Some regions Oh. Welcome to the commentary magazine podcast today is Monday, the eighteen December two thousand seventeen I'm jump it's, the editor of commentary, the seventy three year old, monthly of intellectual analysis, political probity and cultural criticism from a conservative perspective join us Commentary magazine dot com, where we give you a few free reason and ask you to subscribe. One thousand nine hundred and ninety five for digital subscription, two thousand two hundred and ninety five for an all access subscription included Beautiful monthly magazine in your mailbox eleven times a year last Joe, I it say our beautiful month

mailbox in your magazine eleven times ear and nobody noticed. Three people were be in this room and nobody noticed that I said beautiful monthly mailbox in your magazine dwell eleven times ear. So you guys, pay attention next time and make fun of me if such a horrible things back. Ombudsman work. Well, you know every one is an ombudsman, that's the story of the of the social media international and then, in that case you did call the terrorist a Pakistani. I believe- and he was Bangladeshi sometimes you say Mohammed been Sultan. I d I did. I did a whole thing with Bob had been well really gonna ere. I went out I'd rather my brother in law yelled at me about that it was very embarrassed. Mohammed been Solomon, not salmon. By the way, Solomon That of course, scolding me on the Bangladeshi point, was no harassment or associate editor charming in

Sarber Mariar senior writer and a green walled being much more. Politics are Senor senior over the coroner someone's gotta hold it down. Ok guys. So we are going to apparently and the year the political year, with a republican tax bill that Trump willed, barring some weird drafting problems or Weird, dare high jenks on the part of on the part of congressional assented Democrats, who figure out some way to throw a monkey wrench of the works. Procedurally, that there will be a bill on present trumps desk that he will signed before Christmas, and the bill is unpopular according to polling, serve some between twenty five and thirty five percent popularity. However, so the question that is raised by this bill- I mean there's policy, questions and then procedural questions. But politically the question is

If it's unpopular, why have republican almost to a one colluding the people who seem to be objected to it. Why have they signed on so. Relatively enthusiastically to a series of provisions that supposedly people people don't like. Well. I think the honest response is very simple: or to how Democrats responded to the unpopularity of the affordable, correct ahead of the process. Some of them are probably deluding themselves into thinking that these are process objections and is not about substance But generally, I think that people who are voting for this bill think it's going to be good for the economy good for individuals and that they are like it when they see. What's in it right. So it's it I would say it's like a giant macro economic. Both a micro at Macro Economic, Beth.

So you have this enormous attack Skype that postures as a bit of tax reform, because there are some changes on the tax code to deduction provisions. Good mortgage interest deduction and some other things that that supposedly or what tax reform does, which is it a try to end the weird use of the tax code as a social engineering? Construction simply return it to a means of funding the government, but really it didn't, doesn't do very much of that, except to try to find money to pay for the rest of it. What you have effectively is a gigantic corporate. A cut in the corporate tax rates and then an effort to lower taxes, at least marginally and in various other ways, for people at every one of the seven tax code.

Sir, he will think that just means drying corporations are gonna, get a tax cuts. No it's about creating incentives to repatriate capital and making it easier for intellectual property to stay here and remain here. It's complicated and nobody is making the case for it, as I said before, but the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, but They make a compelling case once people begin to talk about the corporate side of this time, but here's the thing for me, and so I was a former editorial page writer at the at the Wall Street Journal. Maybe you can reflect on this a little bit that the idea that you take the corporate tax rate in United States and you reduce it by one slash three, which is what's happening here, a little more than a third one, something like thirty seven percent the corporate tax rate and that this is not going to have some kind of a growth affect if it does not have a growth effect, then everything that we think of in relation to the incentives and disincentives of government taxation policy and what an commonsensical things that,

These sorts of policies have on the behaviour of economic behaviour both of people and of their brand of corporations, which are made up of people will will after just throw them in the garbage can because it does make any sense that you're gonna cut the corporate tax rates through Somerset. It's not gonna have a positive effect. We do know we do have examples of governments in Europe in which in recent years, have cut their corporate taxes as a way to revive their economies and bring investment, and some of them have grown remarkably as a result. So, for example, Ireland has cut its right down to twelve point. Five percent attacks

I think it's less than ten percent for certain categories of business, about twenty percent for others. But at any rate, Ireland has been growing last, like everything was twenty. Sixteen grew about seven point: eight percent, which is faster than India. It really is a remarkable economy, a get in the other examples, Spain, which is coming back from the depths of the of the crisis. In twenty thirteen, twenty twelve cut credit corporate tax rate is growing modestly and oh, but still better than many of its of its neighbours. Macro wants to do the same thing. In France, Britain has been grow,

modestly, but again that's partly as a result of Cameron's government cutting the corporate tax for anything about twenty eight percent when they came in with a little higher and then over the course of that of Cameron's premiership and then even after it was to come down to around twenty one, twenty two, twenty percent. So we can look at other examples of corporate tax cuts leading to a boom, and I have no reason to expect that it wouldn't in the case of the: U S, we have all these companies, which are reluctant to bring their investments back on shore, and it will because of the corporate tax return you get. We will get a revenue boost as well in a sense, and the liberals have to really ask themselves. Do you want none of the money that stashed overseas to come, and so therefore zero revenue or do you want to come in at a reformed, Ray and get some revenue? That's the real tradeoff, it's not between the more revenue, unless it's a no ready, but the idea that the case we.

