@Not Henry Kissinger
(more immediately) setup the opportunity for a bipartisan 'Grand Bargain' to begin the dismantling of Social Security per Bowles-Simpson's proposal.

Another thing I'm watching--Whitehouse and Schatz have a proposal for a carbon tax. That makes me nervous since some corporatist Dems (and libertarians) have advocated for doing away with the payroll tax, in order to fund Social Security--replacing the funding with a carbon tax. This, in turn, disassociates wages from monthly benefits.

I haven't read their specific legislation, so I don't know if they have included it in their proposal. But, I read a piece (in favor of their legislation) that said that the proposal is so sweeping, there should be enough funding to accomplish this, if so desired. Sounds like it might be a 'Camel's nose under the tent' scenario. Supposedly, they are working with the Administration behind the scenes to include this proposal as an offset to an infrastructure bill. Or, they were--before all heck broke loose last weekend.

BTW, Al From, a co-founder of the DLC, proposed this idea on Washington Journal several years ago. I posted the video clip at the time. If I can find it, I'll repost it.

Also, I'm not sure if this reform (replacing the payroll tax with a carbon tax) would affect current Social Security beneficiaries, but, had From's carbon tax idea been adopted, some economists projected that it would eventually flat-line the monthly SS benefit.

Of course, some advocates for this carbon tax funding of Social Security, believe that Social Security would lose much of its support, since supposedly, individuals would not feel the same direct connection, or 'entitlement,' to it. In turn, this 'reform' would make it easier to greatly scale back the benefit, or kill the program entirely.

IMO, it's hard to find a more zealous fiscal hawk than Mike Pence. And, we already know how well Ryan and Pelosi get along--they are the reason that two 'first-dollar' Medigap Insurance Plans sunset in 2020. (They negotiated this cut in the 2015 so-called 'Doc Fix' legislation.)

I'm 'guessing' that the Dem Leadership is enthralled, since they've already said that they would not consider 'tax reform'--if it raised the deficit. IOW, they're saying that there must be entitlement cuts--or, 'spending offsets'--to balance proposed cuts to tax rates.

Color me disgusted!

Mollie

That sort of Socialistic thinking will get you fired from a Republican Administration toot sweet.

@Meteor Man

I can't say how credible this story is, but it appears to be legit:

Shareblue reports that when Curtis first visited the house, he was told by the real estate agent that the previous tenants “were not very upstanding people” and had “severely damaged” the property. Some disturbing details: padlocks on all the doors, video cameras everywhere, destroyed the bathtub, counters and floors. She also said it was known as a "party house."

He didn't know what kind of partying was done, but it appears to be worse than your average party. For example, the bathtub in the master bathroom was partially melted from what appears to be manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Here you go:

http://crooksandliars.com/2017/08/steve-bannons-florida-house-meth-and-porn

@jim p

And, CNN has a reporter who just spoke to Bannon this afternoon--the most interesting takeaway from the interview is that Bannon says he'll be fighting for DT and the Base that elected him. He intends to spend his time attacking the MSM, antagonistic Republican lawmakers, Republican leaders, Democrats, and all 'internationalists/globalists.'

According to The Weekly Standard, the 'fight' in the White House, is lost. See below.

Bannon: 'The Trump Presidency That We Fought For, and Won, Is Over.'

Departed White House strategist speaks to THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
6:18 PM, AUG 18, 2017 | By PETER J. BOYER

With the departure from the White House of strategist Stephen K. Bannon, who helped shape the so-called nationalist-populist program embraced by Donald Trump in his unlikely path to election, a new phase of the Trump presidency begins. Given Trump’s nature, what comes next will hardly be conventional, but it may well be less willfully disruptive—which, to Bannon, had been the point of winning the White House.

“The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over,” Bannon said Friday, shortly after confirming his departure. “We still have a huge movement, and we will make something of this Trump presidency. But that presidency is over. It’ll be something else. And there’ll be all kinds of fights, and there’ll be good days and bad days, but that presidency is over.” . . .

I hadn't seen this article, when I earlier mentioned that this would probably set up an opening for a 'Grand Bargain.' But, this bit of news only reinforces this idea (for me).

If folks wonder what a Pence presidency might bring--you need to look no further than his 'reform' of Medicaid in Indiana. What's left of it, that is. It is one of the most punitive versions of Medicaid out there.

IOW, the 'Deep State' won.

I'm putting my money on DT's resignation--possibly before the midterms. I've never believed that he'd stick around for impeachment proceedings. Guess time will tell.

Mollie

Trump or Clinton we'd get drives for impeachment, more belligerence abroad, and civil strife at home. In sum, nothing good for America.

But with his refusal to immediately condemn Nazis he really has shown that he's dangerous beyond all tolerance and has to go.

The dangers of a Pres Pence are also severe, and it's time to think ahead to the specifics of that. I don't see trump being around much longer.

@NCTim

CNBC report drowned out by stockbrokers cheering Bannon’s dismissal

@dkmich
not to be noticed. Heavy weather ahead if Congress tries to impeach Trump. Better for Pence to ride out the storm below decks. A perfectly proper VP is he.

The deep state has felled another enemy. Bannon was a crazy racist and no friend of business or the deep state, but I prefer him there to not.

@gjohnsit
but "coming together" is something Trump never really learned how to do very well.

“During the Cuba missile crisis we stood behind JFK. This is analogous to the Cuba missile crisis. We need to come together.”
- Sebastian Gorka, today