It does no good to drain the swamp when it leaves the alligators intact and snapping at our asses. We appear to have an alligator All-You-Can-Eat going on in the federal government right now.
The best way for Trump to prove they're fake is to release his actual returns.
Yes, I've been thinking that. Especially since now he's reportedly saying that he actually paid a lot. (I heard on the radio something like "a million" (or "millions of"?) dollars. I'm looking for online confirmation, in case I misheard.)
The best way for Trump to prove they're fake is to release his actual returns.
Yes, I've been thinking that. Especially since now he's reportedly saying that he actually paid a lot. (I heard on the radio something like "a million" (or "millions of"?) dollars. I'm looking for online confirmation, in case I misheard.)
Trump did pay million or millions in personal taxes to the IRS, but they were mostly taxes like Social Security, payroll, and other taxes like those for he pays as employer of his household employees. These taxes are harder for him to get out of with the loopholes he uses for federal income tax, which particularly benefit real estate developers. So he’s not talking about the same kinds of taxes that the NYT is talking about. But he won’t tell you that, of course.
It does no good to drain the swamp when it leaves the alligators intact and snapping at our asses. We appear to have an alligator All-You-Can-Eat going on in the federal government right now.
Here's an interview of Sarah Sanders by Leigh Sales. Sanders manages to deflect, but its clear that Sales gets under her skin. People might enjoy the show.
The best way for Trump to prove they're fake is to release his actual returns.
Yes, I've been thinking that. Especially since now he's reportedly saying that he actually paid a lot. (I heard on the radio something like "a million" (or "millions of"?) dollars. I'm looking for online confirmation, in case I misheard.)
Trump did pay million or millions in personal taxes to the IRS, but they were mostly taxes like Social Security, payroll, and other taxes like those for he pays as employer of his household employees. These taxes are harder for him to get out of with the loopholes he uses for federal income tax, which particularly benefit real estate developers. So he’s not talking about the same kinds of taxes that the NYT is talking about. But he won’t tell you that, of course.
Which is to say, NOT personal taxes--if by "personal" is understood what most people mean, "personal income taxes." The 1040. The great April frustration.
Paying payroll taxes is not paying your personal taxes. It is paying other people's personal taxes--that is, your employees' taxes. You are acting impersonally, as an employer, a business entity. The fact that you may benefit personally from the employee's service (they fluff your pillow or whatnot) does not make payroll taxes yours in any personal way.
And T is quite capable of lying. If he's done so to the IRS (especially if it falls into the category of "tax evasion", rather than "tax avoidance"), he's in deep doo-doo.
If...hoping-hoping-hoping... Trump loses and is out on his ass in January, I think the NY state prosecutors and the IRS will have orderly, socially distanced lines around Trump Tower, waiting for their turns.
In my daydreams I fondly imagine Trump calling for rebellion, insurrection, etc. from his hideyhole in the White House, which he refuses to leave, while all the great powers look at each other: "Shall we get the military involved?" "Hell no!" "So, should we get the National Guard out?" "Oh no, why bother? It's a straight eviction, isn't it?" And they send the local sheriff round to haul him out, and his belongings end up on the front lawn until he can beg someone to collect them for him. As in the meantime the cops have caught up with him, and it's hard to rent a storage unit when in jail...
It does no good to drain the swamp when it leaves the alligators intact and snapping at our asses. We appear to have an alligator All-You-Can-Eat going on in the federal government right now.
And are the Federal alligators the diners, or dined *on*?
Another imagined scenario I was thinking about today:
The Occupy movement decides T needs reminding of certain basic things. So they gather and mobilize in DC, in front of the White House. (Not sure how the blocks around it are laid out, but I'd love to have them all the way around)
They take turns reading aloud the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and any other pertinent documents. They use their wonderful human loudspeaker system to pass the word along. Witnessing and further spreading words and pics are professional journalists, professional photographers, social media folks, and possibly some international observers.
Occupy is completely civil, and the self-proclaimed anarchists, white supremacists, and alt-righters are nowhere to be seen.. No one has any weapons. There might be some aikido practitioners, mimes, and those huge protest puppets to quietly and humorously deter any troublemakers.
T can't stand it, and does at least one of the following:
--in a fit of pique, he does a Rumplestiltkin, and stomps 'round in circles until he's created an opening, into which he falls, never to be seen again;
--he hides out in Dick Cheney's old "undisclosed location" in the WH, begging someone to call in a big, bestliest helicopter so he can quit and head to Mar-a-lago;
--he writes "I QUIT" and his signature all over the walls of the Oval Office, runs off to the local McDonalds, and sends out a tweet storm about how badly the world has treated him, while he eats many comfort Big Macs;
Who is Hope Hicks in this guy's life? She has the virus, is sick and is reported to have flown around to the debate/argument thing with him and various family members of his. There's also discussion of betting on the course of illness should he get sick. Which would be uncharitable except for schadenfreude* and hope.
*schadenfreude: malicious enjoyment of the suffering of others.
Longtime employee in the Trump Organization, including a stint as Donald Trump's personal assistant. She was the press secretary for his campaign and part of the Trump administration*'s communication office. She left in 2017 and returned in 2020.
