Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing in the Senate right now is McConnell

[Atticus]

Last edited Mon Mar 23, 2020, 04:09 PM - Edit history (1)

and Trump attempting the biggest outright theft of US funds ever attempted. The core issue causing Democrats to vote "no" on the pending bill is the provision that would hand total control of HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS earmarked for corporations to Trump. Does ANYONE doubt that he would use this mother of all slush funds to reward his friends, punish his opponents and insure his re-election?

Does anyone doubt that this regime will cite the "staggering debt" they are creating as a justification for gutting Social Security, Medicare and all social programs?

Please contact your Senators now and let them know you oppose this bill in it's current form.

[kentuck]

1. Yep!

This is being directed from the White House. A few Repubs are quarantining themselves to keep from voting for it. They cannot pass it without the help of Democrats.

[lark]

4. Wow, I didn't think of that, but by jove, I think you got that totally right.

Bet Romney is lying about being positive and is doing this to not piss of his party even more. Not sure bout Rand?

[kentuck]

9. Romney is not "positive"...

He is quarantining himself because he has had contact with someone who is "positive". Are we to think no Democrats have had contact with these same people?

[riversedge]

55. Romny himself said he has had extended contact with Rand (lunch meetings. etc)

[no_hypocrisy]

2. They are true, classic conmen.

Not just grifters. Conmen.

[TheBlackAdder]

24. RIP: Fiscal Conservatives

[JHB]

52. Oh, that's been a charade for decades

The last wheezing gasp of it was in 1990 when Poppy Bush approved an anemic tax hike because the the hallowed 1986 tax reform was unsustainably low.

And conservatives crucified him for it.

[DENVERPOPS]

67. I actually think

it dates much further back than that. The conservatives backed the LARGEST TAX increase ever during Reagan's years.
It not only cut the higher end taxpayers taxes, it compounded several times over the taxes on the Middle Class.

It not only cut the tax rates substantially for the Rich, he doubled the Payroll Deduction for SSI on the pretense he was solving the SSI problem forever. Then he took a machete to the deductions that the middle class had known for years, while keeping the deductions in place for the wealthy. Then he took away many regulations that helped the middle class, giving the Corporations and Gov't windfall profits and directly screwing the middle class out of even more of their money........etc etc etc.

Everyone needs to recognize something. When they talk about the Reagan years, Reagan was already suffering from Dementia/Alzheimers when he took office. He was merely a front man, just like "W" for the cabal of Cheney/Rumsfeld/Pearle/Wolfowitz/ et al.........That same crew brought you 8 years of Reagan, 4 years of papa Bush, and 8 years of "W".........

[JHB]

70. Oh, definitely. As I said, "last wheezing gasp"...

...of something conservatives had been strangling for years.

[raccoon]

97. Great post. Nt

[DENVERPOPS]

73. And then

they turned around and made him the Chairman of the board of the Carlyle? group.......a private group of 602 uber wealthy going around vacuuming up massive amounts of money from taxpayers and corporations. The amount they made, off just the Iraq war was sinful........They intercepted a bunch of money from the taxpayers, who were picking up the bills from defense suppliers, in addition to wide spread industries across the board that also profited handsomely from the war..........

Interesting story: Kids were coming around peddling ridiculously over priced items for their schools because the schools money had been cut so severely by the Feds....like a single sheet of wrapping paper, or 10 cents worth of Popcorn for Five Bucks. I would just give the 5 bucks to the kid, and not order anything. I asked one of the kids about how this fund raising worked. He said it was great, the school got one dollar for every purchase. I almost laughed out loud. 10 cents for the popcorn, a dollar for the school and almost four bucks in profit going to the company. I looked at his propaganda sheet from the Corporation doing this......and was floored.

It was wholly owned subsidiary of the Carlyle group............

HW was Chairman of the board for ten years after leaving office.......

[Frustratedlady]

78. Free delivery by parents, not to mention hitting their friends for orders so the kid could win some

silly prize. I quit buying this stuff from schools or the Girl Scouts and wrote a check to them as a donation, instead.

Those people dream up these ideas before they go to sleep at night and then con youngsters to carry it out. Few have done an honest day's work in their lives. Same with Repukes.

