no one actually cares about deficits perhaps democrats can stop unilaterally disarming by pretending they do and cease handwringing over how Sanders & other pro-single payer proponents will “find the money”.
— Adam Johnson (@adamjohnsonCHI) December 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/jonlovett/status/936805356717477889
Is our Democrats learning:
Hey Democrats. When we get the Congress back, don't bother with regular order or bipartisanship. No one cares.
Just do the right thing.
— David Atkins (@DavidOAtkins) December 2, 2017
They don't expect him to win a second term and don't know when they'll have unified control again.
It's the politics of looting the place while you still can. https://t.co/jJe8zEWk2L
— Joshua Holland (@JoshuaHol) December 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/ArjunJaikumar/status/936976872747028481
Until now, your income that paid for public schools (via state & local taxes) wasn’t taxed by the federal government. GOP bill ends that. Instead, they’re now creating a tax break for *private* school tuition.
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) December 2, 2017
“My donors are basically saying: ‘Get it done or don’t ever call me again’” -Republican Rep. Chris Collins
“Donors are furious” -Republican Sen. Cory Gardner
"The financial contributions will stop" -Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham
No, #GOPTaxScam *won't* help the middle class.
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) December 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/Atrios/status/936973409661186048
Single payer isn't hard left, but welcome to the Revolution, comrade! https://t.co/dik6dY6tiv
— Lindsay Beyerstein (@beyerstein) December 2, 2017
And here's the problem. Political reporters can have short memories. Legislation involves a give-and-take between parties, activists, and donors. This time, it appears to be just donors. That is notable, and @edatpost appears to be missing the story. https://t.co/M4LndhDQAC
— Sam Wang is at samwang.bsky.social (@SamWangPhD) December 2, 2017
Ezra Klein relearns Republicans are venal shit heads at least once a month and is bumfuzzled every time pic.twitter.com/pDudPWA639
— Adam Johnson (@adamjohnsonCHI) December 2, 2017
Though why Dems didn’t say, “No tax returns, we will shut the Senate down” (and they still can!)
The challenge for the media in covering Trump's smashing of the norm on releasing tax returns was that it became "old news." It all but vanished as a fact during the campaign.
And we are. About to pass a huge tax bill with no idea how it benefits the president. It's astonishing.
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) December 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/936684693214375936
https://twitter.com/clrede/status/936848816296271873
Congrats to Taylor Swift on her tax break.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) December 2, 2017
John Kenneth Galbraith predicted all of this in 1962, when it was JFK and the Dems who were pushing for big tax cuts: “lower tax revenues will become a ceiling on spending.” https://t.co/JQX4bHEEcq https://t.co/V9g2rha4Md
— corey robin (@CoreyRobin) December 2, 2017
mikethemadbiologist
‘@Atrios
but why? I don’t understand. “well, I thought moderate policy was good but since republicans are assholes I’m a socialist now” this makes no sense’. No, it makes a lot of sense. If the other side is willing to compromise, then compromise. But the GOP has decided it is now Winner Take All. In the current political climate, if you win and compromise, you are a fool. If you win, better take all you can.
Oh wow, the righteous fury of ol’ Nan Pelosi, yammering on for the ten-billionth time about how mean and insincere those Republicans are. What a goddam joke. You wanna see Dem “thinking” in action? Check out this brilliant tweet from the Senate Democrats: https://twitter.com/SenateDems/status/936285550323159042
“The GOP once believed in bipartisanship” — complete with a picture of Saint Ronnie Reagan. Nobody, but **nobody**, scores own-goals like those worthless time servers.
Why the fuck didn’t ANY Dem have the stones to throw a wrench in the gears of this wretched banana republic manuever? How is it that **Republicans** always go to the wall, filibuster, do whatever it takes — while Dems do nothing but whine like children? (That last is a two-fer: It also burnishes the Dem “brand” as the Pathetic Loser Party.)
Republicans have been playing to win, and winning, since at least the days of Lee Atwater. Now, aside from doing valuable scutwork for their owners/donors, they are counting on an endless series of skirmishes and harrying actions over budgets, taxes, The *gasp* Deficit. Who wouldn’t relish a contest like that, when the “opponent” is certain to get outplayed, and then fold, every time?!?!?
Although there’s some encouraging local-level activism going on (NONE of it aided by Dems**; much of it stymied by them), as far as I can tell the Dem 2018 “strategy” is this: We’re going to fall into a big win because Trump is so gauche — and Russia Putin Russia Putin! I suspect that Trump is costing Republicans more support than he’s garnering for them, but consider this: The economy is, finally, kinda sorta pulling out of the 2008 catastrophe. It has absolutely nothing to do with Trump or the Republicans, of course — but they will gain the political benefits. If nothing else, it’s likely to dampen the “kick the bastards out” vote. I see zero evidence that Dems have considered this at all. It’s a long time to the midterms, and I expect the Republicans will probably lose more seats than they gain, but I think they have a very good shot at retaining very workable numbers.
** Here “Dems” also includes their celebrity hangers-on, the Krugmans, the Maddows, the Vox wankers — all the self-admiring geniuses who are still scrambling to purge the Sanders apostasy.