"We are going to make mistakes, " he says, "but we will make you feel special, and our job is to offset the inevitable mistakes with some great solutions and great service."

Of course, Republicans believe, or at least pretend to believe, that the direct job-destroying effects of their proposals would be more than offset by a rise in business confidence.

We will then need just enough growth in private and public spending to offset productivity growth and keep job growth in line with the supply of new workers.