Raising taxes

I do not intend to comment on ongoing political issues that basically accept the way things are now, but I cannot resist doing so in this instance. The Republicans complain loudly that the major issue at present is the deficit, and they intend to cut spending to deal with it. They threaten to slash discretionary spending, and decimate social programs such as education, public health, national parks, research, and what they call unnecessary regulation.

If it is indeed the case that the deficit is the major problem for this country, then Obama unilaterally should announce that he will veto any legislation intended to prevent the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, so that rates will automatically return to what they were under Clinton.

First of all, as President, Obama could get away with this move. It is unlikely that two thirds of both houses would be able to overcome such a veto. Second, Obama and his programs were repudiated in this election, so he owes nothing to the middle class. His goal has to be to do what is good for the entire country. The federal government needs the money to pay for its programs, even if the programs are slashed. If he cannot selectively fiddle with the expiration of the tax cuts, he can do so across the board, just as the Republicans talk about cutting spending across the board. He could argue that it is necessary for everyone to share in the suffering necessary to repair the country's credit. In the short term it may damage the recovery, but over the long term, it would prepare the way for a healthier economy. This may deny Obama a second term, but it is the sort of bold move that Obama needs to make to show that he is serious and able to act decisively. My guess is that the Republicans will find it difficult to argue convincingly against it, since doing so would only expose their hypocrisy. On the other hand, it may precipitate the kind of constitutional crisis that we need in this country.