Nice try, David

Here's David Leonhardt in the NY Times arguing that the payroll tax is now the largest tax paid by most Americans:

It funds Social Security and Medicare, and it has been rising in response to the aging of society and rising medical costs. It increased from 2 percent just after World War II to 6 percent in 1960 to 12.4 percent in 1990, where it is today. It has risen so much that it's now the largest tax that 62 percent of American households pay - larger than the income tax, which gets much more attention.

Yes, it's a flat tax paid equally by everybody in America and everybody is entitled to their promised benefits.  Well, that is, up until 2034 and then you're just going to have to make-do with 75% of what you thought you were going to get.   What's on your mind, David?

[The Republicans'] tax bill doesn't touch the payroll-tax rate - again, the single biggest tax that most households pay.

Yeah, right.  I'm absolutely positive that if Republicans cut the tax that funds Social Security and Medicare, the Democrats wouldn't run ads showing Paul Ryan throwing Grandma over a cliff.  Because they're fair-minded about these policy issues.