Guiliani Says Trump's "Tax Genius" is Better for the U.S. than a WOMAN

Yesterday, on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Donald Trump surrogate, Rudolph Guiliani, said tax evading "genius,"  Trump, is better for the United State than a woman.  You have to hear him say it.  You need to hear the stress and intonation.  Look for the remark around the 2 minute 11 second mark.  Astoundingly transparent.   After that, what more do you need to hear him say? I am seething!

GIULIANI: He’s a genius at how to take advantage of legal remedies that can help your company survive and grow. I want a man who’s a genius at figuring out how to take this country, that’s -- moving in the wrong direction, where we’ve had a basically jobless recovery, where we’ve had growth of less than 2 percent for two years. That’s pathetic! Don’t you think a man who has this kind of economic genius is a lot better for the United States than a woman, and the only thing she’s ever produced is a lot of work for the FBI checking out her e-mails.

There was an up-tone (level 3) and primary stress on that word like that which we normally place in the final position in a Yes-No question in American English. I don't know about you, but this made my blood boil!  It is very clear what the Trump camp has against Hillary Clinton.  She is a woman.

No, Rudy, I do not think Trump is better for the nation than this woman. Your patronizing, paternalistic, sexist, misogynist roots are showing. This woman would be better than your tax-evader candidate.  By FAR!



Addendum: Howard Fineman told Chris Matthews tonight that former N.J. Senator Bill Bradley worked with Trump on some projects and told Fineman that Trump became addicted to losing funds and gaming the tax system to the degree that his "business" became manipulating the tax system.  It is time for Bill Bradley to speak out! Step up to that foul line. Take the shot! Please! LeBron did, and I voted for YOU!

HFA Statement on Report That Donald Trump Used Business Failures to Avoid Paying Taxes

After a New York Times report that Donald Trump may have avoided paying taxes for nearly two decades, Hillary for America Campaign Manager Robby Mook released the following statement:
“There it is. This bombshell report reveals the colossal nature of Donald Trump’s past business failures and just how long he may have avoided paying any federal income taxes whatsoever. In one year, Donald Trump lost nearly a billion dollars. A billion. He stiffed small businesses, laid off workers, and walked away from hardworking communities. And how did it work out for him? He apparently got to avoid paying taxes for nearly two decades – while tens of millions of working families paid theirs. He calls that ‘smart.’ Now that the gig is up, why doesn’t he go ahead and release his returns to show us all how ‘smart’ he really is?”

Polonius:
[Aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.

I would be remiss to neglect a feminine response to the ex-mayor's icon in Union Square the same day. H/T to Robyn for sharing this gem.

Pantsuit flashmob takes over Union Square in homage to Hillary Clinton

On Sunday, Oct. 2, an enthusiastic flashmob took over New York City's Union Square in homage to Hillary Clinton's signature look.On Sunday, Oct. 2, an enthusiastic flashmob took over New York City's Union Square in homage to Hillary Clinton's signature look.
The group, all donning Hillary's classic pantsuit, danced to Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop The Feeling!" in an attempt to "combine art with a bit of activism," Crishon Jerome, one of the dance's co-choreographers, wrote on Facebook.
According to the same post, more than 160 dancers were expected to take part in the performance.
Jerome wrote that the event was seeking people who "don't want to see this country ruled under Donald [Trump]."
Read more >>>>

Saturday Night ... and Sunday Morning ... LIVE!

Is it November yet?  Could this election get smarmier? There are live wires lying all over the place, so be careful where you step.  There is the serious.
This.

Trump Tax Records Obtained by The Times Reveal He Could Have Avoided Paying Taxes for Nearly Two Decades

By DAVID BARSTOW, SUSANNE CRAIG, RUSS BUETTNER and MEGAN TWOHEY OCT. 1, 2016

 Donald J. Trump declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 income tax returns, a tax deduction so substantial it could have allowed him to legally avoid paying any federal income taxes for up to 18 years, records obtained by The New York Times show.

Read more >>>>

This.

