Amidst the rhetoric around the abandoned Amazon deal do let me note this - most of the incentives and tax breaks Amazon was offered are available to any qualifying company that moves to New York and/or creates jobs there. These were 80's era tax incentive programs intended to boost New York city and state. Do they make sense today? Probably not for the greatest city in the word, although upstate has needed help since the railroads eclipsed the Erie Canal.
Be that as it may, the Gotham Gazette had details when the deal was announced last November, as did the NY Times:
New York promised Amazon $1.525 billion in incentives, including $1.2 billion over the next 10 years as part of the state’s Excelsior tax credit. The state also pledged to help Amazon with infrastructure upgrades, job-training programs and even assistance “securing access to a helipad” — none of which came with a price tag.
...
New York City did not offer any special tax breaks to Amazon as part of the deal. But the company will be able to take advantage of existing city tax credits, including a program designed to encourage companies to create jobs outside the busiest parts of Manhattan. The program, open to all companies, could be worth as much as $900 million to Amazon over 12 years, on top of the state incentives.
In addition to the Excelsior Jobs Program the Gotham Gazette cites REAP and ICAP.
The "by-right" nature of these open-to-all programs has never been a mystery. Yet coverage includes some howlers. Megan McArdle linked to this blast from the past by Josh Barro, who really ought to know better:
Here’s Why New York Is Resorting to Paying Amazon $3 Billion for What Google Will Do for Free
I'll bet Google applied for the benefit under those programs but didn't encourage politicians to take a victory lap talking up tax breaks for Google. Discretion is the better part of tax avoidance.
So Josh Barro made a mistake. So what? But here is a slightly more prominent figure delivering the same howler:
You know, I think it’s really important that we understand that we need to invest in our economy, but we need to invest in our people, and to give away $3 billion to a company that has a history of worker exploitation that’s paying below what the cost of New York City is not acceptable for us. We need to have good jobs, and they need to come to the table as in — you know, any company that wants to come to New York needs to come to the table as an equal partner, and you look at how Google came to New York; it was not nearly as controversial as this, and I think it’s because of, they were willing to work with local communities.”
“What’s great is that our economy, our local economy, is already growing. So I firmly believe that if we want to take that $3 billion dollars that we were willing to give to Amazon and invest it in our local community, we can do that. We can make those jobs. We can make 25,000 jobs.”
If and when those 25,000 jobs are created in Long Island City I bet the employers will be filing for the available tax breaks. Quietly. That's just my wild guess. But don't tell AOC and she'll never know. Very clever of Google to keep it on the dl - its an expedient modus operandi, although people do get upset when they learn the truth.
BONUS BAFFLER: Here is a Times piece on the Amazon subsidies. The author may be aware that these are public programs but it is well concealed. Her sinister close:
[Nathan Jensen, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies incentive packages] suspects that some people will learn the opposite lesson — that New York should have just given Amazon what it wanted. A better takeaway, he said, is that huge subsidies aren’t necessary. And politicians should beware the consequences of negotiating them in private.
Don't negotiate in private or apply programs on the books for thirty years. Got it.
NOT SO HARD: The Sunday Times will include a piece on Amazon by Amy Liu. Explaining the subsidies is not impossible!:
But the role of public officials in this controversy deserves more scrutiny. Too often, they agree to economic development deals that fail to protect the interests of their constituents and negotiate through a process that is closed door and top down. State and local officials continue to hand out goodies even though evidence suggests that such subsidies have little effect on jobs.
In New York, the governor and mayor structured an agreement with Amazon using policy tools already established in the law. Amazon received “as-of-right” incentives, which are given automatically when a company wants to expand or relocate its facilities. New York’s as-of-right incentives, which are available to any company in a priority industry for the state that goes to a borough outside Manhattan, have been widely criticized as flawed and outdated. The amount of incentives offered ballooned to billions of dollars because of the proposed job count. Additionally, the city and state agreed that Amazon would not need to go through a local land-use review process, prompting the City Council to cry foul. Soon, a vocal minority of elected officials, labor leaders, and community activists revolted against the deal.
What the fuck, could make one of the top 3 dudes at FBI, buy into such HORSESHIT?? NOTHING. McCABE knew the truth. McCabe KNEW where the RODHAM PAID FOR DOSSIER came from, and McCabe lied to FISA.