Arrogance, corporate tax cuts, his is overwhelmingly emotional right. I mean it's. Let you know corporate is served shorthand fur, evil and dough and wash. Why should there be any benefit these parties. We want when, when, when levels criticized trickled down economic setting them there must be speaking, observe the Davy. They make with numbers that into the jewels getting getting rich? Don't don't spend enough money instead of enriched. Up the rest, but there's the zero Serbs substantive. Liberal case against against the court. Tat can be summarized their position there at the end there accurately, but they wouldn't think that that's an emotional argument that they have numbers to support the notion that capital investment is relatively modest and then high income individuals, particularly swede executives and major firms, will be benefiting from this tax reform.

Have have a tendency to sit on that money and don't don't investment and that's not entirely unsupported. So it's not exactly emotional things wrong, but I wouldn't say its animal. I would say that the story, the idea is that the liberals, don't like tax cuts period, so they don't. They were. They prefer tax increases tax cuts that the simple, solid proposition, so any tax cut begins, is bad and therefore, if the tax got goes to it in, like a corporation, is by definition worse because it's not going to give no appeal. So, even though, if it goes to a person, is more likely to go to a wealthier person, them less wealthy person for two simple reasons, one of which is that the wealthy pay more in taxes. So if you cut taxes, the people pay proportionately more will get more

the task and the other is that enormous numbers of of non wealthy people in this country, don't pay federal taxes at all. So unless you cut the payroll tax which pays for self security, manicured Medicaid, you are not going to get any savings to anybody whose tax rates already effectively zero, but you can't cut payroll tax, because that affects entitlements and you're not allowed to touch entitlements. So they have got themselves in a position where any effort to take bunny tax to the high rate in the United States and return it to the private sector either The hands of people are in the hands of businesses, is itself an act of unequal injustice and that you are starving the government adequate the philosophically. This war is where we get to the question of what do you think I d

our in America is who does it belonged to, and if you believe that route Money belongs to the people who earn it or not, get or in the private sector, and some part of that money has to be given to the government in order to fund policies. Do you philosophically believe that every dollar belongs to the collective and that the amount of that you were allowed to keep from that dollar is a kind of gift from the government These are the two very spoke about in the most radical possible way. These are the two poles rape of right and left Government doesn't have a claim on your money, but conserve confiscated if it has to end all money belongs to the collective, but you can keep some part of it because that's, but that's only they're right and suddenly phrases. So so, therefore wonder when there's a task at the it's called give away, you know is if, as if you're you're getting money,

from the government has again get ideas. I say I feel like we're erecting some strong men about what the democratic opposition is here now and not to say that I don't I leave it by this outward liberalising moral left eye level. Not not a democrat like that. I demand side are genuinely honestly believe that you have a more substantial stimulative effect when the bottom of the economic run has more money to spend inserts more money into the economy. We know that it is true. We know. That's true, cause as opposed to capital investments from the rod. So The demand side, Keynes Classic Keynesian Economic says that if you give a poor person tender, he will spend that ten dollars is not going to save it because he's living at subsistence life and he'll use it to her for me to expenses, whereas if you give a healthy person, a hundred dollars.

He may save some of it. He may vest somewhere. He may do this. He may do that. It may do the other thing, but the instant stimulus is when you send the three hundred a check to everybody in the country, because which is what happened when in two thousand and two George, very cleverly, the Bush administration figured you could like frontlet, could advance people a portion of their income tax vat refund to stimulate the economy. Now the weird part of all this Is that when we talk about stimulus, the The economy is not in need of stimulus. Its economy, is now has grown now for two quarters above three percent. I'm sure it be great if it grew at eight percent, but We are not in a here, not Emily economic crisis. That's where's, it is, on the one hand, trumpet saying look: I've made the economy whether we everything is fantastic grows,

stock market at record levels. So the argument This is necessary because the economy needs a stimulus, that's actually the weakest argument, but Democrats aren't attacking it. Because they don't want to say hey the economy is going fine. This is real at this point. We don't need a gigantic tax cut. Actually, some have said that it's quite possible that something like this could overheat well. That is very so. Let's talk about that. That's a very logical idea here. So if you, if you're at three and a half, were pursued oclock closing in on four percent growth, which supposedly we might be an you, suddenly flood, this. Are private economy is flooded with money and there's a boom in economic, activity. What happens? One is that the economy super charge which will lead to man. Save inflation we ve spent

close to forty years with very herb thirty seven years, something with very low inflation and we could find inflation growing at old fashioned numbers of the economy overheats. Now that would seem to be a problem. You would be willing to risk for, but you know we have. Basically we have this, sir. Then we have these two unemployment numbers right. About conventional unemployment says we are very close to full. Employment were around four percent classic full employment. Was four percent, but that was before women were in the workforce. So, let's say now classical plan is like closer to three three and a half percent. So we have the vet that labour market is very tight. Supposedly, however, we have that also have this enormous number of people who are out of the workforce, who are basically figured out ways to live lives without being in the workforce, So if you have this incredibly tight labour market, what happens then Adieu wages go up

efficiently, so that allows who are also on the sidelines jumped back in because it's worth more to them to work the matter, This is. Why are this is the big trump trick, what happens if ever incredibly tight labour market. You need workers, you need immigrants, you need neither onrush of emigrants to come in to fill the jobs that the that aren't filled, Otherwise you have this in a terrible problem of of a massive labour shortage and trump. I want to do that. Obviously, in fact, all you know the last immigration proposal proposed essentially a halving of legal legal immigration agencies. Is there not a change to bees or each be two's whenever it is the seasonal immigrants who do manual labour as opposed to skilled immigration? No, they don't like

