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We have a shiny new offer on the table from the supercommittee Republicans:

Under the proposal, Republicans would agree to limit certain itemized tax deductions in return for a permanent reduction in marginal tax rates. This would not just extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, but reduce the rates that apply to each additional dollar of a taxpayer’s income.

In other words, its net effect would be to lower tax rates on the rich and, almost certainly, reduce revenue and make the deficit worse. In return for this, Democrats would get — what? Bigger spending cuts to make up for handing over more money to the rich?

It’s easy to be snarky about this, but seriously: what’s the deal here? Republicans can’t possibly think this would be a more attractive deal than simply doing nothing, can they? So what is this? Evidence of a Michael Corleone-style of negotiation? Plain ignorance of what their own plan would mean? Open contempt for Democrats? A rational belief that Democrats are terrible negotiators and might buy their plan out of desperation?

What’s going on here?

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No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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