This past week's Senate Judiciary Committee featured Mr. Bill Browder, an international financier with extensive knowledge of the Russian government.  Under questioning from Sen. Lindsey Graham, Browder revealed that the Russians paid Fusion GPS to create the infamous "golden shower dossier" on Trump.  According to Browder, the Russians were looking to stir up trouble to harm Trump's presidential bid.  That's how the Russkies roll, Browder essentially said.  They like to create chaos.  

Okay, I'll bite.  Let's pretend it's a hack job by the Russians instead of an inside leak, despite all evidence to the contrary regarding the DNC's compromised server.  If Browder's testimony about Fusion GPS is correct, even deplorable Americans can quickly connect the  dots.  I offer Donna in Oregon as an example.  She writes:

Wait…..wait……I need to catch up here. This Golden Showers report was paid for by Russia….made by the Brits….picked up by John McCain……delivered to James Comey……James Comey paid them $50,000.00 to further investigate Donald Trump……and now we have a Special Counsel to investigate President Donald Trump's involvement.

Am I up to speed? Is that muh Russia?

(Author's note:  The FBI didn't actually pay the $50,000 because the Brit – Steele – couldn't produce any facts to back up his claims in the dossier.  Plus there's no hard evidence that Russians hacked anything of relevance.  In fact, the evidence points elsewhere, as noted above.)

The Trump collusion meme is slowly but surely turning on Democrats.  Facts tend to have that effect.  The MSM soon will backtrack and do their best impression of Emily Litella from the original SNL cast, who famously ended her weekly screed with the disclaimer: never mind!  Then it will be on to the next manufactured scandal.  Trump is proving to be an elusive rascal.

Naturally, and to top it all off,  if Donald Trump was bribed by the Russians to lie about their mutual collusion, Trump surely would have reported this expense on his income tax returns.  Common sense alone would tell you that, right?  Who doesn't report bribery payments?  Thus, Trump's delay in voluntarily releasing his tax returns is prima facie evidence of collusion with the Russians.  That must be why he doesn't make them public.

Believe it or not, there actually is a statement in the IRS instruction manual that requires citizens to report bribe receipts as income.  Read it for yourself on the IRS's website.

Yes, folks, someone at the IRS actually went there.  I can hear the committee meeting now:

Fred: Are we missing anything?

Sue: Well, what about income from bribes and meth sales?  They should be regarded as 1099 income.  But not deductible from gross.  Those folks don't deserve tax relief.

Fred:  Good thinking, Sue.  Let's start with bribes and see how it goes.

There you have it.  If that won't stop bribery, nothing will.  I'm sure the Russians will provide that 1099 in a jiffy.

All that notwithstanding, the IRS overlooked one minor detail.  The obligation to report income from bribery refers only to the person who receives the bribe, not the person who pays it.  Thus, Trump is not obligated to report the illicit payments on his tax return.  But still, if he did pay it, he should have reported it, shouldn't he, even if it required an addendum page, owing to the fact that there's no line item for "bribes paid."  That's what rocket surgeon and Senate Judiciary Committee member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) would have us believe.  Yes, Rhode Island, you voted him into office.  

In unrelated news, jobs are up, wages are improving, manufacturing is on the rise, illegal immigration has dwindled, NAFTA is being retooled, bilateral trade agreements are underway, ISIS is facing decimation, the Paris Climate Accord is kaput, and Obamacare is in a death spiral.  Democrats are out of ideas, and Republicans once again prove they don't deserve to be in charge.  Ironically, America's outlook on the future is positive.  Huh.  I wonder why!

I'll leave you to connect the dots.