Tuchfarber Report

In Brief

1. Major tax reform nears. The Senate tax bill passed 51-49 with no Democratic votes. As the houses of Congress passed different bills, a Conference Committee will resolve the differences but is also almost sure to make substantial further changes. So, stay tuned…be prepared to be surprised…much can and will change. Passage by Christmas now looks likely.
2. Fake news from ABC on Friday about the implications of General Flynn’s guilty plea gets their reporter suspended without pay after causing billions in worldwide financial market losses.
3. The partisan coalitions of groups that make up our two parties have changed markedly with the Republicans becoming the white working-class and middle-class party and the Democrats—a bi-modal party of both the rich and of minorities and the poor. These changes have caused a dramatic shift in which states are safe Republican states and which are safe Democratic states. This week’s issue continues a 4-PART series about our changing political geography with a focus on substantive change in the Great Lakes and Midwest states of PA…OH…MI…WI…and IA.
4. The sins of sex abuse and sexual harassment just keep on confronting the land…and many more of the guilty will fall…but which ones? Likely next targets are the protectors and enablers of the guilty.
5. North Korea launches its heaviest, most threatening missile.
6. China becomes more and more authoritarian requiring its tech companies and US tech companies to help it monitor its people in Big Brother fashion. The US and Europe push back against Chinese abuse of its World Trade Organization privileges.

Continue reading Tax Reform… Almost Sure; Sex, Politics and Crisis… More Coming; Fake News Punished; Major Political Change… The Great Lakes States; North Korean Threat Increases

In Brief

1. Tax reform is very likely yet this year or early next. The current Senate bill will be amended multiple times before its final vote. If both houses of Congress pass bills, a Conference Committee will make substantial further changes. So, stay tuned…much can and will change.
2. The partisan coalitions of groups that make up our two parties have changed markedly with the Republicans becoming the white working-class and middle-class party and the Democrats—a bi-modal party of both the rich and of minorities and the poor. These changes have caused a dramatic shift in which states are safe Republican states and which are safe Democratic states. This week’s issue continues a 4-PART series about our changing political geography with a focus on the South-Central/Border states of AR…KY…LA…MO…TN…and WV.
3. The wages of the sins of sex abuse and sexual harassment are coming home to roost in Hollywood, DC, media-land and throughout the US. The genie is out of the bottle and will not go quietly back inside. Many of the guilty and their enablers, as well as some of the innocent, will be in the spotlight for months or years to come. Our politics and society will suffer shock after shock. Many media, political and professional careers will be lost.

Continue reading Tax Cuts More Likely; Sex, Politics, and Crisis…Never Ending; What Are The Democratic States, Which Are Republican, South Central States?

In Brief

1. Tax reform is very likely yet this year or early next. The House bill passed 227-205 with no Democratic votes. The Senate bill will change multiple times before it is voted on. If both houses of Congress pass bills, a Conference Committee will make substantial further changes. So, stay tuned…
2. The partisan coalitions of groups that make up our two parties have changed markedly with the Republicans becoming the white working-class and middle-class party and the Democrats—a bi-modal party of both the rich and of minorities and the poor. These changes have caused a dramatic shift in which states are safe Republican states and which are safe Democratic states. This week’s issue starts a 4-PART series about our changing political geography.
3. The wages of the sins of sex abuse and sexual harassment are coming home to roost in Hollywood, DC and throughout the land. The genie is out of the bottle and will not go quietly back inside. Expect many of the guilty and their enablers to be in the spotlight for months or years to come and for our politics and society to suffer shock after shock.

Continue reading Tax Cuts Even More Likely; Sex, Politics, and Abuse; What Are The Democratic States, Which Are Republican, and The Future?

