“If we could agree on the pieces most important to us Democrats, revenue, we’re prepared to agree on some of the things that you (Republicans) want in discretionary spending,” the vice president said last Thursday evening, outlining some of the potential trade-offs.
Got that? In other words, raising your taxes is the Democrats' top priority -- because, as all of us knows, the real trouble is that the government isn't spending enough of our money, and NEEDS more. So Republicans are supposed to agree to tax hikes now -- perfect for a weak economy! -- and then perhaps the Democrats will agree to cut back on some trifling particular to be named later.
Right. If their top priority is simply treating the American taxpayer like a golden goose, why should Democrats EVER cut back?
Politically, Democrats know that forcing a GOP concession on a tax increase robs Republicans of one of their most potent campaign issues. Hence, they're prepared to go to the mat to insist that the average American needs to send even more to Washington to subsidize yet more of the government spending orgy.
But in the spirit of good faith, it would be interesting to know whom the Democrats plan to tax, and how much, wouldn't it? Perhaps they should release their taxation "plan" -- clearly, it's easier for them to come up with ideas for taxing us than to come up with any kind of responsible, realistic budget (something they entirely neglected to do when they controlled the House).
In any case, if we're letting the Democrats have "the pieces most important to [them]," i.e., more taxes, we might as well throw our money away buying bags for heroin addicts begging on the corner. It's an analogous mentality; addiction is addiction, whether it's to drugs or spending. But at least drug addicts get clean sometimes; sadly, however, it seems that Democrats (and all too many Republican) never really kick the spending habit.