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Magazine / Political Connections  A Lost Opportunity  The GOP’s
curious allegiance to tax cuts is clouding its judgment about
enacting entitlement reform.  Far apart: Democrats and
Republicans.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)  Maybe President Obama
never would, or could, have delivered enough congressional
Democrats to pass a “grand bargain” to tame the long-term
deficit. But as the prospects for a big deal dwindle, a
combination of ideological rigidity and political hubris is
preventing Republicans from putting him to that test.  The
ideological excess concerns taxes. House Speaker John Boehner
this week insisted, “The American people understand that tax
hikes de