The Duce is the working man's friend

He said so and I believe him, even though this two-step (budget cuts, then tax cuts) is all about making life cushier for the super rich.

The Senate passed its budget plan: Here's what that means for tax cuts, what it doesn't and what's next

It's a Koch move, this is.

And The Duce is solidly behind it and its wonderful benefits for ordinary Americans.

The biggest thing — which senators from both parties emphasized this week — is the passage of "reconciliation instructions" that tell the Senate Finance Committee that a tax bill cannot be filibustered if it adds $1.5 trillion or less to the deficit.

Filibusters require 60 votes to break, which means Democrats could derail the tax bill even though they are in the minority. 

A bill brought up under reconciliation requires only 51 votes to pass, and Republicans hold 52 seats (plus, they have Vice President Pence to break a 50-50 tie).

So no filibuster can stop it.

It is not a law, so the budget cannot actually cut or raise spending or taxes. And this year, it is widely assumed the spending levels for the fiscal year — which actually began Oct. 1 — will not really be used by appropriators.

That means it's aspirational, even bullshit, and a fig leaf for gigantic tax cuts without matching, accompanying cuts in spending.

$5 trillion in cuts [are] mentioned overall, but most are not specified.

It's such airy bullshit they don't even bother to even pretend they know where spending cuts will come from.

Except for this helpful point.

Over the next 10 years, the budget calls for $473 billion in cuts from Medicare and $1 trillion from Medicaid.

Velshi and Ruhle point out that, as for the tax cuts, the GOP hasn't got any clear idea what it will do about cuts for middle income people, the vast bulk of actual America taxpayers.

It has been rock solid for years about what it wants to do for the rich and super rich: get rid of the estate tax, massively cut corporate taxes, and get rid of the alternative minimum tax, all giving huge benefits to the likes of the Koches.