Guess who opposes the Bush tax cuts?

By Rich Miles

Much has been said in recent years about how different it is to be a Republican today, compared to what it was like, say, 30 years ago and more. I still hated them back then - Nixon was still a dick as long ago as 1973 or '74, and Reagan managed to cruise through 8 years in the White House without ever setting feet on the ground - but remembering what I do about the era, it really wasn't as bad as it is today. Though it was bad enough.

But there are a few personalities from the Reagan era who remain at least curiosities today. And one of them is....

(drum roll please)

David Stockman. For those who didn't live through it and don't care to look him up, Stockman was the budget director for Pres. Reagan from the beginning in 1981 until the end of the first term in 1985.

The budget director, mind you. Not some minor functionary whose opinion we may safely discount, but the budget director. A guy who knew something about what was going on. Whether we agreed with him or not.

But yesterday, on NPR's Terri Gross-moderated "Fresh Air" program, Stockman said, not for the first time, that leaving the Bush tax cuts in place, especially in the top brackets, would bankrupt the United States.

That's right - bankrupt it. Not just damage the budget process, not just increase the deficit, but BANKRUPT the United States!

And this is the opinion of the alleged creator of Reaganomics, the program that almost bankrupted the U.S. 25 or more years ago. So for the prime mover of that debacle to complain about THIS debacle is just a bit...how shall I put this? frightening!!

Here, read the whole thing for yourself, and don't trust any more Republicans, OK? It'll only come to grief.

I mean seriously, don't these people ever even listen to EACH OTHER?!?