So they've developed this myth that if they support extending the Bush tax cuts for all but the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans -- those who earn more than $250,000 -- they are being fiscally responsible. It's true that proposal is supposed to reduce the federal deficit by $700 billion over a decade. But note that practically no one advocates ending the rest of the Bush tax cuts, which by that logic would be the height of fiscal responsibility.
Then Team Boxer sits back as like-minded opinion leaders excoriate Fiorina for advocating "tax cuts" for the rich, mindless of the sagacity of not raising taxes on the rich during a recession.
In the last week, Boxer has referred Fiorina to a report by economists Alan Blinder and Mark Zandi -- a one-time economic adviser to GOP Sen. John McCain, Boxer likes to point out -- who found that Washington stimulus spending under Presidents Bush and Obama may have saved 8.5 million jobs.
Taking Boxer's advice to heed Zandi, I decided to look up his position on the Bush tax cuts. Last week, he told CBS News, "I think if the tax cuts expire for everybody, then we'll be back in recession, no doubt. It would be a huge policy mistake."
As Fiorina noted Wednesday night, "We can grow our economy again, but it means we have to fight for private-sector jobs. And, frankly, I don't think there are enough people in Washington who even understand why private-sector jobs are created."
Perhaps the problem is that inside the Beltway, the right to spend other people's money appears God-given.