The corroboration that the DOSSIER was not the only source of the BIG LIE, was that ISSIKOFF had published some of the PLANTED BULLSHIT on YAHOO.
This was a SET UP. THIS......Was the INSURANCE POLICY. McCabe in a lying criminal.
Posted by: GUS | February 17, 2019 at 05:29 AM
Good Lord does this shit piss me off.
{{{“I was speaking to the man who had just run for the presidency and won the election for the presidency and who might have done so with the aid of the government of Russia, our most formidable adversary on the world stage. And that was something that troubled me greatly,” McCabe said in one excerpt, referring to a phone call he had with Trump on May 10, 2017.}}}
Posted by: GUS | February 17, 2019 at 05:31 AM
Clarice, "...they will lose."
Couldn't happen to a more deserving batch of criminal politicians. Thanks, Clarice, for a virtual TWIP, or The Week in Prose.
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 06:04 AM
I really appreciate how Clarice is consistently able to sift through all the crap and produce a clear representation of what is going on. I agree with her that many here do a fantastic job of research, clarifying or just throwing their ideas at the wall. Keep it up. This place certainly can be fun.
You all try to behave today.
Posted by: Gentlejim | February 17, 2019 at 06:06 AM
McCabe: ...the man who had just run for the presidency and won the election for the presidency and who might have done so with the aid of the government of Russia, our most formidable adversary on the world stage.
Obama to Romney: "Gov. Romney, I'm glad you recognize al-Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what is the biggest geopolitical group facing America, you said Russia, not al-Qaida," Obama said. "You said Russia. And the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back. Because the Cold War has been over for 20 years.
They all suck, GUS.
Catch you in the morning Clarice. G'nite.
Posted by: daddy | February 17, 2019 at 06:07 AM
Yesterday I cooked my first real meal using my new induction friendly 5 qt pot and hot plate. I made white chili chicken and it was quite edible. Except...the very first step was to saute the onions and garlic. I put the rig on high and turned my attention to cutting up the chicken and before I realized it I had burned the onions and garlic. I contemplated throwing the onions out and starting over but decided enough survived to continue. After cooking I was careful to not disturb the burnt bits as I ladled out the rest. The pot cleaned up with some effort. I like that as the cooking progressed I could dial in the temperature for the simmering phase down to as low as 140F.
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 06:14 AM
Daddy, I am merely a Capitalist business man.
I am logical, rational, and I follow the flow of information and data.
What the FOCK on EARTH, would the acting HEAD of the MOTHER FUCKING F.B.I. be SMOKING or be thinking, or be.........so in deep and dishonest and in peril, that he would say something so PROFOUNDLY STUPID and self incriminating.
GO TO ANY LEFTIST SITE or MESSAGE BOARD.
These FUCKWITS actually believe up to and including THIS DAY, the POTUS DJT was doing dirty shit with PUTIN. IT'S FUCKING NUTS.
Posted by: GUS | February 17, 2019 at 06:14 AM
Gentlejim, I watch local news for the weather and to see what the Progs are reporting. Prog news, if they report on events at all, never connects the dots the way Clarice does. It's no wonder the Progs are in perpetual rage.
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 06:21 AM
A news story says that 2 cabinet members were ready to invoke the 25th amendment to REMOVE THE DULY ELECTED PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES......BECAUSE..................SERIOUSLY, the story says that 2 CABINET MEMBERS had actually thought this through. The 25th amendment is not about rejecting ORANGE MAN BAD. What kind of fucked up CLOWN would consider WOODROW WILSON'S MASSIVE STROKE, the same of SIMILAR to their DISLIKE of DJT????? Mister Trump is unable to do the job of POTUS???? Why and How so?????
Get your gun LOCKED and LOADED.
Posted by: GUS | February 17, 2019 at 06:21 AM
Hoyden,
I can’t remember the last time I watched the news for weather or otherwise. My weather apps seem to be just as inaccurate as the weather dudes so I don’t think I lose anything there. My BP is high enough without watching those Progtards. JOM has been a great clearinghouse for what’s going on.
Posted by: Gentlejim | February 17, 2019 at 06:33 AM
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/16/graham-i-support-emergency-declaration-1173353
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 06:36 AM
Gentlejim, A rousing Amen! for JOM. I find watching Prog news is like taking small doses of poison, bacteria, or virus, in order to build up resistance to the larger threat. You are not missing anything by abstaining.
