It's the money, stupid !!

Frankly, it is really a no-brainer, no-argument matter: Republicans demand tax cuts for the wealthy, despite all evidence that it does not work as a means of creating jobs or helping the economy.

And now there is a poll that shows it's not what the majority of the American people want, either. According to a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll released yesterday, 61% would choose to increase taxes on the wealthy as a means of dealing with the deficit. Another 20% would choose cutting defense spending as the top priority. Both of these (combined 81%) are the opposite of what the Republicans are pushing.

So why do they keep trying to sell an unpopular policy that has been proven not to work?

Two explanations:

#1. It's the money. The wealthy and big businesses give politicians lots and lots of money to vote against higher taxes for the wealthy -- and against cutting defense spending.

#2. It's part of the Republican scheme to shrink the government. But this argument doesn't seem as explanatory -- because many of those same Republicans have been profligate spenders, as long as the spending serves special interests of the wealthy and the friends of the GOP.

No, I think the bottom line is: it's the money, stupid !!

And, thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision, that will only get worse.

Ralph