[DENVERPOPS]

79. You can bet your sweet ass

That the Repubs have all been totally consumed 24/7 for the last two months, with figuring out how to prosper or profit. They have been dragging their feet in letting us know how bad it was, or doing anything about it, to allow them the time to position themselves for what was coming.

No other proof of this is needed than the Republican Senators that were privy to intelligence who ran right out and started getting their money out of the stock market.........along with tipping off all their wealthy friends and campaign donors.

They knew full well that The Republicans own the SEC, FEC, and DOJ and the they would never be nailed for it. Hell, Senator Kelly whatever's Husband is CHAIRMAN OF THE NYSE......holy crap. And the two of them "re-arranged" their portfolio to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. And they think that they did much more, all by hidden investments through their "ghost" ownership.....

[Frustratedlady]

81. What hurts the most is that they believe we are stupid enough to let them slide by w/o being caught.

I realize they've dumbed down their supporters, but give us some credit. I may not know a whole lot about the NYSE, but I can put 2 and 2 together pretty accurately to realize they are feeding us a line of s**t..

May we have the last laugh?

[Evolve Dammit]

86. That sounds absolutely, unbelievably, true-to-life accurate for the Grifter Bush family. Profiteers

since Prescott worked with the Nazis, and the Bin-Laden family. We have had some really slimy Presidents, hailed as otherwise.

[lastlib]

43. In short: THIEVES!!

It won't do any good for me to call my Senators--I don't really HAVE any Senators; I have Blunt and Hawley, and they're both in cahoots, of course.

[DENVERPOPS]

80. There are actually TWO epidemics going on

One is the Corona Virus........

The other is an epidemic of systemic, un-fathomable corruption in all areas of the Federal Government's Leadership........

The two of them are taking this Democracy to the ground.........

The fact that the Federal Gov't Leadership is using the Virus Epidemic to COMPOUND their Corruption is really fucked up.......

[qwlauren35]

3. Here's a little help

[link:http://www.senate.gov|

[Docreed2003]

5. Get us fucking tests...ventilators...actual spending to protect our country

Not some unregulated slush fund giveaway to whatever corporations they choose without any oversight whatsoever. This has crossed into the territory of "this is intentional", every aspect of this response and "stimulus". They are clearly showing themselves to be concerned with breaking the back of the country over stepping up and protecting the country in the middle of a fucking pandemic.

[diverdownjt]

96. I've been saying it from the beginning....

The Orange Reich have delayed the govt's response from the outset. They want
as many of us as they can get fighting for our very lives so they can divert this
countries great wealth into their pockets, knowing that we are too busy trying
to stay alive.
They have been planning and waiting for this for a long time. The US govt has
become grifter central.

Never forget this...

[dreamland]

6. Any doubt his shell companies are on the list?

[ProfessorGAC]

62. I Doubt It

That's one anyway. I don't believe he actually has enough $ to need to shell company, let alone plural.

[DENVERPOPS]

71. Agreed

I think his biggest fear and the force driving him is the Public humiliation of his true financial worth being revealed to all taxpayers, including his followers/voters. He would have been completely destitute if not for the Zillions in cash by the Russian, Chinese, and Saudi's to prop him up. He has really really really got to start doing major grifting, more than he is doing now, to keep him from crashing due to this Virus.......If his finances were revealed it would show that he is a wholly owned subsidiary of Putin's game plan to destroy the United States. He and other Republican politicians, most importantly the Republicans in the Senate......

[dalton99a]

7. Absolutely.

[malaise]

8. This is the absolute truth

I was wondering why MoscowMitch is giggling like a Cheshire cat these days- this is the answer.

[Bengus81]

10. Boeing has suspended pay and bonuses for the CEO and Chairman.....

NOW... sign off on that $60 BILLION of tax payer money to bail us out of that death trap 737 MAX program.

[Fla Dem]

48. They should have done that when the whole 737 Max scandal broke. Dime short, a dollar late.

[Bengus81]

72. They fired the CEO thinking that would do the trick.........

NOPE.....

[patphil]

11. It looks to me that the Senators who went into quarantine did so to prevent passage...

of this bill.
At least some of them.
It's interesting that only Republican Senators are affected.
Could this be a novel way to duck the vote; an excuse to avoid the "Wrath of Trump".

