Obama Upsets Democrats on Taxes

Not all Democrats are willing to compromise with Republicans over the issue of extending Bush-era tax cuts for everyone. Liberals want President Barack Obama to stick with his initial stance of supporting extending the cuts only for those with annual income of less than $200,000, Politico reports.

“The White House needs to stand firm and say we’re not giving tax breaks to billionaires in this country,” says Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “Every day we hear a little differently.”

Obama has indicated a willingness to opt for at least a temporary continuation of the tax cuts for everyone. “We are confident that Congress will act so that taxes for middle-class families will not go up at the end of the year,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday.

Some Democrats just want clarity. “Give us the playbook – or even an inkling of what you want to do and how you want to do it,” says one congressional Democrat involved with tax policy.