Thanks for nothing

Should the tea party, or the dems, or anyone else, be thanked for lower taxes due to the extension of the Bush-era tax rate cuts?

Well, no, because while rates were kept at current levels for now, spending was increased, which means that either future income taxes will be higher, or other taxes (e.g. inflation) will be higher or both. Cutting taxes in a meaningful sense, rather than just moving them around in time or in form, requires actually cutting spending. Let's get to it. Doing it sooner makes it easier to do it in thoughtful ways.