海角大神

Republicans are desperate. They can鈥檛 attack Obama on jobs because the jobs picture is improving.

Their attack on the Administration鈥檚 rule requiring insurers to cover contraception has backfired, raising hackles even among many Republican women.

Their attack on Obama for raising gas prices has elicited scorn from economists of all persuasions who know oil prices are set in global markets and that demand in the United States has actually fallen.

Their presidential ambitions are being trampled in a furious fraternal war among Republican candidates.

Their Tea Party wing wants to reopen the budget deal forged with Democrats after Republicans got bloodied by threatening to block an increase in the debt limit.

So what are Republicans to do now? What they always do when they have nothing else to say.

Call for a tax cut, of course.

It doesn鈥檛 matter that their new 鈥渢ax reform鈥� plan (leaked to the Wall Street Journal late Monday, to be released Tuesday morning) has as much chance of being enacted as Herman Cain has of being elected president.

It doesn鈥檛 matter than the plan doesn鈥檛 detail how they plan to pay for the tax cuts. Or whether an even bigger whack would have to be taken out of Medicare than Paul Ryan鈥檚 original voucher plan 鈥� which would drowned many elderly under rising medical costs.

It doesn鈥檛 even matter that the plan would probably raise taxes on many lower-income Americans,

All that matters is the headlines.

鈥�House Republican Budget to Propose Lower Income Tax Rates,鈥� says Bloomberg Businessweek. 鈥淩epublican Budget Plan Seeks to Play Up Tax Reform,鈥� says Reuters. 鈥淕OP鈥檚 Budget Targets Taxes,鈥� blares the Wall Street Journal.

Presto. Republicans have gotten what they wanted on the basis of saying absolutely nothing.