build immigration, but all in all, we are still talking about in a normal. You know we're not talking about seasonal work workers. Here you are saying basically that if Americans don't come back, the workforce inured form women are suddenly yo. You been stimulating its other that all these you know with factories. Opening up of the United States for people to work in. Who's gonna go work in them. I mean the tree. Policy is mutual is is, is country is mutually contradictory? You now, if you know that So a lot of theories are gonna, be tested here. Macro economic theory about the effects of tax cuts and this immigration theory that Americans of only stop working at the lower end, because it's not worth it to them, because immigration has kept wages, naturally low or that be true any more for it. For employment, like people are going to have to work people who need workers.

You have to pay a premium to hire them and then we'll see whether these people who are living on so scared, disability or, however, it is that they live on their parents. Couches Decide hey, you know, I'm I'm excited too, makes eighteen dollars an hour working it Mcdonald's if it costs us or the costs to be harder, but thousands of yoletta money enough. But Bell, but seriously, like you know the hope, about the minimum way, the fight over the minimum wage policies. If you have a healthy economy, you don't need a minimum wage, because every job pays actually over the minimum wage in wages is, is a fraud and that in that sense, but So in essence, I think republicans are betting. That for foresaw Republicans are taxed cutters. You know, I mean the late Robert Novak said the problem very was put on this earth for two reasons: to fight communism and to knack tax cuts. So the joke

isn't there was all this list. All the sanctimonious talk liberal talk about how Republicans are betraying their budget, cutting orthodoxy? by supporting this bill. Republicans always betray their budget cutting orthodoxy when it comes to tax bills, republic, their put on this earth EC to cut taxes. That's it what economically? That is, the posts ray in regular imposed Reagan, Republican Party, Nothing else is, there's nothing, there's no other unifying demand. That policy other than tax cutting, and so the idea there looking politicians elected to office would vote against attacks cut is demented, And for some reason it was a god in the ether, among liberals literally understand nothing about anybody except themselves thought may

They could somehow ships shame. You know, budget, conscious, Republicans and two opposing attacks cut another wrinkled to add- and I think this is more or less of a left right debate. Then it is a right right. Her intra conservative debate is over Romeo's proposal. I guess an amendment that was successful to raise the the child tax. Credible double majority has brought a double it and that an opposition used his leverage because of the Roy more outcome to say that look, you need you need my more, even though even more so now so any in the party conceded to

That raises an interesting debate. I think, between the Wall Street Journal Digiorgio page, which opposes this kind of using the tax code for redistribution. I think over a few editorials, bashing Rubio in the primaries over this issue, and I know that they continue to to write them and then the so called performer cons like re HANS alone and the nearest ourselves at and others who were much rematch and others who think this is a good idea. I actually I'm of a mixed mind about it. I in principle, increasing amendment makes mine about an in principle. I agree with supply siders and journal types who say that the purpose of the tax code is to fund a government and not to

do these other things, and I wish we could get with tax code. That looks like that. But having said that, I also a father of a relatively young baby and I know how unbelievably expensive it is to raise a kid at one point that I would make again for if it came down to it in a gun was held to my head. I would I would side with people who said that the purpose of the bank's good is not to create social engineering. But if we have a task- oh that's already so messy and are there are so many other loopholes and and measures that are essentially forms a social engineering. Is it the worst thing No- and I say this now, this is why this position is factitious and absurd, because, this is where you gonna make your stand on. You a pure, perfect tax code. That's craziness all sorts. Distortions or the attacks that remain in the bill to negotiate to make sure the bill could be in there like the mortgage interest reduction, which is arguably the largest and in out in terms of the effect on the economy

The most distorting of all tax breaks that have ever been devised the notion that you know so, if that stay in there and the tax code is full, including this bill is full of little bits and pieces, Tipp privilege one industry over another and to get it out to pick certain winners and losers and to favour this kind of bank. Moreover, that kind of Ankara the notion that you can't increase the child tax credit may no said the child tax credit. If you really want to be pure Adam the elimination of the child tax credit like you get so so it's ok if it stays at a thousand dollars but its evil. If it goes the two thousand dollars. This is what. Roxy without purpose. This is a kind of you know, no ideological orthodoxy. You can't support the bill if you were a pure tax reformer, the bill, they'd noxious peace. Evil. If you believe in purifying and simplifying the tax code, like it's, the opposite of good and yet some the journals thinks it's ok to support the bill. But rubies

wrong because he was Still take us in absorb, add a sweetener for families that isn't just a sweetener, it's locked it's actually a serious lifeline for a lot of people yeah. It's not they ve been having the same argument with Rubio and unlikely actually less two and half years when they introduced attacks. Good reform policy. This brought very similar provision in it in the journal picked it apart. I guess because I ideologically there against anything. That's not a purely flat code, I suppose, but is also about politics. The notion that you would attack a politician for being good at politics suggests that you know you didn't you're not being really an honest broker, especially fury. If your design is to support republican initiatives on taxes, then you would support a Republican. They should have that popular in this. No doubt that this is popular, it's also your worthless frankly, because of your

here's to stimulate people from into having children and reverse the declining birth rate in this country. Exacts God doesn't do it, we know it doesn't. Do it just heads just about making. You feel better about the tax cuts, our own that so you just want to feel better about this tax code, not that it's going to have the effect on the birth rate that you'd, like have, let's part of my problem with the reform side of the same look if you we actually managed to get somehow get it. Position where everybody in this country paid twenty email paid like there was a flat tax, everybody paid seventeen percent or something, and then you went to Margo Rubio and he said yeah, but there needs to be a child abduction that needs to be doubled. Then that would be a genuine it illogical com, they're their right, but the current tax code, as it is, which has not been restructured at all including the number of tax rates, including the comp comply. So these affiliate, your tax woman, everything like that that, this. One thing is bad.

