Take away my TU status kos, otherwise I'm likely to start giving out donuts every time I see one of us referring to extending 'the Bush tax cuts.'
The Bush tax cuts are expiring. Then the Bush tax hikes kick in. The sunset provisions for the old Bush tax cuts were included to get around budgetary rules and to garner political support. Had the Republicans wanted to, they could have tried to pass permanent tax cuts. They chose instead to impose what would be effectively a tax hike at a later date.
Since the Republicans have had their, 'come to Jesus' moment on the deficit, it is up to them to choose: the Bush tax hikes or ballooning deficits. To get support from the Democrats for any change to the already baked-in Bush tax hikes, any future relief from the Bush tax hikes ought to be called the Obama tax cuts.