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Ian Shapiro has an op-ed in today's WaPo detailing the one two punch of Bush's tax cuts and suggested spending cuts. His premise is that the reality behind all of this is obscure. But it shouldn't be.

With its long pause between steps one and two, the administration has attempted to obscure a key reality: In the absence of the tax cuts, the deficit would be much smaller and the need for cuts in domestic programs much less. The administration is using the deficit as the rationale for its forthcoming effort to cut domestic programs. It seeks to shield from view the fact that the cost of its tax cuts far exceeds the size of the domestic spending cuts it may propose. ..snip.. Beware the Texas two-step. It represents deceptive budgeting. The trade-offs between tax cuts conferring lavish benefits on the most-well-off and reductions in programs upon which millions of Americans rely should be made clear. The public should be allowed to assess directly whether it wants the government to shrink programs related to health care, child care and protecting the environment so that millionaires can continue receiving tax cuts that cost tens of billions of dollars a year.

I mean I suppose this "delay" might obscure things for some people, but its precisely the point of the entire exercise. "Starve the Beast" and force cuts, right? But why should this surprise anyone? Grover Norquist has been preaching that philosophy for years. Phase one - cutting revenues - was the agenda of term one. Phase two - claiming cuts are necessary because revenue has ben reduced - is the agenda of term two. Combined with further tax cuts and a dismantling of Social Security, Norquist's long sought after "drowning of the baby" would be complete!

But of course most people don't follow the behind the scenes of political life, so most don't know this has been in the works forever. Which is precisely why the Dems must make it clear, must fight, and fight hard. The more I think about it, the more I see a missed opportunity for Kerry last year. Not that I want to go there...

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