In Brief

1. Tax reform is likely yet this year or early next. The House bill will change before any final vote. The Senate bill will change multiple times. If both pass in their houses of Congress, a Conference Committee will make substantial further changes. So, stay tuned…
2. The partisan coalitions of groups that make up our two parties have changed markedly with the Republicans becoming the white working-class and middle-class party and the Democrats—a bi-modal party of both the rich and of minorities and the poor. These changes will have a dramatic impact on our politics for years and are the main cause of Donald Trump being elected President.
3. President Trump is on an important 12-day trip to Asia focusing on four-things: 1. assistance from China on reining in N Korea, 2. negotiating stronger trade deals throughout the region, 3. strengthening defense cooperation with allies and 4. demonstrating the US commitment to East and SE Asia.
4. The Virginia election results and those in NJ and around the country were what one would expect. The sky is not falling on the Republicans. And, Gillespie would have lost badly in VA even if he had fully embraced Trump. VA is now a Democratic state and likely to get more so.

Continue reading Tax Cuts Likely – How and When, Who Are Democratic Voters Now, Who Are Republicans, Trump In Asia, and Virginia Election Analysis Nonsense

In Brief

1. Former DNC head, Donna Brazile, will publish a new book this week describing exactly how Hillary Clinton rigged the nomination process to defeat Bernie Sanders. This revelation will heat up an already brutal war between the newer Progressive-wing and Clinton-Mainstream-Labor -wing of the Democratic Party.
2. President Trump is on critically important 12-day trip to Asia focusing on four-things: 1. assistance from China on reining in N Korea, 2. negotiating stronger trade deals throughout the region, 3. strengthening defense cooperation with allies and 4. demonstrating, by attendance at the East Asia Summit, the US commitment to East and SE Asia.
3. If things go as planned the Republicans will announced a revised version of their tax reform plan early this week. It will address some of the initial complaints but cannot address all of them. So far R unity in the House and Senate have both been strong but the lobbying will be tense and heated. The bill will change quite a few times. It is likely to pass by early 2018 and perhaps as early as Christmas.
4. Watch the Tuesday elections in Virginia for some early clues about the 2018 Congressional races. The Ds should win in VA easily, as well as NJ, but the races in VA have gotten far closer than most anticipated.

Continue reading Trump On Crucial Asia Visit, Proof From DNC Head Clinton Stole Nomination From Sanders, Tax Cuts Likely, But When?

In Brief

1. As claimed by Trump, the Trump-Russia collusion case was based on fake news. Turns out it was paid for by the Clinton campaign and the DNC according to their own lawyer. The collusion now appears to be between Clinton and the Russians both in 2016 and throughout Clinton’s Secretary of State tenure.
2. President Xi of China has decreed, in effect, that China will now be a totalitarian-socialist state. This is a dramatic shift from the authoritarian- capitalist state it has been since 1979. The change will have massive effects in China and across the globe.
3. If things go on schedule the Republican tax package and legislation will be released this Wednesday and be enacted before the end of the year. There will still be a great deal of negotiating and severe doubts about passage in the House because of battles over state and local taxes and other issues. Momentum is there but disputes abound.
4. A new Pew research report shows political polarization in the US to be very high. Few Democrats or Republicans are, respectively, to the right of the average Republican or left of the average Democrat. Don’t expect that polarization to wane anytime soon, perhaps not for decades.

Continue reading China’s Totalitarian Regime, Russia Collusion – DNC and Clinton Paid for Trump Dossier, Tax Cuts Likely, and A Deeply Polarized Nation

In Brief

1. Tax cuts and tax reform are now domestic issue #1 for the Trump and Republican agendas. They will focus on corporate rate cuts to foster job creation and growth and on middle-class tax cuts and simplified filing. The passage last week of the Budget Resolution by the Senate and strong House support for accepting it makes tax reform and tax cuts much more likely this year.
2. China is in the midst of a crucial Party Congress [every 5 years] that will re-elect Xi Jinping as party leader. Xi is, in effect, becoming China’s new emperor. This Congress will have very substantial implications for Chinese, regional and world politics. The results of the Congress will likely set the stage for major economic changes, more authoritarian rule, a pull-back from a market oriented economy, substantial slowing of GDP growth and major Chinese actions on N Korea’s Kim regime
3. The DNC purges Sanders and Ellison supporters in favor of Clinton supporters.
4. The leader of China’s Central Bank warns of a potential Minsky Moment…the sudden collapse of the prices of over-leveraged assets. He especially warns of high corporate debt and rapidly increasing household debt.
5. Sexual predators in Hollywood and elsewhere are being identified and being challenged. Many are called. Many will fall… Who is next?

