White House Pushes Back on Tax Cuts for Wealthy

[cal04]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/white-house-pushes-back-on-tax-cuts-for-wealthy/

While President Obama again signaled interest in finding common ground with Republicans in the wake of their electoral triumph, the White House on Thursday drew a firmer line against making permanent Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

(snip)
In his news conference on Wednesday, after Republicans took the House and gained seats in the Senate, Mr. Obama stuck to his argument that it was important to extend the tax cuts for the middle class while expressing flexibility by saying he was “absolutely” willing to negotiate on the matter. In brief comments to reporters on Thursday morning, he repeated that he wanted to extend middle-class tax provisions without mentioning the upper-income breaks.

But at his afternoon briefing, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, made clear that the one thing Mr. Obama will not negotiate about is a permanent extension of the high-income tax cuts. “The president does not believe, and I think would not accept, permanently extending the upper-end tax cuts,” he said.

That leaves open, though, the possibility of a temporary extension. Democrats would like to “decouple” the tax cuts for the richest Americans from those for the rest of the country so that if they are extended again, the expirations do not come up at the same time. That will make any future debate about tax cuts for the rich cleaner from the Democratic point of view.

[eleny]

1. Good luck with decoupling those tax cuts

The Republican agenda depends on the middle class and high income tax cuts being married so they can fight this fight again in 2 years.

[emulatorloo]

2. Self-Delete - too tired to comprehend or make sense n/t

[flamingdem]

3. NOTE: the media riled ya'll up with this crap it never was extended cuts for the fat cats nt

[emulatorloo]

5. "Signal" - what a word to burst into flames over.

LOL

[SunsetDreams]

8. LOL no kidding

[emulatorloo]

10. I bet you there will be at least 10 more "Obama Signals" threads tonight.

[emulatorloo]

4. "any future debate about tax cuts for the rich cleaner" Now that is a pretty damn good idea.

Republicans are way too good at pretending raising taxes on the rich = raising everybody's taxes

[flamingdem]

6. In a nutshell Obama will work to save the economy Repukes will trash to win in 2012 nt

[Qutzupalotl]

7. Considering the size of our obligations and deficit,

it might be better if all the Bush tax cuts expired, which will happen if no agreement is reached. We did all right under Clinton.

Not good politics, I know. But probably necessary.

[DrDan]

9. "permanant" is the key word - I expect to see an extension all all cuts

[w4rma]

11. Maybe he will fight? (nt)