Republicans' remarkable self-deception on tax cuts

Do Republicans actually believe what they say about taxes?

Mitch McConnell, with Paul Ryan.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In this polarized age, it's tempting to believe that those on the other side are stone-cold liars, not just wrong in their goals and unethical in their methods but utterly dishonest in everything they say. But most of the time, that just isn't true: Your opponents want what they say they want, pretty much for the reasons they cite.

Most of the time. But lately, I've been struggling with this question: Do Republicans actually believe the things they say about taxes?

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.