This doesn't seem like a
strategy to open Super Congress bargaining with, on the part of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), a Catfood Commission II member.
"Let me be very clear: Even in the Biden committee, none of us ever talked about raising tax rates, we are not there," the assistant minority leader said Monday on MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown." "We believe, however, that closing loopholes can get us to where we need to be."
The "everything but tax increases is on the table" strategy is the one the Republicans are pushing. It's not entirely helpful to have it come from the Democratic side, too. And it's a dreadful opening bid for the negotiations. Clyburn is working on the assumption that the Bush tax cuts will expire in 2012, and that combined with ending loopholes and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they'll find the new revenue they need. These are all good goals and should be done. But counting on them as givens might not be entirely realistic.