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 06:43 AM
I know McCarthy has been pretty unreliable, but maybe he's finally figured out who the bad guys really are?
I doubt it. We have thought that a dozen times over the past year, only to see him revert back to nevertrump and worship of the FBI/DoJ.
I’ll believe he’s finally figured out who the bad guys are when he comes out and says “I have been wrong for the last several years, and I have been a total ass about it, and all these people who I swore up and down see honorable, are really the scum of the earth and I will spend the rest of my days repenting of my sins and making amends to the good people I’ve been slandering since 2015 or so.”
I’m not really interested in anything he says short of that.
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 06:46 AM
I agree with Gentlejim about the news. I keep a couple of local TV stations on my Twitter feed which is how I keep up with weather and local events, like road construction, crime, and local government actions.
National and world news I pick up here and from people I follow on Twitter. I seem to know more about what's happening than my sisters, who don't spend very much time on the internet.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 06:49 AM
clarice,
That was an exceptional column this week. You obviously put a lot of research into it and your description of events was easy for the average person to understand and contained lots of details in support of your position. Well done!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 06:51 AM
I'm impressed with how big the black movement for Trump has become. These guys are preaching that the left is keeping blacks down for screaming "racism" every five minutes, and Smollett is just the latest example. Good things happening!
Posted by: Jane | February 17, 2019 at 06:53 AM
Since Heather Nauert has withdrawn from consideration for UN anbassador, I am seeing a lot of pro-Trump people suggesting that Richard Grenell, currently ambassador to Germany, be nominated.
I think that is a good idea. He is loyal to the President and has been very effective in Germany. When the campaign was going on I had several exchanges with him on Twitter. He is a really nice guy and is very sharp.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 06:54 AM
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/02/16/trump-base-pushes-richard-grenell-for-united-nations-ambassadorship/
Breitbart has noticed, and it's not just people like me. Support from Corey Lewandowski, Sebastian Gorka, David Bosse, and more.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:00 AM
As reported in many posts already, Great Pieces,Clarice. You really make Sunday morning at JOM something to look forward to.
Posted by: pagar | February 17, 2019 at 07:01 AM
I've met him a few times MM. He's great!
Posted by: Jane | February 17, 2019 at 07:01 AM
The availability of MONEY, Student loans, and ALL CONTROLLED/ADMINSTERED by IRRESPONSIBLE hair brains and BARTENDERS, has the OBVIOUS EFFECTS and RESULTS, that ANY FRESHMAN ECON student would understand. MORE MONEY AVAILABLE, creates MORE PROF TENURE, SALARIES, and COSTS.
Exactly, GUS. And it’s all deliberate. The architects of this mess knew exactly what would happen. They wanted it to happen, They wanted millions of debt-ridden and aggrieved graduates with useless majors who will forever be dependent on government. They wanted to increase the number and salaries and power of administrators and leftist professors in useless and poisonous fields. They wanted to funnel taxpayer money to leftist causes and profs who could then funnel it back to individual .eftist politicians via campaign donations.
It’s pretty brilliant, in a totally corrupt and poisonous and anti-American and anti-freedom and anti-sanity way.
I say, forgive all the existing loans, pay for it by taxing all college endowments at 95%,then close down any federal involvement of any kind in college loans forever (and make private college loans dischsrgeable in bankruptcy) . Let the banks loan money at market terms, based on creditworthiness and expected future income based on what students are studying, etc.
Problem solved. Even better if the President declares it an emergency and does it by executive order, os every Millennial will know that it was the Bad Orange Man who erased their crippling debts.
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 07:02 AM
Here;s some news I didn't know about:
https://www.tmz.com/2019/02/17/anthony-weiner-out-of-prison-early-pre-release-sexting-minor/
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:02 AM
James D.,
I am all on board with that, along with explaining to the gullible dem voters how all of this tax money which they think they will get is going to go into more federal programs and think tanks and NOT to the people who are poor.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:06 AM
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/430356-bernie-sanders-records-announcement-video-ahead-of-possible-2020-bid
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:07 AM
Wonderful Pieces today, Clarice
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 07:10 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
15m15 minutes ago
Important meetings and calls on China Trade Deal, and more, today with my staff. Big progress being made on soooo many different fronts! Our Country has such fantastic potential for future growth and greatness on an even higher level!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:15 AM
The President also retweeted 3 tweets by Thomas Fitton of Judicial Watch. Rather than post them all here, I will link to the President's Twitter page and you can take a look at them:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:18 AM
I'm not a legal nubbin or deep thinker but I'm slowly coming around to believing that DJT's "Emergency" declaration is a laser pointer cat distraction. Apparently there's plenty of wiggle room around how the huge pots of Executive Branch cash allocated by Congress can be spent without ever actually relying on the declaration. I'm satisfied that Time Will Tell how it all sorts out.
