Congressional Dems Move to Obama’s Left

The Hill
reports that congressional Democrats, feeling burned after making
repeated concessions to Republicans over extending the Bush tax cuts and
raising the debt ceiling without new revenues, are determined to play
hardball in the next fight: approval of the supercommittee’s deficit
reduction proposal, to be released later this month.

“Leaders have
demanded that Republicans on the supercommittee agree to substantial tax
increases and are refusing to back down. At the same time, they are
pounding Republicans on the issue of jobs. Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D-Nev.) has forced Republicans to vote several times on jobs
legislation — including funding for teachers, first responders and
infrastructure — paid for by slightly increasing the tax rate on income
over $1 million… The argument is this: Republicans have much less
leverage now than earlier.”