So Mitt Romney—who probably does not quite meet any Tea Partier’s expectations of a fiscal conservative—says he would vote No on the Obama-McConnell tax deal. That’s fine, because he is unable to vote on it either way.

Romney, in a weird way to appear like a fiscal hawk (he obviously hopes we forget his fairly liberal politics as governor of Massachusetts), is an outspoken critic of extending the existing tax cuts to the wealthy. Not good enough, he thinks, for we should wait until the next Congress…a Republican Congress…and instead come up with a much more solid plan.

Uh, no. What you should do is vote in favor of the current proposal to extend the cuts to all, because the President said he would sign it. And if he does, then you can draft up a comprehensive tax reform package with a little more breathing room.

And if the President opts to reject the improved package? Well, with the Czar’s plan, you still have extended tax cuts. With Romney’s plan, you’re SOL and the rich get socked with a huge bill.

So why not do both? Why not push through some money-saving extensions for January 1st, and then take the next year or two and put forth a real tax savings reform package? The President says he is up for it, allegedly, and there are some smart flat-tax ideas out there right now. Best of both worlds.

Because, of course, the real reason is Mitt Romney. He knows he is ever-so-slightly at the top of most people’s minds as a presidential candidate, and he also knows the Tea Party is sharpening their fiscal knives…and his track record there is pretty bad. So, like one of those rappers who tries to build his street cred by acting in a gangsta movie, Romney is suddenly advocating stricter fiscal solutions. Sorry. Not buying it.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.