Whereas it's ok, as I said, to keep the mortgage interest function. That is, could be a really serious thing, though, with this tax could this mortgage interest things people in that in the centre of the country Mock and a scarf at the notion. Reducing the mortgage interest deduction from billion two seven hundred and fifty thousand is no. Big deal in California Kennedy New Jersey, some of their counties in which the majority of homes are priced in that region, price a little over seven fifty, which means are going down because no one a biased, seven fifty house has its priced at seven. Seventy eight hundred so we're gonna lose a little bit of of the market share and in the economy is really like built on corruption is all sorts of this all sorts of things about this that are that. Are you know that their bids, four or five states in the country that are likely to undergo real estate recessions? As a result of this bill

and also happen. After the nineteen six tax reform bill, Texas went into a gigantic real estate recession when they limited the amount that you could deduct on second homes and Therefore I am another homes. It took Texas, ten years to recover from from the recession that hit that basically turn a lot of it into goes towns- and you know New York, California, New Jersey, Connecticut yeah. That's like a hundred. In people in the country? That's not enough. It's like it's five very was out just the coasted. Still like you know, no eighty. Ninety million people a lot of people, you know when the upper end of a of a market goes into decline, it that that is a trickle down effect, Now that again, it's not fair, necessarily that the market,

so pricey that prices, people out of say, first homes and stuff like that. So if you, its people, aren't obliged or a lot, you aren't obliged don't deserve to have ever increasing property values, that's not fair either. It makes it impossible for anybody to move into a place herbs, establish routes or something like that, but it is, fact that a lot of people, including me, I'm gonna, take a property value head of ten to fifteen percent. And if you do, you know, I mean here's the weird thing this bill. It's very bad for me personally, I would still, if I were in Congress vote for it because white, because like. Why not, I still think, the ultimate thing political thing is Imagine the Republicans Lee and twenty eight twenty seventeen, I'm getting a single piece of major legislation through while they can crop control both houses of Congress? Final point: Tom cotton. The senator from Arkansas is a genius.

I saw his genius because it was his idea to stick in the end. Ending the Obama CARE mandate into this bill, that is it pull and act political genius. That means Republicans can say that they ended the Obamacare mandate, never haven't gotten the Obama than ever haven't gotten the Obamacare appeal through they repealed the mandate and what the mandate this single, most unpopular part of the Obama care right so they're, getting no credit now for doing the most popular inelegant. If they will say that this is a question of what they run on next year, they'll say we cut taxes and we ended the Obamacare mandate. Now I said think they're gonna get shall act in the next action, but at least still have a case to make to bring to the public they'll say I did this for you, the people who care about it are gonna, that's gonna manner, also just a last point, If I were the, if I were them, I mean that the idea that you wouldn't endorse a bill, because its unpopular at this point

would make no sense, because there is nothing that that that the Republicans would endorse under this administration. That that wouldn't be declared widely Armageddon. This bill was more popular. A month ago, I met the fact. Is that that this, One of the signs that the meat meat you know, the liberal control of the media still has a political fact that, as you know, we can table I think a lot of it is Trump doesn't have to sell the bill on the house in the Senate. Don't know how to sell the bill and there's they couldn't even sell it because they themselves to know was going to finally be in it. So it's a little hard to sell it and now they want to sign it really quickly. So it's not like there's gonna be a period in which they can sell the bill in order to make it. But you know it decline and popularity. So In the end, it's gonna have to have this macro and micro effect for it for all that. To change this

we will have to improve and people will have to feel the benefit of the tax cut in their pocket is this. Is this effective retroactively from seventeen? No, it doesn't know about me, but no. But the if your income tat, if your rates or lowered you'll, see it in the first check, you'll senior first page. Because the calculations of with holdings will change so you'll get fifty sixty seventy dollars war in your chat? Now, maybe you'll, look at that say: well, that's nothing, but maybe for a lot of people. That will be a lot of money I mean so and speaking of money in the holidays and saving money in doing fun. Things were people and getting good night sleep. Let's talk about Casper mattresses, my friends, the sleeper but continues to revolutionize its brand products to create an exceptionally comfortable sleep experience, one night at a time providing all the support the human body needs and all the right places after

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Who thinks he's about to be fired anyway, fired guys, Abe, no, no ok, but as Sorra saying about what happens when you start reading about all this, but the entire investigation. Yet this happened in the pre show, but we thought it be worthwhile to spring the conversations. Let me ask you order out what is going on with the Mueller case. So I think I read this stuff pretty diligently Ninety per cent of the pieces and in the reputable press and elsewhere believe me and reputable press. I couldn't tell you really I really I've. I've lost the plot, and again I say this not as an and uninformed and on top of the facts, but I think it's all lost under these kind of competing.

