Reagan and Taxes

Bruce Bartlett has a great post reviewing the tax increase history for Ronald Reagan, including in California as governor:

 But it’s clear that getting control of the deficit in the 1980s required both spending cuts and higher revenues.

 

In the end, Reagan’s tax legacy fits neither the right-wing nor left-wing pigeonholes. Although he cut taxes when he could, he raised them when he had to. That’s something self-styled Reaganites today should remember. (emphasis mine)

This comes from somebody in Reagan's economic inner circle.  Today's Republicans are either too dumb, too greedy or too bought-off to realize this.  Anyone in favor of indefinitely extending the Bush tax cuts should be voted out of office for malpractice.  Obama should be ashamed for extending them for two years (especially on dividends and capital gains).  It is impossible to underestimate the intelligence of the electorate, and Republicans never have.  Unfortunately, some of the least intelligent members of said electorate are now members of Congress (see Bachmann, Michele).