Mitch McConnell says bring on a 'grand bargain,' but give us tax cuts

Sen. Mitch McConnell: Let's make a deal.
(Jim Young/Reuters) Beware Republicans offering gift horses. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he's ready to deal.

"We are prepared to do a grand bargain," McConnell told CBS News. "We have to have a willing president'you don't get these deals done without a president who is serious about getting an outcome."

The minority leader argued that the single biggest issue in Washington was the financial health of entitlement programs, warning that he viewed them as "unsustainable" in their current form. [...]

"I'm ready to sit down with this president or the next president and have the same discussion we had last year and reach a conclusion. I understand our friends on the other side live every day to raise taxes. I know that, I know that's important to them," McConnell said.

Yes, Democrats eat, dream, and breathe tax hikes, every single day. Because we just like the idea of taking people's money. Doesn't have anything to do with governing. I think that calls for our favorite graph explaining where the deficit comes from, courtesy of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Two wars and the Bush tax cuts got us this deficit, and we're not getting out of it without revenue.

And, of course, McConnell isn't really serious about the negotiating on taxes part: He says that the U.S. tax code is unfairly progressive and is "a mess," because it favors lower-income Americans. High earners, he says, must have a break. The poor, poor millionaires. Even Mitt Romney isn't arguing that one so explicity, saying, "I'm not looking for a tax cut for the very wealthiest. I'm looking to bring tax rates down for everyone."

That aside, should President Obama decide to take McConnell up on his very (cough) kind offer, and should Grover Norquist let go of the short hairs of House Republicans and actually let taxes be increased, you know what's going to happen. Romney and the Republicans will run against Obama and the Democrats cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The attack ads write themselves. Any deal coming from the likes of McConnell is certainly no deal at all.