Additives and a lot of lot of twitter hysteria always say that you ve lost the plot, not with regard to what the Mueller Probus actually do, of course, yes, but the partisanship. Surrounding the the accusations now that this probe Probus either legitimate and corrupt and anti trust to the point where it cannot be trusted and therefore should be dissolved or is our here. I love the verge of rolling up Roland tyres, Graecia Entire Trump Administration and everybody Frog bar straight into jail right. So it's either one or the other, Neither am, I think, all the evidence points to neither say, let's go through what we think we know. So on the Mueller side, Mueller has obtained, has indicted to people and is obtained. They please from two other people most prominently, the twenty four day, national security adviser MIKE

Flynn. Flavour is the only case in which anything relating to the Russia probe is the subject of a plea, though it's not his plea in his plea involves having misled or lied to federal investigators about the nature of a conversation that he had or conversations that he had with the russian ambassador. Not the content of the not the content of what he said and that, but that he lied about not having remembered stuff that he remembered or whatever. So he pledged to that one one charge. George poverty Apple S, a lower level official pledged to something else, and I remember, and then their these two indictments against former campaign chairman Paul Manifold man affords associate gazed at gates whose first name I can remember rickets. Thank you very much recent Preston Gates in my head, which I think is the name of the law firms or whether it is ok oh said,

These four indictments and at most of it, involves matters that are actually incidental and not related to the mouth related to the area. The probe talked everybody's best gang everybody and they would keep pieces of information, keep coming about how this meeting and do Eric Trump said this. To this and Donald Trump Junior said, at the who in this one and that one, but none of that some of that this is becoming. Our meal is office, how it may be coming out of somewhere else. At this point to the establishment of a gigantic conspiracy to overturn the results of the twenty sixteen election, or a knowing conspiracy or the behaviour of people inside the close to try.

Had knowingly attempting to get information to do this, which itself would actually constitute a criminal conspiracy. You can't you can't infer that from anything that Mahler has done publicly, Ok! So that's the mauler Mahler is not rolling up the Trump administration. Despite liberal. Beliefs. Yes, I did. I don't think we know that I don't want anybody knows everything is going. Ok, we don't know words going, but he's done where we are so far. The idea that the information that we have so far, as is the case with various twitter hysterics on the left, like this universe, New Hampshire LAW professor set Abrams and do not incline one to believe that Mahler has the goods to roll up the Trump administration, or he would have done so already network.

I'm saying. If he had the goods you wouldn't be sitting there isn't really weeks ago. We just saw that the president's first national security adviser was indicted and is cooperating with, was indicted on no which are having he was indicted on a single charge of misleading federalism. Stu gaiters about the nature of a phone call, he was indicted on colluding with Russia. It wasn't indicted on a variety of other charges that it could have been indicted for you don't know that either that's that itself is an inference. We don't know that this whole line that that Mahler didn't indict him on other stuff because well that's. My point is that we do not know- and it is the same in France on the part made by individuals who want want actively with I admit it or not this administration to be cleared by the special councils office are making, as many inferences as are the left, as our liberal is up. Ok then, ok with me to this week the meal approach as illegitimate. The meal propose illegitimate, but the causes change so

but it's always illegitimate. Last week it was Peter Stroke, Jose Astro. My believers, apron enshrine Sdr Rosy cable struck a struck, who is a in agent on their Hillary Clinton case, who was revealed to I've sent text messages that were biased and anti trump to his mistress, who happened to work for internet cave. I believe, when just for the Justice Department Interim caves, why connected to Hillary Clinton, could she ran for office as a Democrat, etc? Fourth, there's a lot of different connections about online, as he was The problem may make the probe was put together and may he was released in July and then they released all these text messages he wasn't released. He was demoted most actually quite thrown into variety early demoted. He was like a an official of the F B. I miss Miller, found out that he had have exchanged all of this information. We had this mistress they're all this in any the exchange, alleys text, messages and more didn't just Mahler Endocrine,

where was really didn't just get rid like they they cannot. Billing Isaac enter intelligence work, yet the humiliated him and destroys career. So the notion that mothers probe is corrupt because he took action. Against somebody who was potentially corrupting. It is a problem, magic idea. We live politics. He was only the unformed of as a result of these text messages because he is prohibited by law from inquiring, soliciting information about their individual politics of the people on the boat. Something that a lot of its critics don't seem to know. So there are two other people involved in the pros. Are holding you can't you didn't. You cannot in Washington that guy's a democratic right like donor democratically Delaware, discriminating against somebody based on politics, but that wasn't? He was a career FBI agent, who wasn't a dome

Wasn't that wasn't apply dont mean struck. I just mean some of the others. Where do you know they maxed out pillory donation right was so so then you have to other people involved. The probe one new turns out was a servile lawyer for various people- Obama, arab people, including bed road. The deputy actual security adviser and then somebody else who was also demoted, and so there were three people who arguably, whose role and position in the Mahler probe would suggest that they were you now hustle. You know implicitly hustled from wanted to destroy human and end, but they were all We know about them because they were all dealt with. We don't know about them, because they're sitting there still running the probe its. They were cut off at the knees, none, the less you have people like Janine Piero, saying that Mahler and everybody works worms should be marched out in handcuffs for what are now the newest one is that they have obtained a series of transition, emails, thousands of transition period

