How Republicans are ambushing America with their tax bill

The Republican tax bill is a nightmare — which is why they're working so hard to keep the public from understanding it

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
(Image credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

A political consultant once told me that if you're running for office, it's best to avoid putting out position papers. Why? Because people are just going to read them and find things they don't like. Who needs the trouble?

A similar principle seems to guide Republicans as they hurtle toward passage of an absolutely mammoth tax bill, one with consequences for just about every American. If you let folks know what's actually in it, before you know it, they'll realize it's something they don't want at all. On Friday, the Senate will likely pass its version of the bill. There may never have been a piece of legislation this consequential that was this hidden from the public.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.