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| -Election 2012 |
| WH and Clinton spar over Bush era tax cuts |
| 2012-06-06 |
| President Barack Obama will not extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, even temporarily, past their January 1 expiration, the White House said Wednesday as it coped with the fall-out from comments by Bill Clinton. What is "wealthy" now in the WH's terms....those who make minimum wage? "We should not extend -- and he will not extend -- the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of the American people. It's bad policy, it's bad for the economy, it's bad for our fiscal picture," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One. When asked about himself riding aboard AF1 more than any other Prez, Mr. Carney replied, "Let them eat cake!" Asked whether that applied to a short-term extension, Carney did not hide his irritation: "He will not -- could I be more clear? -- he will not support extension of the upper-income Bush tax cuts." Then a bell rang aboard AF1 marking Round 2 of the Class Warfare sparring match between the WH and all those who work for a living. Carney's forceful declaration came after delighted Republicans seized on Clinton's remarks in an interview with CNBC in which he seemed to suggest that the Bush tax cuts, set to expire at the end of this year, be temporarily extended, which would be a sharp break from Obama. "They will probably have to put everything off until early next year," he told CNBC. "That's probably the best thing to do right now. But the Republicans don't want to do that unless he agrees to extend the tax cuts permanently, including for upper income people, and I don't think the president should do that." |
| Posted by:BA |