The emails after the election before the inauguration, which those does materials were solicited from the White House, but not forthcoming. So they got them from the General Services administration. That is the claim, so some lawyer for term for America mirror the Trump transition says But the emails were illicitly obtained more the Miller, flatly denies the similar people, they say Molly, where they will. We ve gotten Oliver information either through normal channels or through requests. What may have happened clear is that the Trump people were were. Incompetent. And did not, or from what I read and from what I understand from people who do the stuff is a matter of criminal procedure when you

asked the supply information. It is appropriate for you to go through the information and sector off information that you were not gonna, because it is not appropriate in that does not speak to whatever it is it you that has been requested, and that didn't happen so, but the idea that the emails they other hilarious part of this claim is that This was a violation of executive privilege. What with the thing about that, that's especially fishy is that, if, if the Trump camp can can sort of established the idea that before they they were in office, they were executive that which throw a big behold charge of spirits see into the dustbin, because because these I could have is allowed to strike deals with foreign governments know me by or the opposite. You could also

by the way. If we, first of all, it can't be executive privilege they weren't the executive branch yet and that some Please speaking, you can't say something is classified because you want to say that is classified your mouth allowed. If something is their subpoenaed or has gotten to say, you're not allowed to have it cause. I don't want you to have it. That's, unfortunately, the case, so that's them one and we're too, if the, if the period, of the transition is privileged. Then idea that, if Trump directed MIKE Flint who ex wire z during the transition that might write. The level of conspiracy who the hell knows. I don't know I mean it's. You know it's a weird. It's over evolving, is, is bizarre the whole point of this is to five any excuse, to say that anything that our does his ill

so that we get back to the so. The put the point is that partisans of the impeachment our presuming all kinds of things that are not supported by the evidence and people who believe that the entire investigations illegitimate and should be. Did, will argue, wouldn't say anything in in pursuit of of that aim, Oh does Trump Fire Mueller, now trump yesterday said, he would not far Mueller Ty Cobbler said he would not far Mueller and, in my view, it's gotta be crazy for him, it's, it would be madness for him to farm silver. He says he had nothing to do with anything. What do you get a fire Mueller for get that would set so he has something to hide out the huge mistake for him to fire me right now.

Let the thing it would be a huge mistake, but he also fire James call me. We were none of us that there is quite a couple, but remember call me judge chaired pushed her said to him a credible love that you fired call me we'll be unreliable and they would say, Republicans beloved because the firewall has been down. Actually, I am backing in July you have people like Lindsey Gram. Sending morning shots Over the bow, the Trump administration over this very issue when they were talking about firing, Miller as early as July, by the way, this was part of the conversation Linsey Grand said this quote some of the suggestions that present as making away beyond what is acceptable in a rule of law nation. This is not true the swamp, what he's injecting with he's into acting as turning democracy upside down. Do you think Lindsey Graham stands by that today? I dont well. He has been asked specifically, but of course Eve I think, wants to be secretary of state.

So he doesn't want either that the republican firewall is starting to come down. What you saw me enough protection of Mueller. Mueller. What you saw it that committing hearing, which is what this house has been raised, but as yet again that was a high committee hearing, in which deputy attorney general ROD, Rosen Stein, who is Mueller superiors, the guy who technically would have to fire Mueller feeler were to be fired before the house, judiciary, committee. I camera what committee and basically got grilled by Robert the lad like three or four different republic getting scouting tray Gouty on the notion that the Mueller probe was just compromise was faintly compromise that you can't stand here and tell me they serve, yielded him everybody by the way, all these guys in trumpet

twenty districts, meaning that they are not at any rate score whatsoever of losing their seats in twenty eighteen, I'm like a bunch of other Republicans. Potentially so that being said, Trump says he doesn't want to farm you're an if you fires Wheeler, we will all prison, yes, they'll, be enough, Republicans were willing to say, was goody? Did it because this thing was unfair and was promulgate? false narrative, but the art but then he did it in order to shield himself from trouble, is gonna be impossible to, and he understood and they were literally talking about introducing legislation that would protect and preserve. The special councils off is not like that was gonna go anywhere was a symbolic gesture and it never happened, but they had gone so Are we to say listen. This is this is something that we will not accept. I dont think vessels that our vote in July of July- I don't think I've holds anymore. I think the Republican Party has is led by its base. It does not leave its base and its base is led by the entertainment com

What's in the entertainment, complex has turned on the Mueller probe, and so goes the republican party. Look there Paul Mark PEN dead, brought about in the hill in which in which suggests that a majority of Americans have lost faith in the Mueller probe. Now. Why would that be? The reason that that would be is The argument has successfully now been made. I think there's all sex harassment stuff feeds into it that Everybody does everything ever if everybody's corrupted, everything is bad and everybody does everything that it's not fair to single one person out, because everybody is corrupt and everybody is terrible, took you know but so much like the investigation into Hilary server. No one is gonna, get what they want out of this. No one is gone, did no one is going to be indicated and end. I mean I could be wrong, but I mean that

those who want to sort of demonstrate the either the corruption of Mueller Prob they're, not gonna, begin to give those who want from two to two blue up- and you know this in this inferno of of collusion conspiracy, they're not gonna, be vindicated that then. What then Then, where is the law? If I breathe easy to see them? What absinthe, though such wild success of the tax for bill that the economy, grows at forty seven percent and all Republicans are spared from the effects of the two Ah me that are about to hit the party based on every single piece of data that we have, including now almost every Paul, showing a double digit led for Democrats on the question of who should be leading Congress, which leads a minimum to a thirty's We are currently all prior data, thirty seats which, over of seeds from one part of the other, which would be enough to win the house for Republican Aside from that, Trump will be office Democrats will win

