As you know, the republicans are holding middle class tax cuts hostage so they can get tax cuts for the wealthy extended indefinately. Because heaven forbid the people who have the most should be asked to help pay for the massive deficit that republicans are so concerned about.
I say, screw it and let all the tax cuts expire.
My reasoning below the fold.
The Bush tax cuts expire in January of 2011. It won't affect the 2010 taxes that everyone's going to be scrambling to pay come April. That gives us plenty of time to introduce NEW permanent tax cuts for the middle class before they have to pay them. And if republicans want to hem and haw on national television about how horrible tax cuts are, and how Obama isn't bipartisany enough, I say let them. Let THEM be the ones to obstruct tax cuts for the middle class. Let THEM be the ones to tell the voters "none for you".
Democrats can roll out a beautiful set of tax cuts and even pad it with a bit of goodies designed to be taken away in the spirit of "compromise". But do not back down and make it crystal clear who exactly is fighting for the middle class and who's willing to watch them burn.
I don't hold out any hope this will happen. My hope that the democratic party is even willing to fight for the middle class is waning by the day. But I think this would turn the tables and give democrats leverage rather than republicans.