11 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

1. Interesting article on Politico this morning. A 1924 law allows the Senate Finance Committee and/or the House Ways and Means Committee to do investigations of the finances of political figures. The article posits that just one Republican senator, with Democrats, can trigger an overview of Trump's finances, including his tax returns. These committees have more power to do so than the Mueller investigation.

   Won't happen on the House side. Too many in the House leadership will act to protect and cover up for Trump at any cost. But, the Senate……..   who knows.

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   1. Has anybody in the mostly brain dead media asked Trump lately if the IRS audit is done so he can make his tax returns public?

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   2. The Finance committee has three more Republicans than Dems so they’d have to peel off two R’s to get a majority. In perusing the list I’m not sure who those two might be. Thoughts? If it takes just one Senator there is a name on the list we’d all recognize 🙂

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      1. Michael: I just checked the Committee web site. Republicans have a 14-13 majority on Senate Finance.

         The author thinks Orrin Hatch, the chair, might be one to trigger a review since Hatch criticized Trump's revocation of Brennan's security clearance. Some other possibilities, IMHO, include Portman OH), Toomey (PA), maybe Tim Scott (SC), maybe Burr (NC). The author does offer that more provocation would probably be needed. 

          

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         1. You're right, CHB.  I think you're also making good guesses on Toomey and Burr.  Trump is so upside down in PA  even McConnell is pulling support in the Keystone State. 

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   3. Uh, Politico explains the details a bit differently. You need a majority vote in the Senate committee, which would mean a single Republican could shift the majority on this issue.

      the Republicans hold a mere one-vote majority in the Finance Committee, which means consent by a single Republican on that committee could be enough to authorize committee action. Once authorized, the committee could act immediately and unilaterally without the agreement of the rest of Congress, the passage of a new law, or the filing of any lawsuit.

       

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      1. I adjusted my post.

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2. Let the word go out throughout the land.

   Trump stinks.

   Great God Almighty.

   Trump stinks.

   Stay upwind, America.

    

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3. It's happening all over:    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-lithium-water/in-chilean-desert-global-thirst-for-lithium-is-fueling-a-water-war-idUSKCN1LE16T?

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4. Worth reading a somewhat personal reflection from Sen. Gary Hart:

   https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/27/remembering-john-mccain/

    

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5. And now this:

   Representative Ron DeSantis, the Republican nominee for governor in Florida, drew accusations of using a racist dog whistle on Wednesday after saying in a television interview that voters should not “monkey this up” by electing his opponent, Andrew Gillum, who would be the state’s first black governor.

   Denying that is was a racist dog whistle:

   “Ron DeSantis was obviously talking about Florida not making the wrong decision to embrace the socialist policies that Andrew Gillum espouses,” Mr. Lawson said. “To characterize it as anything else is absurd.”

   To which I can only say "That's mighty white of you!"

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