Are we the Dupes?

Republicans seeking additional budget cuts argue that the country "is broke" and simply can't afford such luxuries as assistance to those who need help paying their heating bills.

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne notes in his current column that the major problem with this analysis is that it is not true.

The contention that "we are broke," says Dionne, is smart politics and those promoting it deserve "full credit for diverting our attention with an arresting metaphor." But, he warns, "The rest of us are dupes if we fall for it.