Midwest Two-Step: Heartland GOPers Dance Around Bush Tax Cut Questions

On this week's editions of Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press, influential Republicans danced around the basic problem with their economic policy ideas. Three top GOPers dodged various versions of a fundamental question: isn't it hypocritical to put the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy onto our grandkids' tab after you spend a year attacking deficit spending on emergency economic aid like unemployment benefits?

On Fox, Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN) deflected a question about how the GOP would pay for tax cuts for the wealthy by suggesting higher rates for the rich would stifle growth (and arguing for even more tax cuts).

On NBC, Reps. John Boehner (R-OH) and Mike Pence (R-IN) had to work a little harder, but the basic theme was the same: the Republican leadership really doesn't want to talk about their deficit hypocrisy.  They are fiercely determined to save the rich from a fairly small bump in their tax rates.

In the end, all three men looked a bit childish. Daniels leaned on supply-side talking points. Boehner referred to basic accounting realities as a "Washington game." Pence took Sharron Angle's approach to tough questions — answering the made-up questions he wished David Gregory would ask, and waiting for the host to give up.

Boehner summed up the GOP's common-sense approach to economic policy by talking in a meaningless circle: "The only way we're gonna get our economy going again and solve our budget problems is to get the economy moving, get more people back to work where they can care for their own families, and begin to expand the tax rolls," he said. 

Watch (extended version HERE):

Apparently the Republican leadership believes they can win by ignoring tough questions and basic math.

Maybe they're also counting on voters to forget what happened the last time the GOP started taxing less, spending more and undermining industry watchdogs: