Playing Hardball

This is good news:

President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year...

Mr. Obama’s opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension. Democrats say only the president can rally wavering lawmakers who, amid the party’s weakened poll numbers, feel increasingly vulnerable to Republican attacks if they let the top rates lapse at the end of this year as scheduled.

Of course, we now have to wait and see if Congressional Democrats will find their spine.

Ultimately, this will get spun against Obama as a tax increase if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire for the top 2% of income earners, or if it doesn't come to pass and the cowards actually do extend them, by 2012 everyone will have forgotten and the GOP will call it the Obama tax cuts further adding to the deficit.

But it's nice to see the President playing hardball and calling out the GOP for what it is the last couple of days.