Tuesday Open Thread | It’s Election Day – Get Out And Vote

Posted on November 7, 2017 by rikyrah

Virginia, New Jersey – GET OUT AND VOTE
Maine – Vote FOR the Medicaid expansion and help your neighbors get access to healthcare.

Just reminders of why Democrats need to get out and vote:

Gillespie is running a pure Birth of a Nation Campaign, people!

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87 Responses to Tuesday Open Thread | It’s Election Day – Get Out And Vote

  10. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 10:04 pm

    Kyle Griffin‏Verified account @kylegriffin1

    Kyle Griffin Retweeted Kyle Griffin

    Maine becomes the 33rd state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, expanding coverage to as many as 89,000 low-income residents.

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:58 pm

    EVERY STATE that hasn’t expanded Medicaid – DEMOCRATS, GET THAT ON THE BALLOT IN 2018.

    https://twitter.com/mcbridetd/status/928095177331429376

    Reply
  15. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    Bravo, Maine..

    MEDICAID EXPANSION IS COMING😄😄😄

    Reply
  16. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    Virginia and New Jersey have Black Lt. Governors!😄😄😄

    Reply
  20. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:52 pm

    Ed Gillespie went down in flames! *BOOM*! Thank you Virginia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  21. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    HEYYYYYYYYYYYY

    Reply
  22. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 7:41 pm

    KRISPY KREME got BEAT?

    Reply
  23. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Northam beat the living shit out of Gillespie

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      November 7, 2017 at 8:16 pm

      Thank God!

      I completely shut out all media today on purpose…

      I have my concerns about Northam, but when the chips are down…and the alternative is the devil – and dancing right along the treasonous buffoon and his cohort of ignorant white supremacist ‘preservers’ of the confederacy, we had no option but to go with Northam…

      This ought to shut up the buffoon and his Alt-Right supporters for a bit..

      But then, we need to get on with the urgent mission of permanently ejecting that awful evil out of the People’s House..

      Reply
  24. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 7:15 pm

    So VA REJECTED the “Birth of a Nation” POS, Ed Gillespie?

    Reply
  25. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    Jeff Sessions Is Cooperating With the Wrong Branch of Congress
    by Martin Longman November 7, 2017

    I’m glad to hear that the attorney general has agreed to appear before Congress and testify about all the lies he’s been telling.

    Attorney General Jeff Sessions is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next Tuesday as part of its probe into Russian interference in the presidential election, The Hill confirmed on Tuesday.

    Sessions’s appearance will allow Democrats on the panel to pepper the Justice Department chief about his past statements concerning exchanges with Russian officials during the time he served the Trump campaign last year.

    Democrats are particularly interested in his ties to former Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about contacts with Russians.

    The only problem is that Sessions told most of his lies to the Senate, not the House. He perjured himself during his confirmation hearing in the Senate and he perjured himself again when he appeared before the Senate in both June and October.

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 2:58 pm

    JUST RELEASED: “Preliminary Distributional Analysis of the ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” by TPC Staff https://t.co/RfYDldHeDC pic.twitter.com/QhsP7H7XkC

    — Tax Policy Center (@TaxPolicyCenter) November 6, 2017

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    House Republican: Donors are helping driving push for tax breaks
    11/07/17 12:40 PM
    By Steve Benen

    At first blush, the Republicans’ push for massive tax breaks, disproportionately benefiting the wealthy, seems politically unwise. The American mainstream isn’t exactly clamoring for the GOP tax plan – polls show broad public opposition to the Republican proposal – and no party ever became more popular by doing something unpopular.

    What’s more, the country can’t afford the Republican plan; there’s no reason to believe it’d make a significant difference on the economy; and it’s having the unintended effect of dividing the GOP at a difficult time.

    So why focus so much time, energy, and resources in the idea? Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) spoke to The Hill this morning and gave away the game.

    A House Republican lawmaker acknowledged on Tuesday that he’s facing pressure from donors to ensure the GOP tax-reform proposal gets done.

    Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) had been describing the flurry of lobbying from special interests seeking to protect favored tax provisions when a reporter asked if donors are happy with the tax-reform proposal.

    “My donors are basically saying, ‘Get it done or don’t ever call me again,’ ” Collins replied.

