While it'd be a whopper, a national sales tax seems unlikely (despite the pesky mathematical consequences of the government spending gazillions of dollars it doesn't have). Republicans hate it because it's an enormous new tax. And Democrats don't love it as lasciviously as they do other taxes because it's less "progressive" (i.e. it doesn't disproportionately soak the higher income brackets as elegantly as, say, a steeply graduated income tax or a supplemental hundred-thousandaires' tax).

Happily, there's a much simpler way to pay for Obama's newest trillion-dollar adventure: scrub it.

Once Considered Unthinkable, U.S. Sales Tax Gets Fresh Look -- Levy Viewed as Way to Reduce Deficits, Fund Health Reform

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052602909.html?wprss=rss_politics

As a replacement for income tax it might be a good idea, but in addition to income tax is it would be a nightmare for the economy and the country.