[kentuck]

13. I think that is it exactly.

Did you see Trump's remark yesterday when told that Romney had "quarantined" himself.

Trump is directing this shit show.

[2naSalit]

14. It would be a possibility.

They are surely doing it for some reason and they are using the "I'm not really infected but I might be so I'll go hide at home" defense. So far there are four or five in isolation.

There's a big chunk of the treasury - OUR MONEY - at stake and they will do whatever it takes to move it from our possession to theirs.

REMEMBER: These proposed bailout recipients don't pay taxes and they want all the money WE had to pay in taxes without letting us have any of it back! Fuck them. Perhaps a new paradigm of business can be established during this time of transition. Something more sustainable and less harmful to life on the planet.

[aggiesal]

22. New paradigm: Privatized Profits & Socialize Debts. n/t

[2naSalit]

23. That's what we have currently...

we need something different in order to continue.

[aggiesal]

29. But nobody says it ...

Started seeing it with the home mortgage crisis.
Now it's on steroids.

[2naSalit]

36. It is.

I'm at a loss for ideas right now or I'd have some kind of suggestion.

[scarletwoman]

61. It's not exactly new - "Privatize Profits, Socialize Costs" has been in effect pretty much as long

as there has been privately owned industry.

[DENVERPOPS]

66. The Repubs have been headed towards

corporate control of everything, now they are all galloping towards the finish line to their wet dream of a: Corporate Fascist Tyranny.

If anyone doubts, in the slightest that I am off base, just wait. On Nov 3rd and more so on Nov 4th just watch what comes down on America, brought to you by this current crowd of Republicans.

The Repubs are a mere millimeter away from completing the COUP they have been diligently working on for over 40 years. There is no way in hell, they are going to be denied, by hook or by crook.........

Just look at the way the Republicans are not focusing on doing something about the virus effects on the taxpayers, but working night and day to turn this whole nightmare into profit making opportunities and welfare handouts for the Corporations......

The motto for the Republicans this past 40 years should have been: FUCK THE PEOPLE

[aggiesal]

88. Or using their namesake ...

Greedy One Percent (GOP)

[DENVERPOPS]

92. LOL

Perfect........

[aggiesal]

93. hat tip ...

[DENVERPOPS]

63. Not really new.......

It's been the Republican Mantra for over forty years.....Reagan got the ball rolling.

(To be honest, everything to do with Reagan's years was truly HWBush/Cheney/Rumsfeld et al....Reagan was already suffering from Dementia/Alzheimers, and was merely a front man. Then it was HWBush/Cheney/Rumsfeld for HW Bush's four years. Then it was Cheney/Rumsfeld/et al for 8 years of W, where W was already brain damaged by Coke and Alcohol, and merely served as a front man also...)

[aggiesal]

89. They were all Koch-heads! n/t

[Hestia]

90. Plus, they have been doing GOP only Senate sessions, committee meetings, etc.

Democrats have been screaming about being left out of, well, government.

But, now...MM needs the Democrats, who aren't going along with the program.

Could very well explain only GOPers getting "sick." We'll have to see who else starts falling out of the senate.

[GeorgeGist]

12. Well first of all...

He'll reward himself.

[JCMach1]

15. Overnight the Fed propped up the markets while negotiations

Continue...

Today would have been a bloodbath otherwise and still may be.

[LuvNewcastle]

16. You know what the disaster capitalists say --

never let a good crisis go to waste.

[2naSalit]

25. +1

[Wounded Bear]

17. Not even really trying to hide it any more...

Fuck it, just take the money and run.

[2naSalit]

26. And also

knock us down and kick us into oblivion.

FTFFers!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

18. Share why Democrats oppose, too. Media headlines leave room for misunderstanding.

Hedging words, avoiding coming out and saying the tRump/republican bills harms PEOPLE. It burns me up the way they never point right at the culprits, ie. repukes.

[2naSalit]

28. I have to agree with you there.

I'm pretty tired of it. I don't know what will happen in coming months but I'm not having a good feeling about how this is going at all.

Sounds like the corporations want to hold us hostage while they raid the treasury.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

41. I don't know either. I'm just hunkering down

more than I normally do! Lol!

I guess first priority is take care of yourself, and those close. Then others as you can.

