The evolution of Republican thought

It would be amusing -- if not so devastating -- to note the parallels in the way Republicans have chosen to address two of the more significant issues facing us during their long, painful reign as the single party in power.

Climate change: "It's a hoax" becomes "the science is still in dispute" becomes "Crazy Al Gore wants to do away with the internal combustion engine" becomes "let's study it for another 10 years" becomes "ok, it's real, but it would be too expensive to do anything about it so learn to live with it."

Massive budget deficits: "Fuzzy math!" becomes "lower taxes on the rich will generate more taxes, really" becomes "deficits don't matter; we won" becomes "the deficit is so huge that doing small things, like maintaining the Estate Tax for the wealthiest inheritors, won't really help."

The Republican mantra, after six long years of holding all three branches of the federal government and finding that governing is "hard, real hard," seems to be, "aw, fuck it."

UPDATE: Well, at least Fafnir and Giblets are back to help us understand this mode of thinking.