the house, probably what, when the Senate but might and then they will impeach him, and a little bees Clinton and you may be eight my mind: billing pigeon, and then they'll, be a trial and he'll be acquitted now and that the rest of the world, our country and twenty nineteen, twenty twenty will be will be a wash in the question of and impedes president I mean and and and Firing Mueller hastens that trumpet her off having Mueller there, because then you could say If you impeach of Europe, your prejudices like there's a thing, let it happen, let a roll out. Let em were let him do his report, blah blah blah. Yes, the thing that irritates the most about a certain kind of mostly mainly democratic operatives on Twitter, who reacted every bit of revelation, often out of context. You know with with

commission marks and all caps tweets is the fact that so many of these people acquiesce to eight years of an essentially objectively. A policy of appeasement of of solicitation are solicitude for four Vladimir Putin at so there's a sort of lack of policy, credibility, Emily but what is their theory of the case that for eight years it was ok to concede Syria to Putin for eight years it was ok to only reluctantly in people to the magnates key act. Sanctions it was, for eight years, it was ok to have us Will he reset policy and enable Maskos proxies in the Middle EAST and elsewhere, essentially soft pedal and in others, are soft approach? The today invasion of Crimea, dismembered of

employment of eastern Ukraine and never ever arm Kiev with defence of weapons. It was all ok, but now suddenly were all anti Russia, but if you notice the their Anti Russian ISM is it is, it is a non policy posture. Theirs is never a kind of like now look cargo, Bobo then do if, if Russia is really the menace that they say it is which I believe it doesn't have a saying so for years and and others around the table have. If it is, then a certain set of policy conclusions flow from that we shouldn't be rushing to disarm or nuclear weapons and put by taking off warheads as President bomber did. We should be trying to arm Kiev. We should be doing ex wines. He you never hear it from this report is a sort of domestic play x y. These happen our democracy, he is under attack from a foreign power which you own otherwise confront. In a certain sense, I don't I don't that's what gets to me right,

you know we're gonna, get we're gonna, get to a little more of that and a specific remarkable article it goes into some of this and generally. But I gotta talk to you first about ring. I know when I talk to you about ring whose mission is to make them but safer today, over a million people use the amazing wing video doorbell to protect their homes. Bring those homesick curie begins at the front. But it doesn't and there's another extending that same level of security to the rest of your home, with a ring floodlight can just like rings: amazing, doorbell, floodlight, flood, lycabas, emotion, activated, camera and floodlight that connects your phone with hd video into a audio, the ledge of other men at anyone. Steps onto your property because there is even set up an alarm right from your phone with ring, floodlight cam when things go bump in the night, you'll immediately know what it is, whether you're home or away the ring floodlight cam what to keep an eye on your home from anywhere ring floodlight, the ultimate in home security with high visibility, floodlights at a powerful hd camera that put security in your hands with ring your

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do not allow your radio station their views to conflict with your, U Ps packages and ring is a key element in making that happened. So save up two hundred fifty dollars off a ring of security kit, when you got a ring dot com slashed commentary ring that comes last commentary. That's ring that comes lash commentary now, let's, where were burning up the time here, but let's, let's talk a little bit about the money, remarkable piece of the day and maybe the weak so far, Josh Meyer in Politico, on how the Obama restoration, materially, interfered with efforts to break up and destroy Hezbollah, does a growing efforts throughout the world only in South America, Central America and cocaine into the United States? This is a pretty extraordinary piece. Anybody Wanna We'll start, and so the so there was, I guess I guess that started. Some DE agents notice

some overlap. I think, in these sort of cell phone numbers in and contact information that that they had collected regarding certain certain drug deals, drugs into get there? They ve noticed that there was an overlap between with those costs. And the contacts in terror terrorist investigations, so. They dug deeper. They reached out other agencies and then region called Cassandra began incur bring that that that Hezbollah was, operating this enormous network of cocaine, modeling. That would that then moved on to money laundering involving card dealerships. Here, said does car sent to West Africa. The money obtained was going to things like IRAN? You'd be

on IRAN's nuclear programme camera weapons. We should say that Hezbollah, the the lead, is there a group of the base in southern Lebanon? Mostly, Israel is a proper, see for IRAN is essentially a subsidiary owned by around, with barely a proxy sites like rackets, essentially an arm of IRAN that they're not Arabians and then and and one of the things that they did over the last twenty twenty five years is contact, overseas, Lebanese, a lot of them in Africa and a lot of them in central and South America and to recruit them as agents of influence and people. They could work with and all that and to make contact with drug cartels, and things like that. In Venezuela, in Argentina, in Mexico and other. So I want to read it. With paragraph from the story, is a reinforces syrups point nicely about hypocrisy of liberal.