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      November 7, 2017 at 8:30 pm

      She will get her public wake-up call sometime ..She’s already gotten plenty of private wake-up calls swimming with racists who hate her, but tolerate her ..barely..as she mostly does their bidding ..but stays with the racists and continues to make an a*se of herself …entirely for her own aggrandizement..

      She’s the only other person John Kelly is said to really despise and badly wants thrown out… But she’s the buffoon’s for appearance sake, token version of ‘the blacks’ who ‘love’ him… the only one he could bear to have any where near him – and that’s saying something, because the truth is he can’t stand her either..

      They don’t trust her …and know that she’ll squeal eventually; so they humor her, but keep her at arms length..

      Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    Tom Namako‏ Verified account @TomNamako 6 minutes ago

    APNEWSALERT: Panel finds Baltimore van driver not guilty of all 21 administrative charges related to the death of Freddie Gray.

    Reply
  32. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 12:13 pm

    I went to vote this morning before work.

    In my district we only voted for school board members. We had to vote 3 out of 7 choices That means 7 board members total, 4 of the 7 hold office until 2020.

    It might seem like a small deal, but it isn’t. Who is running your town?

    It’s up to each individual to get involved in knowing who their local elected officials are.

    <b.The operative word is: "LOCAL"

    Who is running your local government? Post office, Mayor(s), governors, state senators, school boards, etc. This is where we can affect the greatest amount of change, whats happening in our own back yards.

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 11:48 am

    Jennifer Wright‏ Verified account @JenAshleyWright 3 hours ago
    If you’re a democrat, please get out and vote.

    If you’re a republican, thoughts and prayers are sufficient.

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 11:39 am

    House Nat Res Cmte holding hearing now on Puerto Rico’s recovery.

    21% have no drinking water. 58% have no power. It’s been 48 days. pic.twitter.com/97a0CQIxQ5

    — Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) November 7, 2017

    Watch today’s @NatResources #PuertoRico #HurricaneMaria hearing live stream at https://t.co/jzQcrgJrJC pic.twitter.com/UklkqnwsWj

    — NPR’s Latino USA (@LatinoUSA) November 7, 2017

    Reply
  36. SouthernGirl2 says:
    November 7, 2017 at 11:26 am

    I love Snoopy…

    Little Birdie ”A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”

    Reply
  37. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 11:13 am

    Trump not invited to global climate change summit: http://hill.cm/DPKUzyV

    – – -President Trump is reportedly not invited to the climate change summit that will be held later this year in France.

    An official in French President Emmanuel Macron’s Cabinet said Trump is “for the time being” not invited to the event in Paris, Reuters reported.

    Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:54 am

    new Tax Policy Center analysis shows two-thirds of GOP tax cut go to top 5% of earners, almost half to top 1% https://t.co/6LFUd2Uwr2

    — John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) November 6, 2017

    Reply
  39. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:54 am

    If you live in VA and get a call saying your polling location has changed today, call @866OURVOTE. Confirm your location and VOTE!

    — Legal Defense Fund (@NAACP_LDF) November 7, 2017

    We will continue fighting #votersuppression wherever we encounter it. Call our @866OURVOTE hotline with voting questions or complaints. pic.twitter.com/Wmd0OS25HB

    — Election Protection (@866OURVOTE) November 6, 2017

    Reply
  40. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:53 am

    LDF will be on the ground in #Virginia today helping to ensure no one has trouble at the polls. Follow @NAACP_LDF for updates! pic.twitter.com/dhDKR6DCOB

    — Legal Defense Fund (@NAACP_LDF) November 7, 2017

    Reply
  41. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Ross aide served on Navigator’s board while working at Commerce
    Wendy Teramoto served as a part-time adviser to Ross while maintaining her board seat at the energy shipping company with a Kremlin-linked client.
    By LORRAINE WOELLERT, NANCY COOK and ANDREW RESTUCCIA
    11/06/2017 06:20 PM EST Updated 11/06/2017 09:21 PM EST

    A top adviser to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross served on the board of Navigator Holdings, a shipping company whose clients include a Russian energy company with Kremlin ties, while she was working in the Trump administration.

    Wendy Teramoto retained her seat on Navigator’s board after joining Commerce in mid-March as a part-time adviser to Ross, one of the most influential voices in President Donald Trump’s ear on global trade and economic policy. She also continued to serve as an executive of Ross’s private equity firm WL Ross & Co. after becoming a government employee.

