Yesterday was busy. By the time I arrived home, I couldn't seem to stir myself to prepare an Open Thread in time for publishing. The one short take I had morphed into today's lead article. So I threw up my hands, watched a video, and did some major cat cuddling. My little girl, Annie, was asleep under my desk earlier, but now my big ginger, Winnie, is there, his paw and head resting on my foot.
Short Takes
Think Progress — On Monday, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson released his tax plan, the center of which is a flat tax of 14.9 percent.
Rather than different tax brackets for different income levels and categories, the flat tax levies the same rate on all personal and business income, although Carson’s 14.9 percent rate would only apply to people who have incomes above 150 percent of the poverty level, or $36,375 for a family of four. Those who make less would have to make a small tax payment: “Even those who earn little income will pay taxes, no matter how small their contribution might be,” Carson says in his plan. Currently, 46 percent of Americans don’t have to pay federal income taxes because their incomes are too low.
Shades of Mr 999! Republicans have been in a sweaty dither about the national deficit during Obama's presidency, and now Carson wants to significantly reduce revenues? He probably thinks it will help him at the polls. What a jackass!
Politico — Charles Koch is “disappointed” with the line-up of Republican candidates in the 2016 cycle, and is surprised by the lack of influence he and his brother have wielded so far. …
Koch, his brother David, and their network had pledged to spend $889 million on policy and political battles headed into November 2016. But Charles Koch said in October that the political network of donors revised its estimate and instead planned on spending $750 million on politics over two years.
So Charles isn't feeling the love? Poor baby. I can hear him now as the campaign finance laws are reformed and Citizens United is overturned! The reduction is still a drop inthe bucket!
Mediaite — Cruz defiantly scoffed off recent criticism by Republican opponent Donald Trump regarding his citizenship by proclaiming that the question is “settled law.” Here is the thing. It is not. In fact, the meaning of natural born is just simply not defined in the U.S. Constitution.
There are three basic requirements for presidency. First, the President must be 35 years old or older. Second, he or she must be a “Resident” of the Unites States for fourteen years. But the third one is vague and is the heart of the controversy. The President must be a “natural born Citizen.” Mr. Cruz – a Harvard Law grad, an attorney and former state solicitor general – should know that.
Certainly, Trump is test driving his "birther" screed on Cruz, but so far, not as vehemently as he did with Obama . . . yet! And then there is the notion put forth in Talking Points Memo that Cruz's mother may have become a Canadian. Personally, I doubt it. And of course, the Coultergeist, a Trump supporter, weighed in on the issue in her usual flip-flop style in Mediaite.
My Universe — h/t JL
I could not get the video embeded so click here to watch. When the picture appears, click in the middle of it and the fun begins.
I'm ready for the video! Who's got the popcorn?
7 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 09/01/2016”
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I can quite understand that rising to the occasion is difficult at times, especially when surrounded by purring fur balls, Lynn. I'll have to keep my rising very limited, just having begged my husband's computer and internet connector off him, if only for a short while.
Think Progress: Carson is a fool, as usual. Flat tax never works, no matter what type of economy or society, but especially not where 1% own almost all, and 46% now earn so little they have to pay no federal taxes. Sure it makes sense that you make this 46% pay taxes out of virtually nothing and have the 1% get away with a paying a few peanuts.
Politico: So the Koch bros. are no longer spending $889 million up to November 2016 (the date they'd expected to have put their president bought with this money in the White House) but are now only spending $ 750 million in two years. That money is probably going to people they buy for Congress now and for that amount an awful lot of influence can still be bought. So we shouldn't be feeling sorry for them, as if anyone really could, but remain vigilant . Their up to the same tricks, just dressed up a little differently.
Mediaite: Something to look forward to, this "duel" between Trump and Cruz about Cruz's natural born Citizenship. Let's hope they spend a lot of time tearing eachother apart; in the meantime sane folk will follow debates that are really interesting because their content matters: debates between Democrats.
Sunday January 10, 2016, 6:09 am
Think Progress: The poor will continue to bear the brunt of paying taxes while the rich won't even be affected.
Mediaite: I found this interesting. Personally, I don't try my best to listen to Cruz. "This isn’t the first time the qualifications of a candidate have come into question. George Romney, the father of Mitt Romney who ran for president as a Republican in 1968, was born in Mexico. Barry Goldwater, the 1964 GOP presidential nominee, was born in Arizona before it was a state. Neither candidate’s campaign was derailed by citizenship challenges." *Politifact 26/3/15
My Universe: Adorable clip!
Glad that you had a chance to relax. We had family over, (and even though I prayed fervently in Church), my team lost. Big Time. Chiefs 30/Texans 0. ugh! We'll see how the Packers do today.
In the meantime, enjoy your day! Thanks, Lynn.
And Carson's plan undoes the benefits of EITC, too…sigh
No remaining candidate as willing to be subservient as Walker was Mr. Koch?
People questioned when the 35 years of age needed to be (when filing vs. taking office) for JFK
I enjoyed the video yet again.
Think Progress – Certainly a flat tax is always unjust – though possibly not quite as unjust as abolishing income tax altogether ans substituting a natonal sales tax, which I keep seeing touted as a fair tax plan (yeah, right.) However, IF we could see corporations actially pay 14.9% (as opposed to the refunds they are getting now ) it might not be a decrease in revenues. Since that will happen when pigs fly with wings and poop rainbow unicorns, I can't do anything but shake my head at the naivete of this plan. (Incidentally 14.9% is roughly what Warren Buffet is paying now. Coincidence?)
Politico – Koch brother "disappointment" = something good. If we all seriously vote (and I so mean all the way down the ballots) perhaps we can send some more.
Mediaite – There is some law, but it is not in the Constitution, it is in the US Code, and it is unwieldy. Also it doesn't use the term "natural born citizen." The part that applies to Cruz is one parent a citizen (his mother was, and incidentally was born in the US) who was physically resident in the US for a period of 14 years (and that may be tied to having been a certain age first but I don't remember that) makes you a citizen at birth wherever in the world you are born. In 1789, when the Constitution was ratified, it's safe to say no founding father, no person who voted on the Constitution, no person who served in the Revolutionary War, had been born in the United States nor of U.S. citizen parents, since the United States had not existed long enough for anyone born in it to have reached majority. It would have been nice if they had thought ahead, but they didn't.
Universe – Aaaaaaaaah.
Some days are just like that!
The trich ias that the 0.1$ reconfigure their income as capital gains and pay no tax at all. This is about what I would expect from Uncle Token.
US politics kas too much Koch sucking!
Deport that Canadian!!
Cats in a box for fun, Dawgs in a box for lunch,
Hold on TC we really don't want that slime ball in our country . we had harper for 8 years and that was more than enough .and i do believe he made the choice he was allowed to be America , so you are stuck with him . oh thank you , thank you , thank you . and as for the crotch bros. nuff said just mentioning that name . be well Lynn hope your day was a good un ..
Mediaite: I posted a story, from DK, about Cruz' situation, yesterday. I anticipate some good times, kicking back with a beer and watching the scrim about his birthing issue.
Politico: Well, the Koch boys had the poor judgment to put all their early eggs into the Scott Walker basket, and bombed on that call, poor itty, bitty, widdle boys!
TP: What, Carson is still in the hunt? He needs to go play in the sandbox with Santorum.