Republicans: "Weren't you listening? We said it's only DEMOCRATIC spending that increases the deficit!" (Publicus Proventus.)

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GOPers aren't only hypocritical when it comes to voting down spending bills because they don't spend enough. No, to really be completely out-of-touch with their so-called principals, the Republicans have to yell deficit deficit deficit for months, then vote not to increase taxes on the wealthiest 3% of Americans -- even though that means the deficit will at the least not shrink, and will likely grow more.

John Kyl summarized Republicans' lack of basic budgeting skills, which, combined with a near-certainty that the American public is stupid, form the two basic planks the GOP fall election platform. Kyl argued that "most economists do not believe that you can even begin to tax your way into a balanced budget, when you increase the deficit by that much and thus increase the debt by that much."

I dare John Kyl to produce a single economist who believes that -- and to prove that Kyl talked to or read something by that economist before speaking. But even assuming Kyl wasn't lying through his teeth when he made that claim, remember that Republican Jim Bunning, with the de facto blessing of the Republicans, blocked unemployment benefits in part because he wanted to make sure that paying them didn't increase the deficit.

Oh, and also in part because he didn't want to miss a basketball game in order to vote on the bill. That's totally true, and it's (part of) why Bunning's such an jerk.