    Teramoto didn’t resign her seat on Navigator’s board until July 17, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. She left WL Ross that same month. On Aug. 1, she was formally named Ross’s chief of staff.

    Her role with Navigator is notable because Ross has come under scrutiny after the release of a cache of documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists on Sunday that showed him profiting from investments in Navigator, which does significant business with Sibur, an energy company partly owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law. Sibur has not been subject to U.S. sanctions on Russian energy companies, though one of its owners is, according to the ICIJ report.

    Reply
  42. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:39 am

    The Case of Wilbur Ross’ Phantom $2 Billion
    Dan Alexander , FORBES STAFF
    …………………………………………….

    Ross protested, citing trusts for his family that he said he did not have to disclose in federal filings. “You’re apparently not counting those, which are more than $2 billion,” he said. When asked for documentation, the 79-year-old demurred, citing “privacy issues.” Told that Forbes nonetheless planned to remove him from the list for the first time in 13 years, he responded: “As long as you explain that the reason is that assets were put into trust, I’m fine with that.” And when did he make the transfer that allowed him to not disclose over $2 billion? “Between the election and the nomination.”

    So began the mystery of Wilbur Ross’ missing $2 billion. And after one month of digging, Forbes is confident it has found the answer: That money never existed. It seems clear that Ross lied to us, the latest in an apparent sequence of fibs, exaggerations, omissions, fabrications and whoppers that have been going on with Forbes since 2004. In addition to just padding his ego, Ross’ machinations helped bolster his standing in a way that translated into business opportunities. And based on our interviews with ten former employees at Ross’ private equity firm, WL Ross & Co., who all confirmed parts of the same story line, his penchant for misleading extended to colleagues and investors, resulting in millions of dollars in fines, tens of millions refunded to backers and numerous lawsuits. Additionally, according to six U.S. senators, Ross failed to initially mention 19 suits in response to a questionnaire during his confirmation process.

    Nearly a week before this article went to press, both Ross and his team at the Commerce Department were sent a detailed list of questions. “Secretary Ross has filed all required disclosures in accordance with the law and in consultation with both legal counsel and ethics officials at the Department of Commerce and Office of Government Ethics. As we have said before, any misunderstanding from your previous conversation with Secretary Ross is unfortunate.” They declined to provide further answers on the record.

    But Ross’ questionable assertions to Forbes, combined with a recent controversy about a multimillion-dollar stake in a shipping company that does big business with close associates of Vladimir Putin, paint a clearer picture of the commerce secretary’s tactics. His slippery statements during his confirmation hearings–“I intend to be quite scrupulous about recusal and any topic where there is the slightest scintilla of doubt”–came as no surprise to those who have known Ross for decades.

    “Wilbur doesn’t have an issue with bending the truth,” says David Wax, who worked alongside Ross for 25 years and served as the No. 3 person in his firm. Another former colleague, who requested anonymity, was less circumspect: “He’s lied to a lot of people.”

    Twenty-six years before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, Wilbur Ross disappeared. It was 1990, corporate America was sick on junk bonds, and Ross was a top bankruptcy negotiator. But one November day, he failed to show up at an important meeting to brief bondholders in a furniture company’s bankruptcy. They didn’t know where he had gone.

    Reply
  43. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:30 am

    Bernie Sanders GOTTA go man. https://t.co/1T7TmiGEPm

    — Rylo Ken (@Kennymack1971) November 7, 2017

    Bernie Sanders wants Independents to decide the Democratic Party primary. NOPE.

    — Matt Murphy (@MattMurph24) November 6, 2017

    Reply
  44. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:23 am

    Found this over at TOD about the happenings in Saudi Arabia:
    arapaho415
    November 7, 2017 at 9:59 am

    Most of the tweets from this user are in Arabic (which is Greek to me — unfortunately, English is the only language I know), but interesting speculation — which says a yacht transferred tons of cash to the grotesque evil occupying the WH during May visit to Saudi Arabia:

    tweets of @mujtahidd about scandal involving President @realDonaldTrump and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman pic.twitter.com/N8QpYvixfR

    — نورة الحربي (@n_alharbi12) November 7, 2017

    And there is no American ambassador to Saudi. Westphal left in Jan 2017 and no replacement appointed.

