What we know for sure is that the GOP tax plan is a gigantic scam. What we don't know -- and Republicans themselves don't really know -- is exactly what kind of scam it is. Are the suckers here the middle class, the deficit hawks, or both? 1/
The plan, as many note, is to combine corporate tax cuts with higher taxes on many, perhaps most people, but to hide the effects of those tax hikes with a bunch of temporary tax breaks. Because the tax breaks expire, the bill supposedly doesn't raise long-run deficits 2/
This supposed deficit neutrality is crucial because of the Byrd rule: Rs need to be able to pass with a party-line vote, and they can only do that, bypassing filibuster, if it doesn't raise deficits after 10 years. 3/
At the same time, however, they're telling middle-class voters not to worry, because future Congresses will step in to make those tax breaks permanent. If this is true, the tax plan is a much bigger budget-buster than they admit 4/