Yeah, that just flashed on TV. I hope Barron's ok, and has someone kind and sensible to be with him. I know he's not a little kid, anymore, but he's in a bad situation to begin with.
I know I should want a speedy recovery for anyone affected but I worry that unless Trump is seriously ill it will only add to the problem of people not taking the virus seriously. On the other hand if he dies or is permanently incapacitated then who knows what the redcaps will do. The conspiracy theories will be worse than anything seen so far.
Possibly, it might get some people thinking "wow, if even the president can get it...where do I get a mask?"
But yeah, some people will think "OMG, he's fallen prey to the hoax", or "they've purposely infected with something via a vaccine", or "have they threatened his family?", etc.
The tweet he sent as an announcement sounds (on the surface, anyway) like he's acknowledging he and M actually have it, and he's taking it seriously. What he *really* thinks...
*Maybe* there's a nano-fraction of a chance that he and/or the people around him will take Covid more seriously, and encourage others to do so.
Well, some of them should self-isolate, just on general principles.
But I was mostly thinking of anyone who might be able to, say, ease White House pressure on the CDC and be much more supportive on them. Or anyone, of any rank, who might be able to nudge someone else to do that.
I wonder if he really has got it. It might turn out to be another sneaky political move. If he bounces out in two weeks' time saying: "See, I told ya it was nothing!" it might give him a boost.
I wonder if he really has got it. It might turn out to be another sneaky political move. If he bounces out in two weeks' time saying: "See, I told ya it was nothing!" it might give him a boost.
That sounds too complicated for Trump. He doesn't do smart.
I know I should want a speedy recovery for anyone affected but I worry that unless Trump is seriously ill it will only add to the problem of people not taking the virus seriously. On the other hand if he dies or is permanently incapacitated then who knows what the redcaps will do. The conspiracy theories will be worse than anything seen so far.
I don't believe in wishing people a speedy recovery unless I mean it. The cold political calculation is that it would be better for him to die of this illness. Everything can be turned into a conspiracy, of course, but this is much better than him being shot. Also, if he's still around post-defeat and dragged out Court battles, he will remain a malign influence on the GOP and the loopy right and delay the development of a relatively sane conservative political force in America.
After White House officials learned of Hicks’s symptoms, Trump and his entourage flew Thursday to New Jersey, where he attended a fundraiser at his golf club in Bedminster and delivered a speech. Trump was in close contact with dozens of other people, including campaign supporters, at a roundtable event.
The president did not wear a mask Thursday, including at the events at his golf course and on the plane, officials said. He was tested after he returned to the White House, but he also appeared on Sean Hannity’s TV show from the residence by telephone.
It might be a separate thread re disingenuous prayers and well wishes for the recovery of someone whose demise might be best for all. Did people pray for Saddam Hussein, Gadaffi, Pol Pot, Mao? Or do we pray for the recovery of specific people whom we have something in common with?
And now RNC chair Ronna Romney McDaniel has tested positive for COVID-19.
Let's also remember that new Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was with Donald Trump last Saturday and then met with Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans on Monday.
Doing the contact tracing on President* Super-Spreader is going to be tough.
I behold Caligula. He believes himself a god. He lusts after his daughter. He exceeds Caligula: his Senate has more than one horse's ass. Though Melania reminds me of Agrippina.
I wonder if he really has got it. It might turn out to be another sneaky political move. If he bounces out in two weeks' time saying: "See, I told ya it was nothing!" it might give him a boost.
My other thought was: maybe it is an even sneakier move. He hasn't got it at all, and he won't be seen for weeks and we shall get bulletins saying he is quite seriously ill. Then he will try to claim that the election should not go ahead as it isn't fair that he can't campaign.
I wonder if he really has got it. It might turn out to be another sneaky political move. If he bounces out in two weeks' time saying: "See, I told ya it was nothing!" it might give him a boost.
Lying about this would be in his wheelhouse. But the worst case scenario politically and heath wise, is that he has a verifiable, but mild case. He could then leverage that to support the bullshit he's ben spewing thus far.
Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, announced Friday he tested positive for Covid-19, just days after meeting in person with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday.
For those who are unfamiliar, Mike Lee sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. That committee has twelve Republican members and ten Democrats. Given the way Mitch McConnell is trying to push the Barrett nomination through the Senate with all undeliberate speed, this could cause problems if another Republican member has to take leave.
Trump could never bring himself to confess to the weakness of getting infected with COVID if it weren't so. He is not capable of pretending to something he considers a weakness, even for strategic reasons. It would be an intolerable ego-loss to him. Which is actually a blessing, as he'd be even more dangerous if he had any self control in that way. It would allow him to strategize more effectively and do even greater damage.
“The biotechnology company Regeneron released a report earlier this week on its experimental coronavirus antibody cocktail, which the president is now taking to treat his symptoms.”
Comments
Yes, I've been thinking that.
BTW, Forbes business magazine has some interesting T-related articles. Links on the front page.