    — Ramsey Cooper (@Ramsey_Cooper76) November 5, 2017

    Next tweet: “This isn’t the same prince who died in helicopter crash. So now we have 2 dead princes within 24 hrs.”https://t.co/kExDQNu2q0

    — Arapaho415 (@arapaho415) November 6, 2017

    CONFIRMED: Prince Abdul Aziz, youngest son of late King Fahd, has died. He was arrested recently and may have suffered injuries in gunfight. pic.twitter.com/2VRk4X2sIy

    — F. Jeffery (@Natsecjeff) November 6, 2017

    Ignatius says Kushner and MBS stayed up until 4 a.m. plotting strategy when Jared was in Riyadh https://t.co/GjX8xZV7ca

    — Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) November 5, 2017

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      November 7, 2017 at 8:42 pm

      All any despotic government has to do these days to curry favor with the U.S, is simply, humor a treasonous buffoon, invite him over and give him a parade, feed him and his kkklan burgers, patents and huge deals for the faltering family businesses …buy some weapons to satisfy the military industrial complex ..

      And in turn, the world’s formerly greatest democracy, in its current dystopian form, will look the other way ..and even abet the insanity, courtesy of the son-in-law of the buffoonish nepotistic megalomaniac, propelled to the highest position in the land by a hostile foreign entity..

      Reply
  45. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:19 am

    Theodore Dortch,37, is a former felon who had his voting rights in Virginia restored this year. Today he voted for the first time pic.twitter.com/WNFlkwOyrc

    — Sam Levine (@srl) November 7, 2017

    LaVaughn Williams is a former felon who voted for the first time in Virginia today. Listen to her talk about the power of the ballot pic.twitter.com/wQWjTXeSn4

    — Sam Levine (@srl) November 7, 2017

    Reply
  46. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:17 am

    FYI Virginia voters:

    54 Dem challengers are running tmrw in every corner of the Commonwealth. Spread the word and find your candidate at https://t.co/DghYrUWCED pic.twitter.com/uigvo8Yh3V

    — Tom Perriello (@tomperriello) November 6, 2017

    Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:10 am

    I told you…I believe everything in the dossier.

    Steele dossier panning out: Page met w/ both the head of investor relations for Rosneft AND members of Russia’s PA while in Moscow last July pic.twitter.com/k2mCTLIGUP

    — Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) November 7, 2017

    Reply
  48. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 9:09 am

    The Carter Page transcript is out https://t.co/uaMRiCvjBr pic.twitter.com/keuoyrZTWT

    — Dusty (@DustinGiebel) November 7, 2017

    Reply
  49. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:59 am

    A Year after his election, Trump faces historically weak support
    11/07/17 08:00 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Donald Trump told reporters the other day that he considered hosting a celebration to honor the one-year anniversary of his surprise election victory, before ultimately deciding against it.

    Given the latest evidence, 364 days after Trump stunned the world, that was probably one of his smartest decisions to date. Because at this point, as Americans take stock of this bizarre presidency, much of the country doesn’t appear to be in a celebrating mood.

    A majority of Americans say President Trump has not accomplished much during his first nine months in office and they have delivered a report card that is far harsher even than the tepid expectations they set for his tenure when he was sworn into office, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News survey.

    Approaching the first anniversary of his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, Trump has an approval rating demonstrably lower than any previous chief executive at this point in his presidency over seven decades of polling. Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans – 37 percent – say they approve of the way he is handling his job.

    The historical context matters: since the advent on modern polling, no president has struggled this severely to earn public support one year after his election. Indeed, several modern presidents never saw their support drop to Trump-like depths, even after years in office.

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      November 7, 2017 at 8:50 pm

      And yet the media treats him and his crazy Alt-Right supporters as if they were in the majority…And the final word on everything..

      Infinitely more popular presidents, with an actual mandate to govern, were mostly never covered with even a sliver of the deference and respect – and benefit of the doubt, despite every evidence of constant shenanigans that go against the grain of our democratic laws and institutions …the complicit media grants the treasonous buffoon and his 32% of supporters..

      Shameful..

      Reply
  51. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:50 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 11/6/17
    Carter Page named Trump staffers he told about Russian contacts
    Rachel Maddow shares a passage from the House Intelligence Committee of former Donald Trump advisor Carter Page in which he tells members of the committee which high ranking Trump officials he told about his contacts with Russians.