HFA Statement on Report That Donald Trump Used Business Failures to Avoid Paying Taxes

After a New York Times report that Donald Trump may have avoided paying taxes for nearly two decades, Hillary for America Campaign Manager Robby Mook released the following statement:
“There it is. This bombshell report reveals the colossal nature of Donald Trump’s past business failures and just how long he may have avoided paying any federal income taxes whatsoever. In one year, Donald Trump lost nearly a billion dollars. A billion. He stiffed small businesses, laid off workers, and walked away from hardworking communities. And how did it work out for him? He apparently got to avoid paying taxes for nearly two decades – while tens of millions of working families paid theirs. He calls that ‘smart.’ Now that the gig is up, why doesn’t he go ahead and release his returns to show us all how ‘smart’ he really is?”

This.

Judd Legum

Editor-In-Chief, ThinkProgress

3 min read

One year of Trump’s tax returns were just revealed. Now we know why he won’t release the rest.

Trump’s tax gambit, revealed.

Screenshot via New York Times

Someone sent an envelope to the New York Times with the key pages of one year of Trump’s tax returns, 1995. The pages revealed that, that year, Trump claimed over $900 million in losses.

That means Trump could have made over $50 million a year for nearly two decades and paid nothing in federal taxes. (The I.R.S. lets taxpayers apply loses for up to 18 years to offset future and past income.)

The losses stem from “a dizzying array of deduction, business expenses, real estate depreciation, losses from the sale of business assets and event operating lawsuits” that flow from various entities control by Trump to his “personal tax returns.”

Read more >>>>

There is the satirical.

S.N.L.’ Begins a New Season With Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump

By DAVE ITZKOFF OCT. 2, 2016

There was a too-eager invocation of “Trumped-up trickle-down economics”; a repeated, awkward pronunciation of China; some audible sniffling and a vehement complaint of a broken microphone; a plea to call Sean Hannity; and a gleeful shoulder shimmy.

Yes, to kick off its 42nd season, “Saturday Night Live,” the NBC sketch comedy institution, opened with a parody of the first presidential debate, pitting Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton against Alec Baldwin as Donald J. Trump, and Michael Che as the baffled, deadpan moderator, Lester Holt.

Read more >>>>

And there is the patently ridiculous.  Donald Trump tells an audience that Hillary is not loyal to the husband she almost has to bite her tongue to keep from mentioning in every speech she makes.

And that she can't walk 15 feet to her car without stumbling - as he stoops to the lowest form of comedy onstage.  But this is not a comedy club.  It is our presidential election.


Then there is the purloined comment supposedly hacked at a fundraiser that generated yesterday's #basementdwellers hashtag on Twitter.  Only thing about that one is that Hillary said the same thing, out loud, to a whole rally audience in Raleigh in June. It was not a scandal then and reflects what she has been told by those young voters. 

I’m sure we all have stories. I’ve met so many who told me they can’t start a business. They can’t even move out of their parent’s basement because of all the student debt holding them back.

In the face of every serious allegation, Trump ups the sleaze factor.  It's enough to make your eyes and ears bleed and precipitate hives, migraines, acid reflux, nausea, and ulcers to mention just a few ways Hillary supporters have told me they are sick this election season.   Trump has taken this way personal and beyond the pale. Deplorable!

Clintons' and Kaines' 2015 Tax Returns Released

Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, and their spouses released their 2015 tax returns today.  This is a handy page to bookmark.  It shows Hillary and Bill Clinton's tax info since 2001 and Tim Kaine's since 2006.  The page also has links to Hillary's health records.  So, no she is not brain-damaged, developing dementia, or in any other way suffering from compromised health.

Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine release tax returns while Donald Trump defies decades-old tradition of disclosure

Today, Hillary Clinton released her 2015 personal tax return and Senator Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, released 10 years of their returns.
“Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency as she releases her 2015 personal tax return and builds on the Clintons’ tradition of making their returns public since 1977 and Kaine releases 10 years of his returns,” said Hillary for America communications director Jennifer Palmieri. “In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns. He has failed to provide the public with the most basic financial information disclosed by every major candidate in the last 40 years. What is he trying to hide?”

Read more >>>>

Wonder what Trump's hiding in his tax returns? Tap through the reel to see some of the best guesses! https://t.co/XARmiDXAI9

— The Briefing (@TheBriefing2016) August 12, 2016

Is Hillary Clinton Providing Too Much Information?

Hillary Clinton's prodigious websites are filled with issues and answers, fact sheets and statements.  The latest spin coming from the Sanders and Trump campaigns as well as from some media pundits is that the American people do not want specifics and  plans. They want dreams and generalities rather than blueprints for solutions that will box the president in.  When you get finished rolling on the floor laughing, we have to ask ourselves: Have we gotten it wrong?

