TPM: White House Signals Intent To Cave To GOP On Bush Tax Cuts

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

I view the HuffPost as kind of a tabloid site but have much respect for Talking Points Memo.

What this business is all about is a plain reading of what Axlerod said in the HuffPost interview... quotes, words, meaning, etc.. The TPM reading of that interview is unexceptional. It is what it is.

It's not a surprise and not really the crime of the century, but let's not pretend that straightforward statements are open to infinite interpretation. The only dispute here is whether "cave" or "give in" are fair characterizations but the WH is open to *some* extension of the $250K+ cuts.

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White House Signals Intent To Cave To GOP On Bush Tax Cuts
Axelrod First Says Obama Will Accept GOP Plan On Tax Cuts For The Rich ... Then Says Their Position Hasn't Changed

Brian Beutler | November 11, 2010, 9:28AM

The White House signaled last night that it will cave to the GOP and temporarily extend all of the Bush tax cuts.

"We have to deal with the world as we find it," David Axelrod, President Obama's top political adviser, told Huffington Post last night.

Let's go back to the beginning. The Bush tax cuts will expire at the end of the year. GOP leaders want to extend all of them permanently, or at least for as long as possible. The White House's plan was to permanently extend the tax cuts for a family's first $250,000 of income ($200,000 for individuals), but to let taxes on income above that level revert to Clinton-era rates.


To bridge that impasse, the White House signaled a willingness to deal with the two income categories separately: permanently extend the tax rates for the middle-income brackets, and temporarily extend them for household income above $250,000 (or individual income over $200,000).

. . .

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/white-house-caves-to-gop-on-bush-tax-cuts.php?ref=fpblg

[DJ13]

1. How often does one side compromise before we acknowledge its a complete surrender?

[MissDeeds]

4. It's not compromise

if one side is doing all the compromising. It is, as you suggest, surrender.

[movonne]

2. Well is he or isn't he...I read one story he is and another he isn't..the

white house should be out there with the story...yes or no!!!!

[tigereye]

3. nope, see here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9536906


what a circular thought process the internet has... (not you, OP, just the whole shebang)

[jeff47]

5. You should probably read a little more carefully, and think about it

The WH keeps being very specific by saying they will not support a _permanent_ extension of the top 2% tax cuts. Many places are reporting that the WH's position is a 'temporary' two-year extension of the top 2% cut.

2 years gets us right to the 2012 election. And there's no way in hell the WH is going to be brave enough to let those tax cuts expire then. So they'll be made permanent then. Or they'll weasel another 2 year extension and keep 'temporarily' extending them until the end of time.

It really doesn't matter if the WH today dances around calling it a 'temporary' extension, if they'll just be permanent in the long run.

[Catherina]

6. Rec'd n/t