DEEP THOUGHT REGARDING DEMOCRATIC TAX-CUT MISMANAGEMENT

Jamelle Bouie of Tapped:

Democrats have never been known for their strategic sense, but I'm honestly surprised at how poorly they've managed the fight over the Bush tax cuts. This should have been a very easy win; it doesn't take much to disparage tax cuts for the wealthy -- which aren't actually popular -- while proposing new, "Obama tax cuts" for the middle-class.

I'm not sure what's meant here by "new 'Obama tax cuts'" -- I think it just means the Bush tax cuts for the middle class passed anew by Democrats.

But it gets me wondering: since Republicans seem, by fiat, to have taken the budget-busting nature of the whole Bush package off the table as a subject of discussion, why didn't some Democrat propose a "new Obama tax cut" that was the size and cost of the entire Bush package, but given entirely to the middle class?

Could Republicans criticize that as fiscally irresponsible? By definition it's exactly as irresponsible as the Bush package.

And yes, it actually would have been fiscally irresponsible -- but no more fiscally irresponsible than renewing the Bush cuts, which is precisely what Democrats are going to agree to anyway. And it would have been a hell of a lot more appealing to the public at large.

Maybe it's not too late. Members of Congress, the idea is yours for the taking. Run with it.