On the tax bill, it's really just plain insane behavior, there is no sense to it. The Koch Bros. et. al. has the GOP by the balls and delusionaly think they can save them in 2018 by causing delusion in the public if they spend enough money on it. This Politico article tells it like it is and is no lefty site,

Republicans plan mega marketing push to sell unpopular tax plan

'When [voters] start to see what happens to their paychecks,' said one conservative, 'they will change their minds.'

how much the Koch brothers are planning to do and spend to sell this with lies, not just with advertising or internet robots, but including "town halls": The article, though, even compares to the initial unhappiness with Obamacare in 2010 causing the flipping of Congress

The GOP faces a staggering challenge. Most polling shows about one-third of the country supports the tax plan. And while Republicans argue that voters will embrace the plan once they reap the benefits, Democrats made a similar argument about Obamacare in 2010, which was not borne out on the ground. The GOP is also short on effective messengers, with both President Donald Trump and GOP congressional leaders unpopular nationally.

What I predict is the only thing that will help is not trying to sell it, but distracting with some major culture wars issues. It is worse trauma than Obamacare because it affects everyone talking with their tax advisor for April filing, its in everyone's face then, especially the type of people who regularly vote in mid-term elections (i.e., people who don't file short forms, not your EIC Dem voters, people who take deductions.)

A good economy might help sell the lies. But then you still have Bannon out there stoking the working class thing, he's a wild card. Mueller is another one. The GOP is truly a mess. Most of them sold out to pass this monstrosity just so they could say they passed something major after being made to look like fools who had no health care plan. (Mc Connell hoping everyone forgets that, but unfortunately they got rid of the mandate and not everyone agrees that letting Obamacare markets collapse is the way to go, and then there's the SChip problem looming.)

Many GOP reps probably real scared I'd say. If not having an absolutely safe seat, they will cynically go with any culture wars issues that help them, stoke those. But again, Trump is a wild card, he will never follow anyone else's lying talking points, thinks he can do better.And he's still got some fans, Bannon for one, likes throwing mud in eyes of establishment GOP, is thinking long term, probably like to see them lose Congress so he can more easily fight the Dems.

They really did sell their soul letting lobbyists write this one not according to espoused principles but just letting  big donors do whatever they wanted, just so they could have a big passed bill instead of looking like gridlocked within, which they actually are.