Trump did pay million or millions in personal taxes to the IRS, but they were mostly taxes like Social Security, payroll, and other taxes like those for he pays as employer of his household employees. These taxes are harder for him to get out of with the loopholes he uses for federal income tax, which particularly benefit real estate developers. So he’s not talking about the same kinds of taxes that the NYT is talking about. But he won’t tell you that, of course.
Which is to say, NOT personal taxes--if by "personal" is understood what most people mean, "personal income taxes." The 1040. The great April frustration.
Paying payroll taxes is not paying your personal taxes. It is paying other people's personal taxes--that is, your employees' taxes. You are acting impersonally, as an employer, a business entity. The fact that you may benefit personally from the employee's service (they fluff your pillow or whatnot) does not make payroll taxes yours in any personal way.
And are the Federal alligators the diners, or dined *on*?
Hmmmm...."Fed. gators"...
The Occupy movement decides T needs reminding of certain basic things. So they gather and mobilize in DC, in front of the White House. (Not sure how the blocks around it are laid out, but I'd love to have them all the way around)
They take turns reading aloud the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and any other pertinent documents. They use their wonderful human loudspeaker system to pass the word along. Witnessing and further spreading words and pics are professional journalists, professional photographers, social media folks, and possibly some international observers.
Occupy is completely civil, and the self-proclaimed anarchists, white supremacists, and alt-righters are nowhere to be seen.. No one has any weapons. There might be some aikido practitioners, mimes, and those huge protest puppets to quietly and humorously deter any troublemakers.
T can't stand it, and does at least one of the following:
--in a fit of pique, he does a Rumplestiltkin, and stomps 'round in circles until he's created an opening, into which he falls, never to be seen again;
--he hides out in Dick Cheney's old "undisclosed location" in the WH, begging someone to call in a big, bestliest helicopter so he can quit and head to Mar-a-lago;
--he writes "I QUIT" and his signature all over the walls of the Oval Office, runs off to the local McDonalds, and sends out a tweet storm about how badly the world has treated him, while he eats many comfort Big Macs;
and all the people of the world say "Amen".
Here you go - https://youtu.be/q9_6-b_-4ys
*schadenfreude: malicious enjoyment of the suffering of others.
Longtime employee in the Trump Organization, including a stint as Donald Trump's personal assistant. She was the press secretary for his campaign and part of the Trump administration*'s communication office. She left in 2017 and returned in 2020.
:votive: for everyone affected by Covid.
Possibly, it might get some people thinking "wow, if even the president can get it...where do I get a mask?"
But yeah, some people will think "OMG, he's fallen prey to the hoax", or "they've purposely infected with something via a vaccine", or "have they threatened his family?", etc.
The tweet he sent as an announcement sounds (on the surface, anyway) like he's acknowledging he and M actually have it, and he's taking it seriously. What he *really* thinks...
*Maybe* there's a nano-fraction of a chance that he and/or the people around him will take Covid more seriously, and encourage others to do so.
But I was mostly thinking of anyone who might be able to, say, ease White House pressure on the CDC and be much more supportive on them. Or anyone, of any rank, who might be able to nudge someone else to do that.
I'm glad to see you're not self-isolating, Eutychus, at least not from this forum anyway. Nice to see you.
:irony (In the American sense.):
He was sweating a lot and on stage at the debate, but maybe that’s normal for him. He is obese.
That sounds too complicated for Trump. He doesn't do smart.
If and when he gets better, we can count on there to be a lot of Christian nationalist bullshit along the 'God has spared him for this' lines.
Ah, but see the part in Revelation about the Beast suffering an injury and then being revived by the False Prophet!
I don't believe in wishing people a speedy recovery unless I mean it. The cold political calculation is that it would be better for him to die of this illness. Everything can be turned into a conspiracy, of course, but this is much better than him being shot. Also, if he's still around post-defeat and dragged out Court battles, he will remain a malign influence on the GOP and the loopy right and delay the development of a relatively sane conservative political force in America.
Trump himself has verified his (and Melania's) positive test results via Twitter (because how else would he do it?).
And because he doesn't care about anyone but himself:
Let's also remember that new Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was with Donald Trump last Saturday and then met with Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans on Monday.
Doing the contact tracing on President* Super-Spreader is going to be tough.
My other thought was: maybe it is an even sneakier move. He hasn't got it at all, and he won't be seen for weeks and we shall get bulletins saying he is quite seriously ill. Then he will try to claim that the election should not go ahead as it isn't fair that he can't campaign.
Judge Barrett herself had tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer and since recovered.
For those who are unfamiliar, Mike Lee sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. That committee has twelve Republican members and ten Democrats. Given the way Mitch McConnell is trying to push the Barrett nomination through the Senate with all undeliberate speed, this could cause problems if another Republican member has to take leave.
He will certainly try to spin it, though.
Perhaps she will suffer a relapse.
Someone who was at the nomination has tested positive.
"Notre Dame President Apologizes for Not Wearing Mask at Amy Coney Barrett Nomination. Photos and videos showing Jenkins not wearing a mask and shaking hands with others at the event surfaced on social media."
The last half of that article is the full text of a letter he sent to students, faculty, and staff.
Sounds like desperation.