Trump's Card

[Tubby Isaacs]

"Death Tax" has been a thing here for 10 years, to disatrous effect. First Osborne got plaudits for the nonsense that Inheritance Tax charged on estates less than a £1m was unfair. Then Cameron and Lansley turned cross party talks on funding geriatric care costs into a party political circus in 2010. May to her credit in 2017 tried to do something positive but fucked it up.

We could have been 7 years into a sustainable system of care paid for from house prices by now.

[San Bernardhinault]

Given recent polling and commentary, I'm going to slightly up my panic level for today's primaries in California.

The most recent polling in CA-49 (Darrell Issa's district) is actually OK. The second place Republican is behind 3 Democrats - 11,11, 10 and 8% respectively, so there's no certainty. But it's likely that a Democrat will come through. I really hope that it's Doug Applegate, who seems to be a good sort; definitely don't want it to be the odious Paul Kerr who's blown a ton of his fortune on local advertising.

But in CA-48, it actually looks like it's a mess and even if a Democrat gets through they might have fucked each other over enough that Rohrbacher will win again.

Meanwhile, I finally realise the problem in the governor's race. Newsom will get through, but it's actually important that he's up against a Democrat rather than a Trumpy Republican. If the Governor and Senate races only have Democrats on the ballot, that is the kind of thing that will keep Republicans at home for the other races. I was laughing about Newsom bigging up John Cox, but it could have a slight backlash on Democratic candidates later in the year.

[San Bernardhinault]

A question I keep asking myself is this - when Paul Manafort is meant to be one of the less dumb members of the Trump coterie: less stupid that Trump, Trumps Jr, Kushner, Flynn, Lewandowski, Stone, etc, how the fuck can he be so fucking stupid to try and nobble witnesses when he's got the entire FBI breathing down his neck.

[Satchmo Distel]

His actions imply that his crimes must be quite serious and/or he's shitting himself so much over doing the jail time that he's willing to take big risks. That would be how a jury would see it, I assume.

[San Bernardhinault]

Yeah. Once you try and nobble witnesses, it's hard to them claim to be innocent of anything.

[ursus arctos]

This piece tries to answer that question

Despite the risk of being jailed until trial, “this kind of behavior is surprisingly typical when high-powered individuals have their first encounter with the federal criminal-justice system,” said Caroline Polisi, a criminal-defense attorney who handles federal and white-collar cases. “They can’t get it through their heads that they are not above the law and that the government is constantly monitoring them. They also can’t come to terms with the fact that they are no longer in control.”

[Nefertiti2]

If you haven't seen this video yet watch it.

https://twitter.com/Ocasio2018/status/1001795660524457985


And then read about how it was made

[Eggchaser]

"Death Tax" has been a thing here for 10 years, to disatrous effect. First Osborne got plaudits for the nonsense that Inheritance Tax charged on estates less than a £1m was unfair. Then Cameron and Lansley turned cross party talks on funding geriatric care costs into a party political circus in 2010. May to her credit in 2017 tried to do something positive but fucked it up.

We could have been 7 years into a sustainable system of care paid for from house prices by now.

Osborne's million pound IHT giveaway was a great piece of sleight of hand. In order to qualify, you have to

1). Own or have owned a property that was your residence
2). Be married/civil partners (Hey, the gays are OK!)
3). Leave everything on the first death to the surviving spouse.
4). Leave the residence to direct descendants (for once, a loose definition including stepchildren, and even foster kids) on the second death
5). The surviving spouse has to die in or after tax year 2020/2021
6). Have a total gross estate less than £2.5m (any larger and you lose your residence Nil Rate Band entirely)

Tick all those boxes, have £1m IHT exemption.

Fail to tick one and you get a reduced or no residence Nil Rate Band.

Family home good! Spinster aunt leaving assets to nephews and nieces bad!

[anton pulisov]

a sustainable system of care paid for from house prices

sounds legit

[Nefertiti2]

I Understand Trump is thinking of buying Sheffield Wednesday

[ad hoc]

Wrong thread?
Ha! I don't even think Trump has that much a bad business sense

[NHH]

That ad is brilliant Nef - thanks for posting. All power to her elbow, and everyone like her.

[Satchmo Distel]

I Understand Trump is thinking of buying Sheffield Wednesday

Would he pass the fit and proper owners' test?

[ursus arctos]

Decent short summary of yesterday's primary results from the Washington Post

[Tubby Isaacs]

Mexico sticks tariffs on pork. A few Iowan Trumpers could be put out of business.

[Lang Spoon]

If only people voted according to their rational economic interests, Tubbs.

[San Bernardhinault]

The best news of the night appears to be that Ammar Campa-Najjar looks like he’s going to be Duncan Hunter’s challenger in CA 50. It’s great because (a) he seems like a decent bloke and good politician; (b) his Democratic opponent styled himself as “Former Navy Seal Josh” as if that was the only important thing; but mostly (c) he’s going to make the Super Trumpy, Super Corrupt Duncan Hunter puce with impotent rage, being half Mexican half Palestinian (his grandpa was in the PLO). It could get very entertaining.

[Tubby Isaacs]

If only people voted according to their rational economic interests, Tubbs.

Ha ha.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Christ he's as thick as shit.

During a tetchy phone call last month to discuss looming steel and aluminum tariffs, Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, reportedly asked how Trump could justify the new duties on national security grounds.

In reply, Trump asked, according to CNN: “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” The White House did not respond to a request for comment and a Canadian official declined to comment on the record.

[ursus arctos]

Just the thing before he leaves for the G7 in Québec

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Having conversations with him must be the most bizarre experience. I would love to have access to Angela Merkel's inner thoughts when he asked her 10 times to do a trade deal with Germany, and she patiently kept explaining to him that the EU handled all of germany's trade deals, so he should talk to them.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Just the thing before he leaves for the G7 in Québec

I'd love to be a fly on the wall. I can't imagine anyone but the serving staff will have anything to say to him. The Japanese finance minister has already publicly commiserated with Steven Mnuchin.

[Nefertiti2]

That ad is brilliant Nef - thanks for posting. All power to her elbow, and everyone like her.

Isn't it great?

The video’s crescendo is driven by Ocasio-Cortez’s narration, which she also scripted:

This race is about people versus money — we’ve got people, they’ve got money. It’s time we acknowledged that not all Democrats are the same. That a Democrat who takes corporate money, profits off foreclosure, doesn’t live here, doesn’t send his kids to our schools, doesn’t drink our water or breathe our air, cannot possibly represent us.

What the Bronx and Queens needs is ‘Medicare for All,’ tuition-free public college, a federal jobs guarantee, and criminal justice reform.

[ursus arctos]

Tubbs' Statesman of the Week

https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1004505226777387008

[Amor de Cosmos]

Well raise a small glass to Bob Corker (who I'd never heard of until three minutes ago.)