I read The New York Times article on McCain's outlines for his economic policies this morning.

Cut corporate taxes. Eliminate the alternative minimum tax and double the value of exemptions for dependents.

Make permanent the Bush tax cuts.

Spending cuts, smaller government (100 year war in Iraq notwithstanding).

No mention of balancing the budget. Indeed, the cost of his tax cuts would be around the $200 billion a year mark, and if you include the tag for making the Bush cuts permanent, double that amount.

The offsets were in the blah, blah, blah categories (we've heard them before and they've been universally ignored): cutting earmarks, eliminating pork, freezing nonmilitary discretionary spending, eliminating tax loopholes, and (my personal sidesplitter) spurring economic growth. Can you say 'trickle-down' one more time?

I had flirted with the idea of McCain as president--his temperament, dementia, PTSD and all--but this speech of his buried any such notion.