The GOP Should Stand Firm Against New Taxes

President Obama came out today spouting the usual Democratic demagoguery about the debt ceiling and calling for Republicans to agree to new taxes. In return he made vague promises.

he is willing to cut spending on a range of programs by more than $1 trillion, to trim the defense budget and to look for ways to control entitlement costs.

Every member of the GOP should know by now what Obama's promises are worth. Any Republican paying even the slightest bit of attention should also be aware that Democrats don't want to make even the most minor cuts -- except to defense of course. If Republicans were stupid enough to go along with the president, new revenue would just provide Democrats with even more reason to resist making substantial spending cuts. The GOP should continue to block new taxes of any kind until the president and Democrats in Congress sign off on significant cuts to government spending -- real ones, not empty promises. Once government spending starts falling, then there will be time to talk about ways to increase revenue. Voters in 2010 didn't elect Republicans to help Obama pass new tax hikes.