Lots of hoohah yesterday when Boehner said he'd vote for an extension of the Bush tax cut for only the middle class. Now, predictably, we are seeing the walk back.
As reported by the AP:
Senate Republicans will oppose any effort to renew soon-to-expire Bush administration tax cuts if upper income taxpayers are excluded from the reductions.
A spokesman for Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell says every Senate Republican has pledged to oppose President Barack Obama's tax-cutting plan.
It restores my faith in Republicans .... more over the fold
As I said yesterday:
Boehner knows what the Repubs in the Senate will do so it's easy for him to say he'd compromise. We'll see.
We now see.
I also said yesterday:
Boehner also knows this will take the heat and the media off the story and can stall until after the elections. We'll see.
And now from the NYT:
If Democrats prevail, it would be a major policy victory, allowing Mr. Obama to boast that he had fulfilled yet another signature campaign promise. The White House moved quickly to portray Mr. Boehner as caving in to pressure, including direct criticism by the president in a speech in the Republican leader’s home state, Ohio, last week.
But the victory could come at a political cost. Mr. Boehner’s move seemed to deprive Democrats of the argument that Republicans would hurt the middle class to help the rich. And he positioned his party to share credit for continuing the lower rates for most Americans, and still blame Democrats for raising taxes in a weak economy.
So the Republicans didn't really blink. They're just doing their usual thing and toying with Democrats.
As for the Democrats, Chris Van Hollen was still talking as of Saturday about a compromise where the tax cuts for the rich are extended for a year and those for the middle class are extended permanently.
Guess he didn't get the White House email .... or maybe he did. I still see it as a good bet Obama will cave on the extension, especially given how he's refused to threaten a veto. If given a choice between the Republicans or Obama rolling over, it seems always a good bet to gamble on Obama.