Wow, how tone deaf can these Republican presidential candidates get?

We live in a time when two-thirds of Americans and over half of Republicans believe that rich people should pay more in taxes. This is also a time when we're having a unprecedented national conversation about our troubling wealth inequality.

And here you have the fabulously wealthy Willard admitting that he pays a lower federal income tax rate than many middle class people pay -- while dismissing the nearly $400,000 in speaking fees he rakes in as funny money. And now the fabulously wealthy Newt gleefully cheers him on.

Remember, right-wingers mocked Warren Buffett's claim that he pays less in taxes than his secretary. But it looks like Republicans are about to nominate a man worth hundreds of millions of dollars who admits he pays a lower rate than...Warren Buffett's secretary.

It's really quite something.