Tax cuts are a core Republican mantra. Last night on Washington Weekly, Robert Novak said point blank that the only reason George the First lost his re-election was because he raised taxes.

What drives me to distraction, though, is the middle class folks who think that the modern Republican party gives a hoot about them. They beat their chests and blather on about prosperity, as if they will be the beneficiaries. As best I can determine, they have forsaken their own self interest in favor of an emotional jingoism.

The best summation I've run across recently comes from a piece by Cathy Davidson published Newsday, via Common Dreams:

That's why the politicians' "No More Taxes!" is such a crowd-pleaser. But, in terms of actual revenue, middle-class payroll taxes are almost beside the point.

The largest federal revenue stream comes from corporate taxes and taxes on America's top 5 percent. Those are exactly the taxes being whacked. They are at their lowest level since the end of World War II, and the share paid by the rich is narrowing.

These are the same folks who would spit in your eye if you offered them this deal: you and I will do the same amount of work, and I'll take 70% and you can have 30%. So why aren't they spitting at the Republican party? It doesn't make sense to me.

Why don't we try trickle up taxation for a while? Cut the marginal tax rates for the those people and businesses below the top 5%. As Ms. Davidson points out, the amount generated from middle-class payroll is inconsequential in aggregate, but the impact on the individual person or small business would be great.

Gee whiz, and maybe the top 5% will have to work for their piece of the pie, rather than wallow at the taxation pork trough.