Beware the Military-Industrial Complex. Beware the Corrupt Joe Biden.

THE FACT Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell even had to be told this is appalling, but a coalition of senators had to write him a letter urging him to ignore requests by Democrats to pass their massive omnibus spending bill before the new G.O.P.-controlled House is sworn in in January. Sens. Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Tex.), Rick Scott (Fla.), and Mike Braun (Ind.) sent the letter on Wednesday. The letter is here.

Essentially, they said that nothing but a short-term Continuing Resolution funding the federal government until Jan. 2023 should be passed so that the new House can weigh in. There should also be no additional spending and no additional “policy priorities” included. If it’s claimed to be urgent, it must be considered on its own merits. Failure to do so, they say, disregards the wishes of the American public. 

Not that Republicans are looking out for the taxpayers’ monies: they’re very keen on upping defense spending and aid to Ukraine, which has been nothing but demanding and parasitic since their dispute with Russia. The Dems, on the other hand, are looking to increase discretionary spending to $1.6 trillion. It’s enormous. Where on Earth do they the money is coming from? Never mind, the new I.R.S. agents will stick taxpayers up for the new long-range weapons, and wealth transfers to rebuild Ukraine, its infrastructure and power grid, along with a $400 million package Biden approved from U.S. stockpiles earlier this month. Lucky us.

“I think it makes absolutely no sense for a lame-duck Congress to pass Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer’s appropriations bills,” said Sen. Cruz. “[I]f a handful of Senate Republicans decide their outgoing act is to rubber-stamp Nancy Pelosi’s spending priorities, that would be a gross abdication of responsibility and also an affront to the voters who just voted to give Republicans a majority in the House.” 

He’s right. But it’s the second time in a week the G.O.P. has coalesced around Dems in a uni-party fashion, so figure it will happen. The first was the passage, aided by the G.O.P., of the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which codified same-sex marriage into federal law. Regardless of where one may fall on the issue, the fact is, marriage has always been in province of the states — most of which have recognized gay marriage without any ‘help’ from Pelosi or Schumer. And in case that’s not good enough, in Obergefell v. Hodges, decided in 2015, the Supreme Court found same-sex marriage lawful in the decision that applies nationwide. 

Inflation Hurts.

A CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE with Ted Cruz. The G.O.P. senator from Texas introduced a bill today to index certain assets to inflation. Co-sponsors include G.O.P. Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.), Mike Braun (Ind.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Pat Toomey (Pa.), Jim Inhofe (Okla.), and James Lankford (Okla.). Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) introduced an identical bill in the House.

Titled the Capital Gains Inflation Relief Act, it is meant to protect taxpayers from paying capital gains tax on inflationary gains. It seems to anticipate a bad result on capital gains tax from the Democrats and on inflationary pressure from the Federal Reserve. As of September, the consumer price index increased 5.4 percent, annualized. Gasoline has increased 42.1 percent in that period, while used vehicles have gone up 24.4 percent. Meat has increased by 12.6 percent. These are official figures which tend to under-measure—your mileage may vary.

Importantly, the legislation would index to inflation common stock in sub-chapter C corporations and any tangible property considered a capital asset used in trade or business. Interestingly, it also contemplates appreciation of digital assets. It would appear to leave out personal use real estate, however. Americans for Tax Reform calculated that inflation would comprise 70 percent of capital gains tax on shares of IBM purchased in 1970. Or 64 percent on Exxon Mobil in 2000. Or a stunning 100 percent of Coca-Cola shares bought in 1998.

It’s a good start, but will have a hard time passing with Democrat spending at an unprecedented nose-bleeding high. They need every tax dollar they can extort for their cool half-mil to separated illegal alien “families” (which Biden talked back only today) and $900 inducements to buy electric bicycles (still on the table.) Of note, even socialist Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) supported ending inflation tax on capital gains in a prior life in 1992. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was on board with it in 1992, too. If it passes, though, it will certainly encourage new business, increase growth, retirement savings, and savings for other important long-term objectives. It will do so by eliminating taxes of gains which are merely “phantom,” and which tend to discourage the free flow of capital assets to new or different productive ventures. When every sale is a taxable event, one is inclined to avoid them, even when such a sale would otherwise be prudent. One hopes this isn’t used as a compromise measure for the excessive spending bill.

C’mon Man! Who’s a Lying Dog-Faced One-Horse Pony Soldier Junkie in the Office of the President-Elect (or Something Like That)?

ALMOST every word uttered by seemingly mentally impaired former Vice President Joe Biden should give Americans of all stripes the shivers. 

Really, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, and Biden himself should want to ensure the election was on the level if they expect Dems to be able to govern legitimately with the public. Biden’s apparent dementia isn’t new. It is therefore especially doubtful that he earned all the votes attributed to him in November. 

Evidence — yes, real evidence in documentary, testimonial, and circumstantial forms — have even grabbed the attention of the tone-deaf Senate. We already know at least 140 representatives plan to object to the certification of electoral votes at the joint session of Congress next week, but on Saturday, it was revealed that at least 11 senators, under the leadership of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) would, too.

In the Cruz coalition, the goal is simple, at least in principle. They are demanding an emergency 10-day audit of the election results in light of “unprecedented allegations of voter fraud and illegal conduct.” (Actually, it’s a bit more complicated than that, involving allegations of machine tampering, computer hacking, document falsification, and other forms of election fraud, but who’s being picky?)

Cruz’s coalition includes G.O.P. Sens. Ron Johnson (WI); James Lankford (OK); Steve Daines (MT)’ John Kennedy (LA); Marsha Blackburn (TN); and Mike Braun (IN). Republican Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis (WY); Roger Marshall (KS); Bill Hagerty (TN); and Tommy Tuberville (AL) have also joined.

Cruz’s coalition is taking a different tack than Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who is objecting because of the failure of certain states, including Pennsylvania, to follow their own state laws in the election. Cruz’s coalition hopes to use its full investigatory and fact-finding authority to audit votes in the contested states. After that, the idea is that the states would evaluate those findings and convene special legislative sessions to certify a change in their vote if desired. 

Every clause in my title above was uttered by Biden on his few forays out of his basement while campaigning. Other demented statements he made are simply too incoherent to use in a title.

Maybe Cruz’s idea will work, and in a weird twist not uncommon in politics, help his one-time opponent, President Donald J. Trump. We should be worried if this election cannot be turned around. Very worried…