A new found Russia hawks on the left quote: liberal arms dealer Ali failed as suspected top Hezbollah. Operatives operative, whom agents believed report to drive me russian President Vladimir Putin, as a key supplier of weapons to Syria in Iraq, was arrested in Prague in the spring of twenty fourteen, but for nearly two its via wasn't custody top Obama administration officials declines to apply serious pressure on the czech government to extradite him to the United States, even as Putin was lobbying aggressively against it. So it's not as though that this is something that we have. This happened during the Trump administration there would be garment rending on the streets. People would be self emulating in front of the White House over how horrible this was, but this Obama Administration Initiative in service to the around the right, so was all justified, and it's just one one more thing that was burnt up in service to the radio, Madeira, there are other hued. The huge toll of Obama's myopic to be ready on an end and the horrors that he let happen

name it ain't mainly in Syria and Syria, but also in Ukraine. I anything that the Randal was rapprochement with Moscow. These two things are inseparable, so any effort to ingratiate itself with Turann was an effort to Turkey. Didn't offer concessions to to Moscow and they happen throughout twenty fourteen and twenty fifteen. As this deal was sort of up in the air yet mean just just a gentleman just stated simply the Obama administration to put the brakes on what what could conceivably have been deserve, largest terror find dancing! the case but tons of Siena serve, I hate TAT uses Europe's Languedoc evidence, because it interfered with their sort of to save the world via this, the fanciful Randal, not nudges tariffs. Dancing, but also Syria, butchery fact: financing, lotteries Hezbollah now part

the reason that it doesn't irritated Israel as much as because its engaged in upholding the Assad regime is a foot soldiers of Assad at the foot. Soldiers. Really a sort of guerrillas of Jihad did the Assad. Regime- and this is a song. So now you want to tell me Ben Roads, the sort of messaging architect of the IRAN deal David Axelrod. These people are are tough, tough, Anti Russia hawks. The brakes? Ok, I just want to point out one other thing, which is that the other point of this is that the Hezbollah was making connections with drug cartels from Venice will up through Mexico to Transhipped Cocaine into the United States into Transhipped all kinds of dangerous toys The United States in the course of this other interests, things horrifying things have happened just two weeks ago.

In Argentina, the former president of Argentina, Christina Kurt Kirchner. I can't go out pronounce Kirshner Kirshner Fernandez was indicted for her cover up iranian involvement in the murder of off in the in the bombing of the jewish query centre in ninety eight for the worst terrorist about outside. You know worst terror act. Jews since the Second World WAR and prosecuting Albert on this man, was put on the case. He was murdered in two thousand and six by it appears The Iranians and Kirshner Fernandez based please suborned the investigation in an effort to keep her own deal with IRAN. We don't know why we don't know what the purpose of the purpose was We have Hezbollah interfering to such Extend that

This organism this. This act of terror against the jewish organization, was ordered by a smile again. I can't remember how many honey who was blown up in two thousand eight by a body having in his limousine, but they observe the head of Islamic Jihad, which is the militant arm of them military arm or whatever the trance global arm of the of Hezbollah. So we have, we have acts of terror against Jews? We have drug running, we have cartel. You know this morning, cards, suborning governments and we have cocaine into the United States, and all of this was deemed insufficiently important for the United States government to make a priority because it was much more important for there to be a rapprochement with IRAN. Well, before the IRAN deal remember as the peace

goes into. It was the policy of Obama from the middle of the campaign in two thousand eight onward to cosy up with IRAN John Brennan his you now cover what position cause he held like three different positions, but John Brown, who maybe have of the CIA is Andor, said. We really think we can make common cause with Hezbollah. They retorted and which are to find more moderate, has badly. I remember the whole you another. That's also saw does Social services in Lebanon, so we the it's. A government were actively seeking a positive relationship with organization that we knew had arranged the murder of an inch of investing her in Argentina into the worst bit active answers terror outside the United States it outside on the desert is limited to outside America's borders. The pieces is replete with references to

sleeper cells in the United States, aligned with Hezbollah and have everybody remembers. I mean go back and real That's what I'm looking at and now go back and read the story about the, attempted assassination of a raft of society forum, the Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States in Washington DC by IRAN. And the guy indicted for it wasn't me a you can use car salesman from Texas. I mean it's almost like you can kind of. Can these that's a little bit and and and and summoning implicated in the plot was, but what would have been swept up in this and in this by Cassandra, which so there could force us to be fair so that Facebook, so to be fair, The story of our time is the euro. Could classic government story is that you have lawn Foresman, verses, intelligence. You have domestic law wanting to do things and foreign policy people saying look. We have to deal with bad actors all the time, and we have to do this and we have to that you're. Like you're, some boy scout, doesn't

percent, how the world works and the blonde forcible say: nonsense. You, donors that how the world works, what what matters is with these people do not what they're telling you and usually the foreign policy voices went out. In a rare moment of change of that, the Bush, ministration in two thousand six authorize the creation of Cassandra and it then, in two thousand seven, two thousand eight that we started hearing things about how Hezbollah was very active and functional, in central and South America we're like people were like what What are they doing in central and South America and the article was there there, because they are trying to create some kind They root system into the United States if they want to activate a tearing network which they certainly didn't want to do then, but might want to do later, and the thing that is frightening about the peace is

It says that, because this effort to interdiction and destroy the system using Cassandra, resources was interrupted. All kinds of leads all kinds of things we know about it all that are now. I have now gone dry and said the know the people who are on the investigation of all gone somewhere else. The store has of knowledge is lost. I'm not saying I think that has is gonna blow up any buildings tomorrow. But who knows I mean you know and their there and then sufficiently that their there, that everybody should be very frightened and should read this peace, Josh Mire in politico today, so that is what we have to say today here as we as we approach, the the end of the year we will do an end of the year, show

winners and losers and stuff like that. On Thursday cavalcade of stars cavalcade of stars, we will deal with the question that is haunting all of conservative media right now, which is what kind of here the trumpet really in the end, we will attempt to fairly judiciously resolve that question so for everyone. Norma Desmond, Memoriam Jump onwards, keep the camel burning.