Continue reading Tax Cuts Now Much More Likely, China’s New Emperor, DNC Purge of Sanders Supporters, and Warnings About China’s Asset Bubbles

In Brief

1. Tax cuts and tax reform are now domestic issue #1 for the Trump and Republican agendas. They will focus on corporate rate cuts to foster job creation and growth and on middle-class tax cuts and simplified filing.
2. China is in the midst of a crucial Party Congress [every 5 years] that will re-elect Xi Jinping as party leader. Xi is, in effect, becoming China’s new emperor. This Congress will have very substantial implications for Chinese, regional and world politics. The results of the Congress will likely set the stage for major economic changes, more authoritarian rule, a pull-back from a market oriented economy, substantial slowing of GDP growth and major Chinese actions on N Korea’s Kim regime
3. Obamacare gets a substantial makeover through regulatory action.
4. President Trump has decided not to certify Iran’s compliance with the Obama/Kerry nuclear deal sending the next set of decisions to Congress.
5. Sexual predators in Hollywood and elsewhere get called out. Who is next?

Continue reading Tax Cuts, China’s New Emperor, The Iran Deal, Obamacare’s Demise, and Sexual Predators

In Brief

1. Tax cuts and tax reform are now domestic issue #1 for the Trump and Republican agendas. They will focus on corporate rate cuts to foster job creation and growth and on middle-class tax cuts and simplified filing.
2. China is ramping up for a crucial Party Congress [every 5 years] on Oct 18 to re-elect Xi Jinping as party leader. This Congress will have very substantial implications for Chinese, regional and world politics. The results of the Congress will likely set the stage for major economic reform, substantial slowing of GDP growth and major Chinese actions on N Korea’s Kim regime
3. “Bad cops” Trump and Haley, “good cop” Tillerson and “tough cop” Mattis confuse many.
4. The NFL has been killing its Golden Goose of a money-making juggernaut with its support of some players disrespecting the flag and national anthem. It is too late to reverse some of the financial and PR carnage. New survey shows the collapse of the sport’s favorability.
5. The deaths and carnage from the Las Vegas shootings are creating a new dynamic in the gun-control debate and policy changes are likely, including some supported by the NRA.
6. New forecasts on tax reform and Obamacare.

Continue reading Mass Murder In Las Vegas and the NFL Self-Destructs

In Brief

1. Tax cuts and tax reform are now domestic issue #1 for the Trump and Republican agendas.
2. China is ramping up for a crucial Party Congress [every 5 years] on Oct 18 to re-elect Xi Jinping as party leader. This Congress will have very substantial implications for Chinese, regional and world politics, including the N Korean crisis.
3. Everyone needs to remember that the white working-class is the key swing voter group for 2018 and 2020 and many Democrats don’t seem to realize it or be willing to stop driving them away.
4. The loss of Trump’s candidate in AL is a defeat for the President and diminishes his clout with Republicans in tight races. It is, however, a relatively minor blow soon to be overrun by other events and news.
5. Obamacare repeal and replacement self-destructed for a 2nd time. But, repeal or major changes to it are essentially inevitable as it is structurally and financially unsustainable.
6. The NFL has been killing its Golden Goose of a money-making juggernaut with its support of some players disrespecting the flag and national anthem. It is too late to reverse some of the financial and PR carnage.
7. President Trump and the San Juan PR mayor might both want to tone things down quite a bit.

Continue reading Obamacare Repeal Fails Again and Tax Cuts Take the Spotlight while the NFL Scrambles and Fumbles