[infullview]

19. Emailed both of my senators based on your post

Cleaned it up and sent to Collins and King via email.

[BeckyDem]

20. The only way for America to truly be great is to be great in service to the homeless, sick,the least

Link to tweet

[IronLionZion]

21. Trumpsters are online claiming Dems want us to all die

because they hate America or some such BS. I've seen a lot of stuff about Dem governors killing jobs by quarantining. Complaints that a fully grown adult woman's birthday party was ruined because the venue was closed.

The cult of Trump is surreal. Plus they send out a lot of dangerously false info like how if anyone had a cold you'd have antibodies to protect against it and lemon juice would kill it.

[Bengus81]

33. And just a month ago MAGOTS were calling CV a Democratic HOAX

Tell em to make up their minds.

[iluvtennis]

38. OMG, the trumpians are so evil. What'll they say when the the virus hits them. nt

[IronLionZion]

39. They think they're safely isolated out in the rural areas

the dumbest ones think it will just affect cities and then somehow magically stop when it sees farmland and forests.

[iluvtennis]

40. + agree...it's so sad that they've been swallowed in the body of the cult. nt

[Hestia]

91. Ahem - 34 tied to Arkansas church test positive for coronavirus, deacon says

34 tied to Arkansas church test positive for coronavirus, deacon says
by Francisca Jones | Today at 3:32 p.m.

Nearly three dozen people connected to a church in Cleburne County have tested positive for covid-19, according to a deacon of that church.

Donald Shipp of First Assemblies of God Church in Greers Ferry said Monday that 34 people who were in attendance during a recent children’s event at the church had tested positive for the virus, and that more were awaiting test results.

Of those who tested positive for the virus, 31 are on staff at or are members of First Assemblies, he said. The remaining three are two evangelists who led the children’s event March 5-8 and a child who was visiting for that event.

Shipp’s update came a day after Mark Palenske, pastor of the church, said in a post shared on his Facebook page and on the church’s Facebook page that 26 people connected to the church had tested positive.

All those with the virus are in quarantine, Shipp said.

There have been 25 positive test results for covid-19 in Cleburne County as of Monday afternoon, according to the Arkansas Department of Health website.

https://preview.tinyurl.com/sqxgjne

[IronLionZion]

94. Ahem, Trump's deplorables believe in alternate facts

they're still spreading memes about sunshine and warmth killing the virus later this spring as if Italy doesn't have sunshine and warmth.

[DENVERPOPS]

60. God's Will ?????? N/C

[MoonlitKnight]

27. Call your Senators

[phone]

Or

855-980-2355

[getagrip_already]

30. A slush fund is too kind a term....

This is a transfer of wealth from the public to individuals masquerading as a way to keep businesses afloat.

So lets say I'm a "small" business owner, and I make a claim for benefits citing $1M in losses (when in reality they are closer to $100k). The gov't loans me $1.5M to keep open and pay my employees.

Ok, I put my employees on 20 hours a week and "invest" the rest of the money three shell companies away. Then when the gov't stops giving me more and asks me to repay, I suddenly declare bankruptcy and am up millions of dollars.

Now, multiply that by thousands for larger companies and the trump org.

This money will disappear faster than a republican during a prostitution sting. It ill never be paid back. Individuals will be wealthy beyond belief and the economy will go through hyper inflation that would make Venezuela blush.

[DENVERPOPS]

64. You are so correct Geta

They keep doing this, time after time after time. It is the go to "Con" of the Taxpayers.

For quite some time, they have used the Treasury as their "Cash Cow".........

[brush]

31. It's criminal all right, but the half-a-trillion is dwarfed by the...

29-trillicn-dollar heist they pulled off under W in the '08 bailout. chese guys are petty thieves compared to Paulsen's crew back then.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/45674390

[TrishaJ]

32. Yes, this was a half trillion dollar

extortion/shake down for some kind of legislation to assist "We the People." Give IMPOTUS $$$$$ in exchange for an aid package. That's what it amounts to.

[Eyeball_Kid]

37. Nope. The Dems won't roll over. They know that this is pure thievery.

If they do roll over, it will be a stunning display of fiscal irresponsibility that most of us will not forget. We'll know exactly which Dems voted for passage, and they'll pay.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

44. Indeed. Any congressperson that votes for it is sticking knives

In our collective backs. The suffering this republican administration aids and abets is beyond my comprehension.

