“Both sides agree that repealing or dialing back the Johnson Amendment seemed improbable at best as recently as a year and a half ago. That was when Mr. Trump’s surprising embrace injected new life into it, and helped spark an alliance that benefited his campaign and the religious right.” As the debate over the GOP tax plan kicks into high gear, one key bargaining chip is the potential repeal of “a 1954 law that bans churches and other nonprofit groups from engaging in political activity.” Basically, money that is currently given to political campaigns could be funneled through religion organizations, providing donors with a significant tax break. We’d have less separation of church and state … and likely more churches being formed solely for political purposes. Of course, these days, people are much more religious about politics than they are about religion.

+ The CBO is out with it latest report on the Senate tax plan. Bottom line: It’s pretty bad if you’re poor and really good if you’re rich.