How Can a Tax Bill So Bad That Every Democrat Voted Against It

Only Republicans Could Come Up With One

There is nothing more popular than cutting taxes. There is nothing politicians like more than being re-elected. There is nothing better for one's re-election chances than cutting taxes.

So how is it that every Democrat in the Congress, including Democrats in Republican states facing huge re-election risk voted against the tax bill? It must be that the bill is so terrible that there is no political risk to opposing it.

To do that the bill would have to cut corporate rates for companies that already have massive amounts of cash on hand. It would have to give most of the benefits to the wealthy and a huge benefit to the ultra wealthy. It would have to increase the complexity of the tax code and make it much more difficult for ordinary Americans to fill out their tax forms. It would have to let the tax cuts for individuals expire. It would have to be the product of lobbyists. It would have to have special provisions for pet projects of Republicans. It would have to have a Corker Kickback to get the vote of the one Republican who was opposed to it.

No tax bill could do all that, could it? Uh, yes.