    Reply
  53. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:49 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 11/6/17
    Russian lawyer: Trump Jr offered potential deal for Clinton dirt
    Henry Meyer, senior government reporter based on Moscow for Bloomberg News, talks with Rachel Maddow about his interview with Natalia Veselnitskaya and her claim that Donald Trump Jr. offered a potential deal on Russian sanctions in exchange for Hillary Clinton information.

    Reply
  54. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:48 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 11/6/17
    Secret papers show Trump cabinet member’s Russia business ties
    Rachel Maddow explains the revelation of the weekend in the Paradise Papers that Donald Trump’s Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, retains a stake in a company that does business with people connected to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

    Reply
  55. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:48 am

    Armed resistance, lone wolves, and media messaging: meet the godfather of the ‘alt-right’
    Laura Smith

    Beam was a new kind of white supremacist: media-savvy, militarized, and ambitious. Cross burnings and white robes were great, but given the climate of government scrutiny after the civil rights era, he argued for stealthier modes of violence. Building this new movement might take decades, but, he wrote, “Let the coming night be filled with a thousand points of resistance.”
    His theory of “leaderless resistance” quickly became a central strategy for white supremacists nationwide, and one that defines the operating sensibility of the racist right even today. Once described as “one of the most dangerous men in the world,” Beam’s ideologies, tactics, and “career” would come to define the militant American fringe. Without him and his theories, there would be no “alt-right.”

    https://timeline.com/louis-beam-white-supremacy-history-20d028315d

    Reply
  56. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:47 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 11/6/17
    Upheaval in Saudi Arabia with Trump approval could mark new era
    Rachel Maddow describes the series of remarkable events over the weekend in Saudi Arabia which saw several Saudi princes locked up and one dead.

    Reply
  57. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:46 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 11/6/17
    Trump fails to act on gun violence mental illness concerns
    Rachel Maddow points out that while Donald Trump is quick to concoct his own diagnosis of the latest mass killing shooter as mentally ill, his actions in office so far show a disregard for mental illness and gun ownership.

    Reply
  58. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:44 am

    Trump World’s dishonesty about its Russia contacts matters
    11/06/17 04:35 PM
    By Steve Benen

    ………………………………………………..

    As regular readers know, Trump World told the public repeatedly, over the course of several months, that there were no communications between the Trump campaign and Russia during Russia’s attack on the American elections. It’s one of the most dramatic falsehoods Team Trump pushed as the scandal unfolded.

    Indeed, just a few days before Inauguration Day, for example, CBS’s John Dickerson asked Mike Pence, “Did any adviser or anybody in the Trump campaign have any contact with the Russians who were trying to meddle in the election?”

    The vice president-elect responded at the time, “Of course not.”

    This wasn’t an isolated incident. As we discussed in February, when reports first surfaced that Russia was in talks with Team Trump during Russia’s election crimes, the response from the Republican camp was categorical: those communications simply did not happen. Even after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov acknowledged that “there were contacts” between the Russian government and Trump’s campaign team ahead of Nov. 8, Team Trump kept insisting otherwise.

    Indeed, Trump and his aides left no wiggle room on the subject. Kellyanne Conway, asked about the possibility of these communications between the Republican campaign and Russians, said, “Absolutely not.” She added the conversations “never happened” and any suggestions to the contrary “undermine our democracy.”

    At a pre-inaugural press conference, Donald Trump himself said no one from his team was in contact with Russians during the campaign. During his tenure, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer also denied the communications.

    ………………………………..

    The second angle is the odd attempt to move the goalposts. From the Washington Post article:

    Trump in the past denied that he or his associates communicated with Russia during the campaign. Now, he and his allies are seeking to minimize the importance of the contacts that have emerged.

    “I think the American public can fully appreciate that those are isolated, obviously disconnected events, quite small in number for a presidential campaign,” said Ty Cobb, a White House lawyer. “Nothing about the actual facts published to date suggests that the president while he was a candidate ever met a Russian, ever spoke to a Russian, or colluded with anybody.”

    Reply
  59. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:40 am

    Once again…ask yourself the simple question…
    WHAT IF THIS WAS 44?

    UH HUH
    UH HUH

    At least nine people in Trump’s orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition
    By Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Carol D. Leonnig
    November 5 at 10:50 PM

    After questions emerged about whether campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page had ties to Russia, President Trump called him a “very low-level member” of a committee and said that “I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to him.”

