United States of Insanity @BloggersRUs

United States of Insanity

by Tom Sullivan

If this isn't a trial balloon, Republicans on the Hill really are desperate, aren't they?

The Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee — engaged in a high-pressure, high-stakes tax policy rewrite — are currently exploring not cutting the income tax rate for people who earn $1 million or more per year.

Axios reports that now they're thinking of cutting rates for those making (as opposed to earning) between $418,000 and $999,999. Those above $1 million will remain taxed at the current 39.6 percent to help offset the deficits expected from lowering rates for corporations and the middle class.

Potential blowback: If the Committee Republicans ultimately decide not to cut the income tax rate for million-dollar-earners, much of the Republican donor class and Reaganomics community (including anti-tax activist Grover Norquist) will feel betrayed.

Crimea river.

"I understand compromise, but why compromise with the sin of envy?" Norquist told us. "This isn't the dumbest idea I have ever heard of. But it is in the top 20."

Tolerating sexual assault and threatening to nuke whole countries is one thing (okay, two things). But envy? What has this world come to?

EXCLUSIVE: US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert https://t.co/j3kTe0r7J9 pic.twitter.com/G4FrOBmGGZ
— Marcus Weisgerber (@MarcusReports) October 22, 2017

What number is that in the top 20?

Under another administration, moves like that and recalling 1,000 air force pilots might look like a North Korea version of what Reagan did with the USSR. He goaded Moscow into eating itself by spending on defense what little was left of its economy. But seeing as we're governed by a malevolent toddler, and with the NRA behaving more and more like Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, it feels as if more than a few in Washington have been into the grain alcohol and distilled water.

Even in the face of that, there are still some voices of sanity and goodness. If you need a tonic, listen to NPR's interview this morning with Khizr Khan.

Heartbroken and saddened by the results of last November's election, his faith in this country is still unshaken:

"... my faith in the goodness of this country, in the values of this country, in the human dignity of this country is stronger now than ever before."

May yours be, too.

Update:

The GOP responds to the trial balloon. Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) believes the proposal to leave the tax rate untouched for taxpayers pulling in more than $1 million is "class warfare." Russell tells CNN's "New Day" (via TPM), “It’s easy to throw rocks at somebody simply because they have money."

Get back to us when you're prepared to come so quickly to the defense of those who don't.

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