Dan Lipka Web Log

If you are a Republican in Congress and you have been running on a platform of dismantling Obamacare, reducing taxes, and deregulating business; what will you run on if you actually achieve those things.  However, if you come really close to those goals, but don't actually pass meaningful legislation, you can continue to run on that same platform forever.  You can continue to blame the democrats and maintain an urgency to get more seats in Congress to actually pass the laws they "wanted" the entire time. 

What I found most compelling about the first indictments from the Mueller special investigation was that it revolved around various types of financial fraud.  Although, I am reluctant to believe that Trump actively and personally colluded with the Russians (and not because the Russians didn't try), I would definitely believe that Trump committed a variety of financial crimes over the past 40 years (tax evasion, lying on paperwork, and potentially money laundering). There have been some pretty well known instances of Trump using very sketchy financial tactics, including keeping multiple sets of books , and vastly complicated ownership structures.  The Trump Organization is very large, but is privately held and therefore they are no external stock owners to review financial records.  According to Trump's FEC disclosure form, it lists him as a director or president of 515 different LLCs.  I think it is mostly legitimate for the Mueller to investigate if Russian money went to Trump

Steve Bannon is trying to replace (almost) all established Republican Senators with people that more closely match his political philosophy.  Assuming he is able to replace even one Senator with his own choice in 2018, how will the Republican Senators who are up for re-election in 2020 react (Only 8 Rep Senators are up for election in 2018, but there are 22 in 2020)?  Will Trump actively support the Bannon candidates, even through he would be going against sitting Republicans?  If he doesn't, will his base be disappointed that he isn't standing with them? Will the Republican Senators continue to support Trump even through Bannon is trying to get them replaced?  Will they become so "loyal" that Bannon doesn't need to bother?  Or will they turn on Trump to protect themselves?  What a mess.

It has been over a decade since people thought the Congress was going an barely acceptable job (when they had a pathetic 40% approval rating ).  In the last six years, it has gotten even worse, with the approval rating consistently less than 20%.  However, elected officials, from both parties, continued to get re-elected and act in ways that is unproductive for this country.  In the last presidential election, it was clear that people desperately wanted something different, anything but the status quo.  Now Steve Bannon is doubling down on this sentiment and trying to run his own candidates against incumbent Republicans.  Those incumbents are very upset and perhaps they should be thinking "well, I did nothing for the people, I knew they disapproved of me, I didn't try to change, I kept taking money from special interests, but I never thought people who have a choice other than me".  Sadly, this new choice comes from a political and social philosophy that is frightening.