Can Rand Paul Really Be This Dumb ?

I knew Rand Paul was far from the brightest bulb on the Republican tree, but I'm starting to think he's the bulb that's completely burned out. Just look at his latest proposal for congressional Republicans. He is encouraging them to let the tax cuts for the bottom 98% of Americans come up for a vote -- and then vote "present" (because a cut for the top 2% is not included), so that the bill passes with only Democratic support. He says voting "present" will show the American people that it's Republicans who are really the party in favor of tax cuts. He said:

“And then the Democrats are the party of higher taxes and we’re still the party of lower taxes. And we have elections over that and people decide which party they like best.”

Either he's a complete idiot, or he thinks that most Americans are idiots. Why would anyone think the Democrats are the party of higher taxes, when they would be the only ones voting to give almost all Americans a tax cut (or extend the current tax cut)? The Republicans would be viewed as the party who refused to vote for the tax cut because it didn't include cuts for the rich -- which would just further brand them as the party of the rich.

I really don't see how such a move could possibly help the Republicans in a future election. A significant majority of Americans have said they want taxes raised on the richest Americans in poll after poll. That's one of the issues that helped the president win the November election. However, I don't have a problem with Paul and his fellow Republican politicians continuing down this road defending the rich. It has cost them one election. Maybe it'll do damage in 2014 as well.