17 thoughts on “Tuesday Open Thread”

1. Continuing Gertie's question about Amendment 73 on school funding, the Colorado Sun's Brian Eason examines the underlying issues, but as a news piece, not opinion, it doesn't make any recommendations.

   One ray of hope, the legislature is already taking a hard look at the School Finance Act for the next session.

   Some top lawmakers worry the tax question is premature. A bipartisan legislative interim committee has been studying a complete overhaul of the School Finance Act, but the process has been slow, and lawmakers haven’t reached the point that they’re ready to present solutions.

   “We (need to) achieve the political will to make those changes first before (voters) pull out their pocketbooks,” said Rep. Alec Garnett, a Denver Democrat who supports new taxes for schools, but doubts the amendment will pass. “And I think that’s one of the mistakes that was made.

   

   State Rep. Alec Garnett, D-Denver. 

   “I think the voters are going to say ‘You want more money into a school finance formula? OK, well change it.’ ”

   Garnett co-chairs the interim committee with Lundeen, the Republican from Monument. Both say the committee is making progress — but recent momentum has been put on pause until after the election.

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   1. Good luck to them, but the school finance act is so convoluted I think there's maybe 12 people in the state who actually understand it. Term limits drove them all out some time ago, but I do hope the new kids consult those in the know.

      In the meantime, I'm still puzzling over A-73.

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2. Paul Krugman on what a continuing dominance of the GOP in Congress and the White House might portend

   The Paranoid Style in G.O.P. Politics

   Republicans are an authoritarian regime in waiting

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3. Big news of a sort — Nikki Haley resigns as UN Ambassador.  Does this mean a return of John Bolton as her replacement?

   One day sooner or later, she will be running for President.

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   1. But Haley explicitly ruled out running for anything in 2020. And she expressed "gratitude to" and no criticism of the Trump Sad!-ministration or the man himself.

      My speculation, from far, far away, is that Trump's second appearance at the United Nations confirmed she had little to no influence on policy or tone, and rather than continue to beat her head against the walls, she is leaving.

       

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      1. True on both counts.  When Trump is out of the equation, she'll run.  I just can't predict how soon that eventuality becomes a reality.

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         1. Maybe Trump will ditch Pence and pick Haley for 2020.

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            1. Nah, Pence gives much better ego massages.  Haley still has her dignity (mostly) intact.

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   2. I like this theory: Lindsey Graham becomes AG and Halley becomes the next Senator from South Carolina.

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      1. Trump was actually asked about it an hour ago. He said that Graham is doing a great job where, especially over the last couple of weeks. And he seems very happy there.

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      2. Another round of the White House Shuffle will be played right after the November election.  Interesting that Rosenstein seems to have mollified Trump.  Given that Sessions is a dead man walking, is it possible Rosenstein could get promoted?

         But, PR, I think your scenario is definitely plausible.

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      3. I like that too. At least Aunt Pittypat wouldn't go around breaking as many things at home as Jefferson Sessions, just for the hell of it.

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      4. Then who steps in to be the US ambassador? Stephen Miller? WWVW? (Who would Vladimir Want?)

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         1. Putin would like Bolton — he'd pick up where he left off pissing off everyone in the UN, demonstrating what an unreliable partner we have become, isolating the the US, which opens the door for Putin to expand his influence around the globe.

            Putin’s investment has been, and will continue to pay huge dividends as long as his puppet remains in the White House.

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         2. Trump knows lots of rich people who already have New York residences. Surely someone who lives in Trump Tower has some sort of foreign policy credential that would be enough to push Republicans to confirm her or him.

            Not knowing where they live in NYC, there are a couple already in the "mentioned" list:  Dina Powell was at Goldman Sachs and has "exotic looks" — plus a bit of foreign policy exposure. Her conflict with Bannon no longer is particularly a disqualifying event.  Heather Nauert is spokesman for the State department, from Fox News,

            And if the Democrats by some odd chance DO win a majority or a 50-50 tie, Haley can accelerate her resignation date a tad and there can be a fast confirmation during the lame duck session.

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4. My daily dose of unintentional humor was taken today from a Washington Post op ed from Larry Summers:  The United States of lots of different Americas

   Apparently, Dr. & his spouse took a driving trip, Chicago to Portland, OR, via 2 lane highways. He was stunned to realize:

   Driving across America, as opposed to looking down from a plane, makes clear how much of this vast country is uninhabited. Again and again, we encountered signs warning us to check our gas because it would be 50 miles to the next station. I’m sure there were moments when we were 250 miles from any place where I could have purchased an iPhone charger. Often there was no cellphone service to be had, either.

   Other discoveries and the meanings he constructs from his meandering journey provide a bit of perspective into the mind of "a professor at and past president of Harvard University. He was treasury secretary from 1999 to 2001 and an economic adviser to President Barack Obama from 2009 through 2010."

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   1. I thought Splinter did a good job of writing the headline for this story:

      Leading Member of Global Elite Pens Cartoonish Blog About Driving Through Shithole Country

      I like to imagine him in a top hat and monocle, delivering this speech to a bored waitress at a Pizza Ranch in Altoona, Iowa.

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