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 07:25 AM
"whose wife recieved $750,000.00"
Wow, was it that much? I had forgotten. I remember speculation that VA law allows a candidate to hang on to unspent funds. (In other words the $750K was a bribe, or at least a down payment on a bribe). But I don't recall any MSM reporter ever bothering to pin down that speculation to check the law. And I don't recall a listing of how much Mrs McCabe spent and how much was left over.
McCabe participated in several of her Dem Party partisan campaign events, right? And that's illegal for him to do, as a govt official at that level?
Posted by: Jim,SunnyvaleCA,USA | February 17, 2019 at 07:29 AM
Karen Tumulty
Verified account @ktumulty
11h11 hours ago
.@PeteButtigieg pointed out something to me today that I had never put together: Three of our last four presidents were born within weeks of each other in the summer of 1946.
=================================
This is an interesting bit of trivia, but I am more interested in why Tumulty is talking to this guy, the mayor of South Bend and a presidential candidate. Is he in DC? Does e have her phone number?
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:29 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
5m5 minutes ago
Democrats in the Senate are still slow walking hundreds of highly qualified people wanting to come into government. Never been such an abuse in our country’s history. Mitch should not let Senate go home until all are approved. We need our Ambassadors and all others NOW!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:31 AM
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/02/16/presidential-plotters-must-face-punishment/
This is a pretty firm position the paper takes in this editorial
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:36 AM
This is something I didn't know much about. I don't think this information was known when my children were babies. Video at link.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:49 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
9m9 minutes ago
52% Approval Rating, 93% in Republican Party ( a record )! Pretty amazing considering that 93% (also) of my press is REALLY BAD. The “people” are SMART!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:50 AM
Good morning,JOM and thanks!!! I wonder who the 2 cabinet members Baker spoke of were?
Posted by: clarice | February 17, 2019 at 07:53 AM
https://twitter.com/MissMaga2016/status/1096869318753697798
This is a thread about some investigating that we hadn't heard much about. Here is the first tweet in the thread:
MissMAGA2016
@MissMaga2016
MissMAGA2016 Retweeted The Washington Times
Senate Finance Committee (chaired by Grassley) is now investigating meetings between #Obama admin officials Nathan Sheets & Stanley Fischer and Russian agents #MariaButina and Alexander Torshin that were arranged by the Center for the National Interest.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:57 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
5m5 minutes ago
Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:58 AM
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
2m2 minutes ago
THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 07:58 AM
https://www.conservativereview.com/news/bozell-graham-whistling-past-green-new-deal/
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 08:04 AM
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/321992/
I am not alone in thinking DJT will win on the emergency powers fight.
Posted by: clarice | February 17, 2019 at 08:14 AM
I'm impressed with how big the black movement for Trump has become.
This is the Dems biggest nightmare; any notion that shifting demographics will ultimately guarantee Dem wins is dashed if blacks and Hispanics don't obediently stay within the fold. Trump, without overtly courting either group, might win a lot of them over through sheer results. Black Americans and Hispanic Americans enjoy seeing their families employed, and safe.
Posted by: hrtshpdbox | February 17, 2019 at 08:27 AM
https://amgreatness.com/2019/02/16/the-lefts-collusion-delusion-life-imitates-snark/
By Thaddeus McCotter
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 08:29 AM
The Smollett kerfuffle demonstrates once again that the demand for racism by the Left far exceeds the supply available from the Right.
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 08:33 AM
Does MM2's approval rating,
"93% in Republican Party ( a record )!"
implicitly identify the NeverTrump/RINO quotient?
Posted by: hoyden | February 17, 2019 at 08:36 AM
I wonder who the 2 cabinet members Baker spoke of were?
Good morning and a great Pieces clarice. I can't be sure these are the two but we have this from the original NYT's article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/us/politics/rod-rosenstein-wear-wire-25th-amendment.html
Can you imagine what must have gone through the presidents mind when he read about this coup and the names mentioned? There aren't too many close to him that I have faith in.
