Demagogue

This quote can be placed in the same file as Grover Norquist's infamous 2001 statement about his desire to "drown [government] in the bathtub." From an article in yesterday's New York Times:

"Social Security is the soft underbelly of the welfare state," said Stephen Moore, the former president of Club for Growth, an antitax group. "If you can jab your spear through that, you can undermine the whole welfare state."

Ten years ago, we would have smiled, shaken our heads and said, "Those whacky conservatives."

Nowadays, one hears this kind of quote and the shock just isn't there.