Day: 2018.01.21

A Mystery in #DimensionTrump

#DimensionTrump | #WhatTheyVotedFor

The White House (Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Jonathan Swan and Axios offer up a scoop:

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team has been talking with George Nader, a little-known Bannon associate who boasts of his well-placed connections in the Middle East, Axios has learned.

Nader has spoken with Mueller’s team at least twice, according to a source briefed on the investigation. A second source briefed on the investigation confirmed that Mueller’s team has brought Nader in for questioning in the past week. The Special Counsel’s office declined to comment.

Will that be nuts, or a cherry on top? Time will tell. To wit, the “mysterious White House visitor”, Mr. Nader, is said to allege personal ties to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the armed forces in the United Arab Emirates; to the other, as Mr. Swan reports, “well-connected and experienced Middle East hands in Washington” said they “never heard of Nader”.   (more…)

The Amazin’ Amazon “Race to the Bottom”

#situp | #rollover | #beg

"Tax breaks to Amazon promised by New Jersey: $7 billion. Tax breaks promised by Illinois: $2 billion. Something is deeply wrong with our economy & democracy when local governments offer up their tax base to a corporation worth over $500 billion." [Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN05), via Twitter, 18 January 2017]

Julia Conley, via AlterNet:

Critics of Amazon’s “race to the bottom” as it searches for a home for its second headquarters said on Thursday that the company’s newly released shortlist of 20 cities highlights a crisis in the U.S. economy—one exemplified by the huge incentives offered to Amazon in the bidding war among potential hosts.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) was among those slamming Amazon and the state and local governments willing to give billions of dollars in tax breaks to the extremely wealthy multinational company.

Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN05]. (Photo by Greg Nash)Tax breaks to Amazon promised by New Jersey: $7 billion. Tax breaks promised by Illinois: $2 billion. Something is deeply wrong with our economy & democracy when local governments offer up their tax base to a corporation worth over $500 billion.

Nor is this really new. But, yes, if this is the American Way, then we might wish to wonder why.

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Image note: Top — Tweet by Rep. Keith Ellison, 18 January 2017.  Right — Rep. Keith Ellison. (Photo by Greg Nash)

Conley, Julia. “Keith Ellison: Desperate Bids for New Amazon HQ Prove Something ‘Deeply Wrong’ With America”. AlterNet. 19 January 2018.

Ellison, Keith. “Tax breaks to Amazon”. Twitter. 18 January 2018.