Posted by: Rocco | February 17, 2019 at 08:39 AM
And Happy Birthday Gus!
Posted by: Rocco | February 17, 2019 at 08:41 AM
hoyden,
I think so. This raises the question of why boring Bill Weldon (former associate of Robert Mueller) is even considering offering a primary challenge to the President.
I posted a thread earlier this morning about weird connections between certain Russians and people like Henry Kissinger and Edward Cox (head of New York GOP and Nixon't son-in-law).
I am wondering if some of these people have foreign connections which they don't want to come to light. I certainly think that is possible with Evan McMullin and Bill Kristol.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 08:42 AM
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/byron-york-a-glass-quarter-full-reading-of-trumps-border-deal
Byron York isn't quite as enthusiastic as Dan Bongino is. We will see.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 08:44 AM
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/430382-maine-paid-for-dozens-of-rooms-for-governor-staffers-at-trump-luxury?__twitter_impression=true
This is for the governor and staff members for over 2 years. Since the Trump hotel is close to the White House, I see no reason why Governor LePage and his staff should have stayed at a hotel farther away which probably costs nearly as much.
Oh, and the governor ordered FILET MIGNON! String him up!
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 08:55 AM
I knew Bill Weld from the Big Dig. Very impressive guy. A "blue blood" of the highest order. Harvard/Oxford/Harvard Law. His first wife was a granddaughter of Teddy Roosevelt.
If He and Gary Johnson hadn't run as the Libertarian ticket, it is possible Trump would have also got the popular vote over Hilgula.
I wouldn't count him too short. Smarter than Kasich but doesn't have the common touch of a Trump or Huckabee.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | February 17, 2019 at 08:57 AM
This was retweeted by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, with the comment "Yup...this happened."
Video at link. I know we have seen this before but I was interested in ABC covering it.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 08:59 AM
Jjack,
I am always amazed how people here know the people in the news. You, clarice and others provide valuable background for people like me. I sit out here in the Midwest and don't ever meet anyone!
Thanks for the information on Weld. I would prefer that he rethink this candidacy. I want to hold the White House for at least 4 more years and a divisive primary fight is not what we need.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 09:07 AM
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/430357-gop-senator-voices-concern-about-trump-order-hasnt-decided-whether-hell-back?__twitter_impression=true
Ron Johnson, concerned about "setting a precedent."
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 09:08 AM
Jack, the problem Bill Weld has is that any politician acceptable to MA cannot be good for America...
Posted by: Old Lurker | February 17, 2019 at 09:10 AM
Clarice...those two cabinet members?...how about McTurtle's wife as one of them?
Posted by: Old Lurker | February 17, 2019 at 09:11 AM
Good Morning! MM @ 8:55,the Lepage news is all over the Maine media. He could have stayed at any upscale hotel in Washington and we would have heard crickets. But he stayed at Trump's hotel. *eyeroll*
Posted by: Marlene | February 17, 2019 at 09:19 AM
From the comments about the Trump float in Italy, I came upon this explanation on what it is based upon. Looks to me like on balance, it was a compliment and not an insult:
https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Emperor_of_Mankind
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 09:21 AM
MM linking to a role playing game site to explain the news? I love this blog!
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 09:32 AM
James D.,
Ha! I know it seems out of character. I had never heard of the game, but it's pretty obvious that the float was fashioned on that character, the Emperor of Mankind.
I still want the RNC to buy it and have it parade up and down in front of the democrat convention site.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 09:36 AM
Many happy returns of the day to you, GUS!
Clarice, clear and economical as always in your Pieces--thank you!
Posted by: Catsmeat | February 17, 2019 at 09:41 AM
https://amgreatness.com/2019/01/21/call-out-conservatives-join-the-lefts-lynch-mob/
Julie Kelly writes a really hard-hitting article. Worth reading.
Posted by: MissMarple2 | February 17, 2019 at 09:51 AM
Happy Birthday Gus!
Posted by: Jane | February 17, 2019 at 09:51 AM
Great reporting by Catherine Herridge
Former top FBI lawyer: 2 Trump Cabinet officials were ‘ready to support’ 25th Amendment effort | Fox News
But when the New York Times broke the story in September, it reported that Rosenstein told McCabe he might be able to persuade then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and then-Secretary of Homeland Security and later White House chief of staff John Kelly to invoke the 25th Amendment.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-top-fbi-lawyer-2-trump-cabinet-officials-were-ready-to-support-25th-amendment-effort
Posted by: lurkersusie | February 17, 2019 at 09:53 AM
I wouldn't believe a word out of Baker's mouth, myself. Nor in the NYT.How sure could the plotters have been anyway to let any cabinet secretaries in on it.
