Outflanked XIV: A Most Trumpian Outflankening

During a depression and a pandemic, bold economic populist Donny Paycheck remains laser-focused on…maintaining the Trump Oganizations’s skim:

But the GOP legislation contains a number of provisions not directly related to the coronavirus, including $1.8 billion for construction of a new FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. President Trump has taken a personal interest in this project, but White House officials have not stipulated why they believe the language needed to be inserted in the coronavirus bill. Critics have alleged Trump is trying to keep the FBI building at its current location, which is diagonal from a Trump hotel property in downtown D.C.

The Trump administration previously squashed a plan to relocate the FBI building to the suburbs, which could leave the lot near the Trump hotel open for development.

“That’s a good question,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), when asked what the FBI project had to do with the coronavirus. He said the administration had sought its inclusion.

Leaving aside the naked corruption, needless to say many other parts of this proposal are total garbage:

The legislation also includes at least $100 billion more for the small-business Paycheck Protection Program. It does not contain any new money for state and local governments — a key Democratic demand — but instead gives state and local leaders additional flexibility in spending the $150 billion approved in the Cares Act in March.

Over initial Trump administration objections, the GOP plan contains billions of dollars for coronavirus testing and tracing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and foreign assistance related to the coronavirus. It’s also includes tax credits to encourage businesses to hire and retain workers, and increased business deductions for meals and entertainment.

I am beginning to think Republicans are not going to run to Biden’s left.