Quite a performace from Sanders tonight, flourishing a "plan" to pay for all his expensive

[highplainsdem]

proposals, using a town hall for his reveal, 24 hours before a debate.

I'm sure the flaws in his plan will start to be picked apart by tomorrow.

I'm also sure he'll claim that no complaints about his revenue plan can be valid, since people couldn't have had enough time to study it. And of course there won't be time for the media to publish complete analyses by experts.

I'd have to give Bernie an A for timing.

And maybe a D or F for credibiliy.

It takes just a brief glance at the plan to see that it's full of imaginary numbers about what revenue will be brought in:

https://berniesanders.com/issues/how-does-bernie-pay-his-major-plans/

Raising $3.085 trillion by making the fossil fuel industry pay for their pollution, through litigation, fees, and taxes, and eliminating federal fossil fuel subsidies.

Generating $6.4 trillion in revenue from the wholesale of energy produced by the regional Power Marketing Administrations. This revenue will be collected from 2023-2035, and after 2035 electricity will be virtually free, aside from operations and maintenance costs.

-snip-

Collecting $2.3 trillion in new income tax revenue from the 20 million new jobs created by the plan.

Saving $1.31 trillion by reduced the need for federal and state safety net spending due to the creation of millions of good-paying, unionized jobs.

If you're wondering what "Power Marketing Administrations" will be generating trillions in revenue, and then FREE electricity, in just a few years...

and if you're wondering what 20 million high-paying new jobs will save trillions in safety net costs...

then you're probably too anchored in reality.

And maybe too aware of past promises about future revenue, such as the massive increases in revenue we were told we'd get with growth from tax cuts. Those "plans" tended to be bolstered with lots of numbers, too, to make them seem more plausible.

So probably, when you see someone "explain" that future litigation -- the result of which can't possibly be known -- will, along with fees and cutting subsidies, bring in $3.085 trillion (such an exact figure), you're probably, quite understandably, skeptical.

But there are people who'll be wowed by the "plan." Because, after all, if looks so very precise. at first glance. And if you don't think about it at all.