    When it was revealed that his son met with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower, the president told reporters that “zero happened from the meeting” and that “the press made a very big deal over something that really a lot of people would do.”

    And, last week, with the revelation that adviser George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about his efforts to arrange meetings between Moscow and the Trump campaign, the president derided him as a “low-level volunteer.”

    While Trump has sought to dismiss these Russia ties as insignificant, or characterized the people involved in them as peripheral figures, it has now become clear that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III views at least some of them as important pieces of his sprawling investigation of Russian meddling in last year’s presidential campaign.

    ……………………………………….

    In all, documents and interviews show there are at least nine Trump associates who had contacts with Russians during the campaign or presidential transition. Some are well-known, and others, such as Papadopoulos, have been more on the periphery.

    Reply
  60. Liza says:
    November 7, 2017 at 8:16 am

    If The Trump-GOP Tax Plan Passes, Kiss Your Home’s Equity Goodbye

    The Trump-GOP tax plan is a declaration of war on homeowners, homebuilders, realtors, and the mortgage industry.

    BLOGGING OUR GREAT DIVIDE
    NOVEMBER 06, 2017
    by Bob Lord

    Make no mistake: The Trump-GOP tax plan is a declaration of war on homeowners, homebuilders, realtors, and the mortgage industry. With seven different provisions that will put pressure on home values, it’s hard to imagine that the plan will not cause a crash in the housing market.
    …
    Here are those seven provisions:

    One: The plan raises the threshold for deducting home mortgage interest. By nearly doubling the standard deduction, the plan reduces the amount by which mortgage interest and property taxes, when combined with other itemized deductions, will translate into a reduction in taxable income.

    Two: The plan eliminates other itemized deductions, most notably state and local income taxes. That reduces the amount by which mortgage interest, property taxes, and the other few remaining itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction. The net effect is a further reduction in the tax benefit associated with home mortgage interest and property taxes.

    Three: The plan cuts in half the maximum mortgage loan on which interest is deductible at all. The impact of this at the higher end of the housing market will be immediate and potentially devastating, as it could increase the annual after-tax cost of home ownership by 50%. The middle and lower end of the market will feel the effect as well, as the market softening at the top cascades down to the lower levels.

    Four: The plan eliminates entirely the deduction for mortgage interest on a second residence. The markets in vacation and snowbird communities could see immediate softness because of this.

    Five: The plan moves the goalpost for avoiding tax on the gain from selling a personal residence. Under current law, homeowners who sell after two-years of occupancy avoid tax on up to $500,000 of gain for a married couple. Under the Trump-GOP plan, anyone who sells before living in a house for five years will not qualify for the gain exclusion. According to the National Association of Home Builders, 26% of homebuyers, and 28% of first-time homebuyers, move out before the end of five years.

    Six: The plan will phase out the benefit of the exclusion from income for gain on the sale of a personal residence for those with higher incomes.

    Seven: President Trump’s plan includes a special low maximum tax rate of 25% for certain types of income, including income from housing rentals. Because it’s the after-tax return that matters to an investor, owners of rental housing will be able to offer lower rates to renters, which will mean the cost of renting will decrease relative to the cost of owning. While this change also could mean investors will be willing to pay more for housing units, it’s not likely to help homeowners, because there is limited overlap between the markets for rental housing (think apartments) and owner-occupied housing.

    So, if the Trump-GOP tax plan passes, how soon will we see it reflected in home prices?
    …
    Bob Lord is a veteran tax lawyer who practices and blogs in Phoenix, Arizona. He’s an associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies.

    https://inequality.org/great-divide/trump-gop-tax-plan-passes-kiss-homes-equity-goodbye/

    Reply
  63. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 7:53 am

    Side-eye to Rand Paul attack. Mitch McTurtle says he might not be able to vote on their HIDEOUS TAX SCAM,

    HA! Really. apparently Rand was attacked over some landscaping deal? SHADY!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trQMD0UpXps

    Ed G. where are you, another crime committed by white man.?

    Reply
  64. Ametia says:
    November 7, 2017 at 7:47 am

    Memo to Ed Gillespie:

    THE LARGEST CRIMINAL POPULATION IN AMERICA IS WHITE GUN-TOING, MURDERING MALES.

    What universe

    Reply
  68. rikyrah says:
    November 7, 2017 at 5:29 am

    Good Morning,Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply

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