We have always listened to speeches, town halls, and debates with the idea that the candidates ought to be telling us what they understand the issues to be and how they plan to address them.   Isn't that the idea?

But the new spin coming at Hillary Clinton from both sides is that she provides too much information. The latest uproar in the media is Donald Trump's assertion that his tax records are none of our business.  Hillary's tax returns and health records, and more have long been available on her website. You can peruse them here. >>>  Hillary Clinton releases health, financial records.

Tax records are kind of basic. They provide insights into how money is handled.  Dennis Hastert's shady past came to light as a result of payments he was mysteriously making.  They are not policy plans, but they shed light on habits. Donald Trump thinks we do not need to look into his habits.  Bernie Sanders says he will release some (non-specific) returns when he finds them.  Well, Lord Almighty!  We hope as POTUS he doesn't misplace anything else that might be important.

Trump's remark did inflame many, and Hillary's defense site, The Briefing, was quick to collect and publish the reactions below.  But given the broader spin of the past week,  the implication seems to be that Hillary Clinton is simply overwhelming the American people with way more information than they can possibly digest or use.  Hillary has far more faith in the voters of this country than any of the talking heads from the other campaigns or in the media.

As the issues arise, Hillary will continue to address them specifically through this primary cycle, through the general election, and through eight years in the White House.  Isn't that what the American people want? 

Why hasn't @realDonaldTrump released his tax returns? Looks like he's out of excuses.https://t.co/6SbJdlPWFD

— The Briefing (@TheBriefing2016) May 14, 2016

Statements

What Else in Donald Trump’s Tax Returns Does He Think Is “None of Your Business”?

When asked on Good Morning America this morning what tax rate he pays, Donald Trump responded “it’s none of your business.” If his tax rate is none of our business, what else in his tax returns does Trump think is none of the voters’ business? Donald Trump has repeatedly refused to release his tax returns because he claims he’s under audit. Unfortunately for Trump, the IRS has explicitly said that excuse is bogus. It’s time for Donald Trump to release his full tax returns and stop hiding the truth from voters.
“Our country has a long history of presidential candidates releasing their full tax returns and for good reason. Voters deserve to know what’s in Donald Trump’s returns - how exactly he makes his money and what he does with it. Enough is enough. We know he’s done his best to avoid paying his fair share of taxes. What else is he hiding in those tax returns?” said Hillary for America Deputy Communications Director Christina Reynolds.
But don’t just take our word for it:

New York Daily News: Donald Trump could be hiding his true net worth or that he skirts taxes by not coughing up returns
Atlantic: What Is Trump Trying to Hide in His Tax Returns?
Fortune: Here’s What Might Be Hiding in Donald Trump’s Tax Returns TIME: The ‘Bombshells’ That Could Be in Trump’s Taxes CBS News: 5 ways Donald Trump’s tax returns could spook voters Washington Post: Trump’s false claim that ‘there’s nothing to learn’ from his tax returns
Associated Press: What’s in Trump’s returns? A look at how he plays tax game
Bloomberg: I Saw Trump’s Tax Returns. You Should, Too.
New York Times: What We Can Learn From Donald Trump’s Unreleased Tax Returns
Chicago Sun Times: Top five reasons Donald Trump should cough up his tax returns
Market Watch: Opinion: ‘Dodging Donald’ Trump has no good reason to withhold his tax returns
Boston.com: Mitt Romney calls Donald Trump’s refusal to release tax returns ‘disqualifying,’ again speculates of ‘bombshell’
Citizens for Tax Justice: Why Donald Trump May Be Hiding His Tax Returns

Updates

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen Calls on Donald Trump to Release Tax Returns

When asked on Good Morning America this morning what tax rate he pays, Donald Trump responded "it's none of your... More

Updates

State Representative Daniel Riemer Calls on Donald Trump to Release Tax Returns

When asked on Good Morning America this morning what tax rate he pays, Donald Trump responded "it's none of your... More

Updates

State Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald Calls on Donald Trump to Release Tax Returns

When asked on Good Morning America this morning what tax rate he pays, Donald Trump responded "it's none of your... More

Updates

Congressman Tim Ryan: Trump Should Respect Ohioans and Release His Tax Returns

When asked this morning on 'Good Morning America' what tax rate he pays, Donald Trump responded "it's none of your... More