If You Repeat the Lie Often Enough...

Not long after today's debt-ceiling bill passed congress, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said the following with regard to the prospect of increasing tax revenue. "The American people agreed with us on the nature of the problem. They know the government didn't accumulate $14.3 trillion in debt because it didn't tax enough." By all accounts, McConnell is a bright guy and may even be a decent one (his rhetoric makes it hard to tell). In this case, though, he's not just wrong - he's lying.

The "American" people do in fact support increasing tax revenue in tandem with spending cuts. According to a poll conducted by CNN, not only do the majority of Americans disapprove of the deb-ceiling deal, 60% of those polled disapprove of the fact that the agreement does not include tax increases. I can only presume that the very astute McConnell is acting in the hope that if he repeats the lie often enough Americans will believe it.

Assuming this is indeed his plan, I'll conclude that he's as cynical as he is smart. Correspondingly, I'll take the  notion of him being a decent guy off the table - the same way he takes much needed revenue for infrastructure and other needs that affect average Americans off the table. Heaven help us if he becomes Senate Majority Leader.