The weirdest thing about this is the utter lack of a long-term strategy. Hitting democratic areas and constituencies with higher taxes doesn't kill of democratic voters. If anything, giving them the shaft is going to energize them to go to the polls to oppose the Republican agenda. Republicans already have a shrinking voter base because the percentage of white voters is steadily shrinking and young people increasingly don't identify as Republicans.
Payback for not voting Republican is one thing, but how can they not think this will ultimately hurt them? And if they lose a bunch of elections, all of their tax code victories could be on the line. In drafting the tax bill, they are obsessed with avoiding President Bush's mistake by having the tax changes sunset. But if you work this hard to screw segments of the population which will motivate them to vote your people out of office with a mandate to repeal the bill, the changes to the law might have a shorter life span than it would with a ten year sunset clause.
Payback for not voting Republican is one thing, but how can they not think this will ultimately hurt them? And if they lose a bunch of elections, all of their tax code victories could be on the line. In drafting the tax bill, they are obsessed with avoiding President Bush's mistake by having the tax changes sunset. But if you work this hard to screw segments of the population which will motivate them to vote your people out of office with a mandate to repeal the bill, the changes to the law might have a shorter life span than it would with a ten year sunset clause.
