Republicans driving the deal to preserve Bush tax cuts don't believe or expect the tax cuts to create jobs or stimulate the economy.
Democrats and progressives need to confront the sad but true fact that the Republican objective in cutting taxes has nothing to do with creating jobs, stimulating the economy or any other publicly stated rationale. The Republicans driving the tax cut deal and their handlers in the corporate boardrooms and country club bars do not want or expect that tax cuts for rich or any one else will benefit the economy. The Republican objective is to "starve the beast", that is, to deprive our government of the funds it needs to operate and thereby finally achieve their ultimate objective: destruction of social safety nets relied upon by the middle and working classes - medicare, medicaid, social security etc. The Republican's constituency, the world's largest and most powerful corporations and the increasingly rich but decreasingly numerous ultra-wealthy individuals at the top of the wealth pyramid will survive and thrive, come what may. The rest of us will suffer and likely do so without complaint if we are lucky enough to get a job that lets us feed our families. Don't buy the Republican bullshit that cutting taxes in the current economic environment will create jobs and benefit the economy - the Republicans themselves don't believe it.