Republicans drove this country to the brink of default, causing a downgrade of our S&P credit rating, because they refused to consider revenue increases as part of a deal with Democrats. However, they don’t like the way S&P singled them out, and the like even less they way polls reflect that voters hold them responsible for it. So to distance themselves from that culpability, Paul Ryan (R-WI) has claimed that Republicans are now willing to consider revenue increases. Does this mean that Republicans might actually consider asking the rich to pay a penny more? Reading between the lines of Ryan’s statement, it seems clear to me that the only thing that has changed is rhetoric.

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said he is open to revenue increases as part of a deal to reduce the deficit today, seemingly shifting positions from the hardline opposition his party has maintained against revenue growth. Ryan said on Fox News Sunday that he would be open to a deal that containes [sic] $3 or $4 in spending cuts for every $1 in revenue increases if it came through a major reform of the tax code and was large enough. Host Chris Wallace asked if Ryan would be open such hypothetical deal if he were sitting on the joint super committee created by the deal to raise the debt ceiling. Ryan responded, “yes”… …Watch it: This willingness to consider revenue increases appears to be a significant shift in position for Ryan and the GOP, who have previously insisted that any tax reform be “revenue neutral,” i.e. offset every dollar in revenue increases with cuts to tax rates, ensuring no extra money flows into the Treasury.

Inserted from <Think Progress>

Here’s what gives him away. When Republicans talk about a major reform of the tax code, they mean raising taxes on the poor and middle classes, while lowering taxes on millionaires, billionaires and corporate criminals. Also, when Ryan said “convincingly restructuring these entitlement programs” he means exactly what his budget already proposed to do: privatize Social Security, replace the care Medicare offers with a coupon, and turn Medicaid into a voucher program where Republican governors can divert the money.