Posted by: clarice | February 17, 2019 at 09:54 AM
More global warming interfering in the search for Shakleton's "Endurance".
https://www.livescience.com/64777-lost-shackleton-wreck-search-abandoned-antarctica.html?utm_source=ls-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20190216-ls
Posted by: Jack is Back! | February 17, 2019 at 09:58 AM
Clarice, how many in the Cabinet were pure GOPe type reliable uniparty members? Reince Priebus was not the only compromise in the first batch. I’m surprised they only found two.
Posted by: henry | February 17, 2019 at 10:00 AM
Shulken was an Obama leftover Cabinet official for a short bit. Tom Price proved to be a corruptable POS.
At what point in time did Rosenstein allegedly say this?
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 10:08 AM
I imagine if the Baker claim is true, the plotters left the cabinet. Here's a list of departing Trump officials--Tillerson and Priebus would be my top choices, though, again, I doubt the story:https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/08/politics/trump-admin-departures-trnd/
Posted by: clarice | February 17, 2019 at 10:09 AM
jimmyk, daddy, jim in nj, Tonto, Harry, Mr. Maguire, anyone else interested in the NYC meetup(s) March 4th is a busy work day for me, I will literally march forth to several courthouses, but I am available the afternoon and early evening of March 3rd, and the evening of March 5th to show daddy around the City that never sleeps. The Cloisters is open until 5:15 PM on Sundays. If we are doing the East Village thing, we could check out the East Village bookstore (open on Sundays until 9 PM) and the DBA bar that Captain recommended. The Ukrainian museum which closes at 5 PM is a nice 20-25 minute activity as well. It's in the East Village too.
Posted by: peter | February 17, 2019 at 10:15 AM
And a Capital Birthday to Gus and belated one to Gus' kid.
Posted by: peter | February 17, 2019 at 10:16 AM
I doubt Chief of Staff is a position that has influence on the 25th Amendment. Preibus is a nobody in this equation. Kelly was both a real cabinet member and later a novelty member. His name was mentioned for the former position..
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 10:17 AM
Great pieces clarice and happy birthday gus,
As I've pointed out Baker was bragging to gelman in his Cheney screed how he would resign if stellar wind surveillance was reactivated
Posted by: Narciso79 | February 17, 2019 at 10:21 AM
Did 4D Trump move Kelly from Homeland Security to Chief of Staff to strip his 25th Amendment powers? We can assume that Rosenstein told the President in order to protect the President because that is where the assumptions lead us.
Whitaker alluded to this in closed door testimony we an also assume.
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 10:25 AM
In Scathing NYT Editorial, De Blasio Claims Amazon's NYC Pull-Out "Proved Its Critics Right"
Resist blackmail? How dare you!
Tax his unrealized gains!
(More at the ZH link.)
Posted by: Extraneus | February 17, 2019 at 10:26 AM
Of course this pushes the big lie that the coup started with Comey getting fired. Clearly it was ongoing for at least a year (look at FISA) before then, to before the election. I’ll go out on a ledge (hehe) and guess the reason McCabe revealed this was to cover other tracks.
Posted by: henry | February 17, 2019 at 10:30 AM
Amazon walked away from full frontal grift, as described by the groundhog killer. SMH
Posted by: henry | February 17, 2019 at 10:33 AM
Get serious, Henry. Everybody knows you are one of the regulars at our Ledge Bar.
Posted by: Old Lurker | February 17, 2019 at 10:34 AM
Happy birthday, GUS!
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 10:37 AM
Happy birthday, Gus!
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 10:38 AM
The Coup was simply a change in title from All-Prog/GOPe-Hands-on-Deck aka "Beat Trump at All Costs" in 2015 through 2016, and then it became, ala Nixon, "Hey, Hey, Whatta you say, Trump will be Gone by Memorial Day" aka "Coup" while pretending to be simply "Resist".
Posted by: Old Lurker | February 17, 2019 at 10:39 AM
GUS! I would cut and paste birthday greetings for you, but some a'hole stole our C&P button here.
