Open Thread Dec. 21: Brighter Days Ahead
The winter solstice occurs at 11:28 this morning, so by definition, brighter days are ahead — but not today, according to the astrologers, who are just as qualified as most of Trump’s cabinet secretaries.
That Virginia recount that the Democrat won by one vote? Not any more. The GOP challenged, and the court upheld, one ballot as contradictory and it was tossed out, so now it’s a tie. The proposed solution: casting lots to see who wins. I kid you not.
Wanna know what a hose job this tax cut is? Thomas Edsall lays it all out for you — or, rather, lays out as much as will fit in his allotted space. A full accounting would take longer.
I knew Patagonia, the outdoor apparel outfit, had sued the Trump administration over the decision to carve up Bears Ears National Monument, but I haven’t followed it closely. Gotta say, though, I like the cut of the company founder’s jib. The House Committee on Natural Resources, chaired by this guy, sent Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard a condescending invitation to testify. The billionaire told them to take their“failed Orwellian government” and stuff it.
Your tax dollars at work: Scott Pruitt’s EPA claims it formulated a long new set of rules for Superfund sites without generating even scrap of paperwork. Trump’s cabinet makes Reagan’s cabinet, a theater of horrors at the time, look like the Legion of Superheroes.
“Trump’s cabinet makes Reagan’s cabinet, a theater of horrors at the time, look like the Legion of Superheroes.”
Oh, I think it’s worse than that. I think that entire administration has set a new yardstick by which we measure administrations. The problem is, the bar is now so low so as to be useless for sensible performance measure. I would not include this administration in any benchmarking for any president or administration. We would normally refer to this as a wild data point and throw it out. This administration is useful only as a cautionary tale for those who are prone to overreach when it comes to change.
Thanks for the link to the Edsall piece. Totally appalling. Capricious, mean-spririted, built on a mountain of lies, and greedy as all fuck. But that is to be expected of Republicans.
That Democrats could not mount a serious opposition to that tax bill is an indictment of every sitting legislator.
Believe the Virginia decision was reached on accepting a ballot for the Republican, the voter had marked both boxes but had taken pains to highlight the candidate he/she/it wanted. As for Trump’s cabinet it’s a rogues gallery of creeps, cooks and crooks. Whatever is wrong with American business is well represented.