McCain the destroyer

Paul Krugman
NYT blog

One of George W. Bush’s lesser but still important talents is his uncanny ability to destroy peoples’ reputations: from John DiIulio to Michael Mukasey, well-regarded figures have entered the Bush administration’s doors, only to reemerge soiled and diminished.

Early signs indicate that John McCain may have the same talent.

There’s an extraordinary exchange on the web site of the Tax Policy Center blog between Len Burman and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the well-respected former CBO head now advising McCain.

Burman makes the point that McCain’s tax proposals are extremely expensive, and highly irresponsible unless McCain plans to more or less eviscerate government as we know it. Basically, McCain proposes to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, plus repeal the alternative minimum tax, plus sharply cut corporate taxes — with a total cost of 3.2 percent of GDP, which is equal to total domestic discretionary spending.

Holtz-Eakin’s reply involves, in part, claiming that the proposals are a “vision” rather than something to be specifically implemented. Oh-kay.

(Continued here.)