It happens every time. An administration puts forward an economic package, and then suggests all the wonderful things it is going to do for the economy and for the public. Few costs. Few trade-offs. Win-win. Then opponents start picking apart the pieces. But then they play the same game. We can do the same or better but for less, they claim. Finally, the pundits line up on one side or the other, almost never admitting the logical inconsistencies of arguments on both sides.