“There is zero tolerance among progressives for Democrats caving on an issue where 98 percent

[playstation]

“There is zero tolerance among progressives for Democrats caving on an issue where 98 percent of the American people would be on their side,” Green added.

...

But that debate over temporary vs. permanent tax rates is hardly what many Democrats had in mind, and seems less likely to have a visceral punch, especially when the White House has shown it’s willing to live with a temporary across-the-board extension for some time.

Even that deal, however, would run counter to one of Obama’s longest-standing and most repeated promises from the 2008 campaign — that he would end the tax cuts for wealthier individuals.

...

To progressives, and even some moderate Democrats in Congress, a temporary extension across-the-board would be a defeat. Renewing all of the tax cuts in tandem — without trying to separate the middle-class breaks — means that Congress would debate the issue again, likely in 2012, thrusting it into the presidential race when the stakes are higher.

“That would represent a complete cave,” said a senior Senate Democratic aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about party strategy. “It has been a cardinal truism among Democrats for 10 years that this policy was folly. That is a narrative we told for years and all of sudden we’re going to go back on that and punt on this? That would be dispiriting.”

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3C6096FD-0978-7360-6591B987421B0653

“We have to deal with the world as we find it,” Axelrod

[tridim]

1. Politco (R-Internet) does it again.

[playstation]

4. Obama Caved on the Bush Tax Cuts Last Week, Not Yesterday

For a long time, President Obama (or Candidate Obama) wanted to let the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts for the wealthy (a.k.a. families making over $250,000 a year and individuals making over $200,000 a year) die a natural death, while extending them permanently for those making less. But in his post-election press conference, 60 Minutes interview, and weekly YouTube address that nobody watches last week, Obama signaled a willingness to compromise with Republicans by extending the rich-people tax cuts at least temporarily. And Robert Gibbs even went so far as to suggest last week that they'd be open to extending all the tax cuts on a one- or two-year basis, including those for people making less than $250,000.

That's pretty close to an optimal position for the GOP — they didn't want to "decouple" the taxes, because then they'd have to vote on extending "rich-people tax cuts" by themselves at some point — so if you consider such a compromise "caving," then that's when the caving happened, not — despite the reaction of the Internet today — in David Axelrod's interview with the Huffington Post last night, in which he seemed to merely reiterate the same position...

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/did_obama_cave_on_the_bush_tax.html

[TwilightGardener]

2. I think the administration and Congressional Dems feel that if they

force a showdown and all tax cuts expire, they will be blamed, and then GOPers will refuse to reinstate any tax cuts for the middle class--and Dems will be blamed again. Similar to the Iraq-defunding threat--Republicans have no problem cutting throats and then blaming Democrats for the bloodshed. I think they're afraid that if they let this go too far, Obama and Dems will be forever branded tax-raisers (which has already been done, to some extent). Democrats in this day and age must never raise taxes across the board, same as they must never demonstrate "weakness" in security and military matters. Obama and Co. need to marshal their resources and control the message--this has been their biggest weakness to date.

[gkhouston]

3. Dems -- you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, so DO THE RIGHT THING.

If you extend the tax cuts, you will be justly excoriated by many for worsening the deficit. If you don't the Republicans will accuse you of raising taxes. If you're too damned wimpy to stand up for yourselves, why the hell should we? 86 the tax cuts for the rich, and for all I care, for the rest of us, too.

For Christ's sake, instead of seeing this as a trap, see it as a gift. When either choice stinks, there's no compelling reason not to do the right thing.

[subterranean]

5. Most Americans already think Obama raised their taxes anyway.

Even if all the Bush tax cuts are extended, the right-wing media will convince at least half of the country that Democrats raised their taxes.