Late Night Track -- I Wish

Something Bigger Than Tweets

I've been trying to get back to writing my morning column about Trump's tweets, but I'm starting to find it exhausting and deflating. Too much is going wrong right now. The biggest is the tax bill going through Congress. It's much more than a tax bill; it's a society killer:

The tax plan has been marketed by President Trump and Republican leaders as a straightforward if enormous rebate for the masses, a $1.5 trillion package of cuts to spur hiring and economic growth. But as the bill has been rushed through Congress with scant debate, its far broader ramifications have come into focus, revealing a catchall legislative creation that could reshape major areas of American life, from education to health care.

Some of this re-engineering is straight out of the traditional Republican playbook. Corporate taxes, along with those on wealthy Americans, would be slashed on the presumption that when people in penthouses get relief, the benefits flow down to basement tenements.

Some measures are barely connected to the realm of taxation, such as the lifting of a 1954 ban on political activism by churches and the conferring of a new legal right for fetuses in the House bill — both on the wish list of the evangelical right.

With a potentially far-reaching dimension, elements in both the House and Senate bills could constrain the ability of states and local governments to levy their own taxes, pressuring them to limit spending on health care, education, public transportation and social services. In their longstanding battle to shrink government, Republicans have found in the tax bill a vehicle to broaden the fight beyond Washington.

This isn't about Trump. He's just a hand with a pen to the Republicans. Despite their lack of legislative success to date in 2017, this wraps almost their entire agenda into one bill. Despite the fact that one bill has passed the House and another looks like it will probably pass the Senate, the complexity of it will make it quite hard to roll everything into one bill that can pass both Houses at once. But it still might happen. If it does, America as we know it is fucked. There's no other way to put it. The Democrats are itching to run against the fallout, but it's not that simple:

GOP will cut taxes for the rich, which will drastically increase the deficit, which will require massive cuts to Medicare and other so-called entitlements, which DEMs will have to approve to avoid crippling debt, and GOP will blame DEMs, and voters will believe them.

— TDPattillo (@TDPattillo) November 30, 2017

I can't deny it; I'm really, really scared right now. And even if this bill doesn't pass, it's incredibly demoralizing to know that people that can support this even exist, let alone hold almost all of the power in this country.

Literally the Greatest Campaign Ad Ever

I wasn't planning on posting anything tonight, but... lordy, just watch.

I've watched this ad for a Democratic candidate for Michigan Attorney General a dozen times.

"When you’re choosing Michigan’s next attorney general, ask yourself this: Who can you trust most not to show you their penis in a professional setting?" https://t.co/rHVEgXocoA pic.twitter.com/1oCDdsggP0

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 30, 2017

Earworm of the Afternoon -- Woodstock

Tuesday Morning Twitshit

Looks like we start this morning with some racism:

At least 24 players kneeling this weekend at NFL stadiums that are now having a very hard time filling up. The American public is fed up with the disrespect the NFL is paying to our Country, our Flag and our National Anthem. Weak and out of control!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017

12 teams are reporting that they're averaging seating beyond capacity, and none are under 82%. I think they're doing just fine (whether I want them to or not is another story).

Melania, our great and very hard working First Lady, who truly loves what she is doing, always thought that “if you run, you will win.” She would tell everyone that, “no doubt, he will win.” I also felt I would win (or I would not have run) - and Country is doing great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017

Pretty much none of that is true. I don't think even Putin, who got him to run, believed he'd really win.

Meeting with “Chuck and Nancy” today about keeping government open and working. Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don’t see a deal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017

No deal? Good! Right on cue:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats in Congress abruptly pull out of White House meeting after President Trump’s Twitter attack.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 28, 2017

We don’t have any time to waste in addressing the issues that confront us, so we’re going to continue to negotiate with Republican leaders who may be interested in reaching a bipartisan agreement.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 28, 2017

Keith Olbermann Signs Off

NEW VIDEO: After “Pocahontas,” Trump’s an ex-president waiting to happen - imminently. So this is the last episode of #TheResistanceGQ. If you’re a political account and I unfollow you it ain’t personal. And I recommend everybody follow @ddale8 pic.twitter.com/NzguN6uvL3

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) November 28, 2017

For the record, I'm not with him. All of the things he describes are possibilities, but the whole situation could just as easily go in the opposite direction.

Late Night Track -- You Get What You Give

Thanksgiving 2017

Just perfect.

I can’t help but think of The Giving Tree. We’re suffering from fatigue this administration has brought, some of us beat down to a stump. But you’re right-we need to find every ounce of optimism & strength we can muster to rebuild for the children we love more than ourselves.💕 pic.twitter.com/yX3fW1fSnr

— Kristin (@KristinKarnitz) November 22, 2017

Earworm of the Afternoon -- Whoever You Are

Pre-Thanksgiving Twitshit

So, normally this rambling tweet would be more than enough crazy for one morning:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, your Country is starting to do really well. Jobs coming back, highest Stock Market EVER, Military getting really strong, we will build the WALL, V.A. taking care of our Vets, great Supreme Court Justice, RECORD CUT IN REGS, lowest unemployment in 17 years....!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2017

But Josh Marshall flags this:

Good Lord, Trump is rage tweeting in the thread of Greg Sargent's thread about Trump's Racist Rage Tweeting. Holy Fuck. pic.twitter.com/JRDRMexZ8t

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 23, 2017

And then this:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone--I love you all, even my many enemies (sometimes!).

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2012

It's really, really hard to be thankful for anything this year.