:-)
Posted by: Old Lurker | February 17, 2019 at 10:40 AM
Goldsmith was the olc counsel who sabotaged the war on terror then and is the proprietor of lawfare now.
Posted by: Narciso79 | February 17, 2019 at 10:48 AM
Baker testified in October and McCabe announced his book deal in September. Clearly Baker lied during congressional testimony to help his friend schlep a book.
#HuberKnows
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 10:51 AM
The Diblasio blame shifting and whining Ext quoted at 10:26 is hilarious.
No mention of the fact that the deal was made in secret, and voters got no say at all in it, and how maybe THAT was a big reason for frustration.
Or that Amazon reasonably regarded a signed final deal as, you know, an actual deal that would be upheld by the politicians who, you know, signed it in what they claimed was good faith.
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 10:51 AM
JOE BIDEN TELLS EUROPE THAT AMERICA IS ‘AN EMBARRASSMENT’
Posted by: Extraneus | February 17, 2019 at 10:53 AM
Yep.
@pzf
JUST IN: Jussie Smollett directed Nigerian brothers to purchase a rope and two red hats, to make them look like Trump supporters. Smollett paid them a total of $4,000 dollars. The Nigerian brothers are now fully cooperating with police.
Posted by: henry | February 17, 2019 at 10:54 AM
"In Delaware, the largest growth of population is Indian Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking."
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 10:56 AM
Biden, “That is not who we are.”
Is that the secret uniparty ID signal?
Posted by: henry | February 17, 2019 at 10:58 AM
Why do you think Comey was hiding behind the drapes?
Happy Birthday, Gus.
Great Pieces, Clarice.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | February 17, 2019 at 11:01 AM
“The America I see values basic human decency, not snatching children from their parents or turning our back on refugees at our border. Americans know that’s not right,”
Wonder if any MSM reporter will bother to ask him why he never spoke up about that when it was standard policy for the whole 8 years he was Vice President?
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 11:02 AM
Slo Joe, continuing the anti-America failure schlep initiated by Woodrow Wilson, and perfected by Zippy!
Posted by: Jack is Back! | February 17, 2019 at 11:05 AM
growing frustration with corporate America? How about growing frustration with governmental America?
Posted by: peter | February 17, 2019 at 11:05 AM
Happy Birthday,Gus!
Posted by: Marlene | February 17, 2019 at 11:07 AM
The video of Biden's speech shows a front row of Democrats applauding Biden. John Kerry,Nancy Pelosi and some other random Senators and Congresspeople. Ugh.
Posted by: Marlene | February 17, 2019 at 11:11 AM
marlene,
Perfect video for Brad Parscale to incorporate in the Trump 2020 campaign, and featured at all the upcoming rallies as an intro the POTUS.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | February 17, 2019 at 11:15 AM
New York Times Explains Why Virginia’s Deal with Amazon Was Better than New York
Posted by: Extraneus | February 17, 2019 at 11:24 AM
HB GUS!
If some of you reading readers want to read something topical and kind of mind bending, Rosemary Collyer's FISA abuse report from the fall of 2016 which was declassified in the spring of 2017.
The key to breaking a real life spy thriller and it's all true.
https://tinyurl.com/y2v2s38n
When this finally gets unredacted the balloon is going up.
Posted by: JackStraw at February 17, 2019 11:14 AM (/tuJf)
Posted by: Captain Hate | February 17, 2019 at 11:26 AM
Rep. Peter King: If Ocasio-Cortez hadn’t won, Amazon wouldn’t have scrapped deal
Posted by: Extraneus | February 17, 2019 at 11:27 AM
“Finally, the governor’s office, key state legislators and city and county council officials worked together to address anticipated concerns from their constituency, whether from rural areas or in the neighborhoods surrounding National Landing, the proposed site for the new Amazon facility.”
That’s just a flat-out lie. The deal is going to dramatically impact housing costs and overall cost of living and traffic and crowding in all of Arlington and surrounding areas, and nobody in the state or county government did dick to reach out to us individually as voters, or to our neighborhood association or anything else.
Posted by: James D. | February 17, 2019 at 11:28 AM
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-17/two-witnesses-back-account-rosenstein-considered-taping-trump
Who is Sally Moyer and what is her cut of the McCabe book deal? She seems to have lied to congress as well.
Posted by: Threadkiller | February 17, 2019 at 11:30 AM