Important headlines for December 28th:
Bottom Line: These are stories you don't want to miss and my hot takes on them...
Excerpt: Scott’s $87.4 billion spending plan is now in the hands of the Legislature, which agrees with some of his ideas, clashes with others and will draft its own competing version in an election year...the first flashpoint of disagreement is Scott’s bottom line: It’s $4 billion higher than what he proposed a year ago and $21 billion more than his first budget seven years ago. A second problem with the House is Scott’s reliance on $450 million in growth in property values, and higher property tax bills, to pay for most of a $200-per-pupil increase in public school spending next year.
Hot Take: At first glance it does appear that the governor's budget is rife with political expediency. Dramatic spending increases at the end of an administration just as he's potentially about to make a bid for the US Senate smells an awful lot like expediency. It's also a likely political calculation by Governor Scott. With Republicans in control of the state house and senate he could come in high with the budget, allow the legislators reign it in with smaller increases and claim victory for increasing pay and benefits for many public-sector employees (while also pointing out that he fought for even more). It's stuff like this that's a bit frustrating at times to fiscal conservatives. Rick Scott's record as governor is demonstrably at least top three nationally over his first seven years and rather than just pointing to success and asking for future votes based on that performance, should he choose to run, he appears to be playing a bit of a politically calculated game. That doesn't take anything away from his accomplishments but it also wasn't what made him a full-term governor.
The End of Trump and the End of Days Frank Bruni, New York Times
Excerpt: To travel the liberal byways of social media over recent weeks was to learn that Donald Trump was on the precipice of axing Robert Mueller and was likely to use the days just before Christmas, when we were distracted by eggnog and mistletoe, to lower the blade. Christmas has come. Christmas has gone. Mueller has not. To listen to Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders, the tax overhaul that Trump just signed into law is no mere plutocratic folly. It’s “Armageddon” (Pelosi’s actual word). Their opposition is righteous, but how will millions of voters who notice smaller withholdings from their paychecks and more money in their pockets square that seemingly good fortune with such prophecies of doom on a biblical scale?
Hot Take: To be sure the story spends a fair amount of time attempting to compensate for the otherwise valid points being made to appear to the New York Times base (as is hinted at with the opposition to tax reform being depicted as righteous for example) but the premise is spot on. The left and their leadership in this country lack any credibility. How many times have they falsely (based on all known evidence as of now) cited that the President colluded with the Russians to win the election? How many times have we heard that he'd fire Mueller because he was about to be exposed by him? How many times have we heard cries of how irresponsible the President's rhetoric has been - only to be outdone be leaders like Pelosi herself. Donald Trump is President because Republican primary voters held their party accountable for their failed promises and politics as usual. It's about time Democrats used the same standard for accountability. We need look no further than right here in South Florida to see two of the least credible member of Congress (Debbie-Wassermann Shultz and Alcee Hastings). It's time for some credibility and accountability to enter the equation on the left.
In Heart of Trump Country, Base's Faith Is Unshaken Claire Galofaro, Associated Press
Hot Take: Despite the story being written as though we should be surprised...there are more than a few important reasons why Trump's base would be unshaken.
Improve economy: Check
Supreme Court Vacancy: Check
Improve employment and bring back manufacturing jobs: Check
Cut taxes: Check
Repeal the individual mandate: Check
Secure the Southern border: Progress (70% reduction in illegal crossings with thousands of additional border guards and "wall prototypes" currently being constructed)
Any questions?
Until tomorrow...