[Eyeball_Kid]

35. So tell me if this is right:

Isn't it true that a bill must pass through the HOUSE as well as the Senate before it reaches Trump? And just how will it happen that the House will pass this monstrosity?

If true, then we have something quite obtuse at play. McConnell knows that the Bill is DOA in the House. So why is he pushing it? Is it just love-play with Trumpy? Is it a hedge against a Dow free-fall? Don't know. But for certain, it's not a bill ripe for passing.

[SayItLoud]

42. If the Dems don't start a major public awareness push, like RIGHT THE F NOW we will

get lost in the media blitz by Mnuchin and tRUMP and their spox. I'm so sick of playing catch up.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

45. 👆🏾This.

[uponit7771]

46. 👍

[markpkessinger]

74. Indeed . . .

Trump and Republicans will use the fact that Democrats blocked it as an excuse to falsely paint Democrats as obstructionists.

[rockfordfile]

83. so what the gop is still going to lose

[58Sunliner]

49. Emailed my senators, could not get a call in! Resorted to twitter.

Filthy maggot scum.

[mountain grammy]

50. Been calling all morning..

all circuits are busy!!!!!

[MoonlitKnight]

56. I got through on the 202 number

[phone]

Or

855-980-2355


My message:
“No bailouts for cruise companies with foreign flagged ships.
No slush fund for corporations
Help people and don’t base it on what they made two years ago.
Enough of the BS, do the right thing now. Do your job.”

[mountain grammy]

59. Thanks, I'll try that..

I've been calling Michael Bennet and my idiot Senator Gardner directly.. will try the 202 number..

[moonseller66]

51. Some quotes from a Billionaire.

Maybe this sums up Mitch.


The Way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets.

I have ways of making money you know nothing of.

I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people's efforts than 100% of my own efforts.

Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It's to see my dividends coming in.

The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun.

Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.

God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God . to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience.

Al this wisdom is from:

John D. Rockefeller

[Locrian]

65. nice post - that last line...

I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience.

Is pure psychopath double talk, but also very clear in that it depends on: the dictates of my conscience

Of which, I suspect is completely devoid of any type of concern for anyone except their master race/group

[BlueIdaho]

53. Lobbyists...

Wrote that fucking obscene monstrosity and their lackey Republican clowns drug it onto the Senate floor without a single thought for working men and women in America.

Vote. Them. Out!

[OrlandoDem2]

54. Please stay strong! Don't give into corporate overlords!

[wryter2000]

57. How much

Will he personally skim off the top?

[calimary]

58. Yep.

[spanone]

68. K&R

[Roland99]

69. Sen Kennedy (R-La) spouting the good in the bill but COMPLETELY ignoring the $500 billion blank chk

[DENVERPOPS]

75. You know what would be fun?

All the middle class taxpayers not file a tax return this year.....If you are a wage earner, next year, up your "dependents" deduction to the max allowed. If they owe you money, file the return. If you owe money don't file........not sure this could be pulled off, but could you imagine the IRS trying to come after a hundred million people??????

If it couldn't be pulled off, it's at least fun to fantasize about.........It isn't any different than what gov'ts do to us. We vote on something, it becomes law, and the Republicans don't even try to fight it, they merely vote to take away the funding and the law falls flat on it's face.....We have seen this at the Federal Level countless times, and it has been pulled here in Colorado......

[bluestarone]

76. I would put at least one sentence in the bill

Any person or company that receives $100 or more needs to contact (within 3 working days) the leader of the house! ( If not then they repay double (100%) the amount received)

[Eliot Rosewater]

77. and eventually dems will have to decide between lives and letting these traitors do this

if they do get away with it, I say once we come back from the virus, we make them pay at the ballot box, if there is one

[rockfordfile]

84. WTF are you talking about? The Democrats will have their own Bill

The GOP lies and corruption already on record.

[BlueJac]

82. You got that right!

TY

[zentrum]

85. Corporate slush fund.

Let the people eat cake.

[JudyM]

87. Why does he need it if he's insisting the governors take responsibility?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

95. Disaster capitalism, only worse.

They're outright criminals with no one both willing & able to prosecute them.