On Starving the Government

In other words, the GOP has to starve the government to stay in power. (Which is the opposite of FDR aide Harry Hopkin's mantra, "tax tax tax, spend spend spend, elect elect elect." ) It's far easier to cut taxes than to cut government programs. So the GOP will try to cut taxes every year that George Bush is president, without cutting many programs whole hog. The debt will pile up, of course, and eventually, it'll bankrupt the government, especially the two most popular entitlement programs, Social Security and Medicare. Since conservatives hate those programs, they don't mind, especially if it precipitates them being privatized. And they probably won't be held responsible by voters for the country's fiscal disaster, because Democrats will be trying constantly to restore federal spending -- so it'll look like it's at least partially their fault.

TAPPED nicely sums up the Republican strategy behind the tax cuts.