Taxes: Democrat Division Spreads Further

A Former Clinton Budget Director Adds Her Voice To The Growing Chorus Of Veteran Democrats Open To Extending ALL Rates

Alice Rivlin: ‘Postpone The Tax Increases’

“Rivlin, Domenici Urge Tax-Cut Extension, Then Overhaul: Two longtime leaders on federal budget issues suggested that current tax levels should be extended past 2012...” (“Rivlin, Domenici Urge Tax-Cut Extension, Then Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/19/12)

• ALICE RIVLIN, CLINTON BUDGET DIRECTOR: “Well, I think you have to postpone the tax increases…” (Confronting The Looming Fiscal Crisis, Senate Finance Committee Hearing, 6/19/12)

‘A Growing Number Of Senate Democrats … Are Not Prepared To Raise Taxes On Anyone’

“A growing number of Senate Democrats are signaling they are not prepared to raise taxes on anyone in the weak economy…” (“Senate Dems Balk At Ending Bush-Era Tax Rates On Wealthy Without A Deficit Deal,” The Hill, 6/19/12)

“…Democrats might defect and support a temporary extension of all the Bush-era rates…” (“Democrats Paralyzed On Tax Cuts,” The Hill, 6/8/12)

• “Democrats running for reelection, such as Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), have declined to endorse their leadership’s call for a tax increase…” (“Senate Dems Balk At Ending Bush-Era Tax Rates On Wealthy Without A Deficit Deal,” The Hill, 6/19/12)
• SEN. CLAIRE McCASKILL (D-MO): “If you want to do something in the spirit of compromise, you don’t start out by saying, ‘I refuse to do this’ or ‘I refuse to do that… I want to keep every option open...’” (“Democrats Paralyzed On Tax Cuts,” The Hill, 6/8/12)
• SEN. BILL NELSON (D-FL): “…declined to rule out support for an across-the-board extension of the rates. Said Nelson, ‘I can’t get into a hypothetical.’” (“Democrats Paralyzed On Tax Cuts,” The Hill, 6/8/12)
• SEN. MARK PRYOR (D-AR): “…who is up for reelection in 2014, said he is undecided about whether to support another temporary extension of the Bush tax rates for all income brackets.” (“Democrats Paralyzed On Tax Cuts,” The Hill, 6/8/12)
• SEN. JIM WEBB (D-VA): “We shouldn’t raise [rates] on ordinary income.” (“Senate Dems Balk At Ending Bush-Era Tax Rates On Wealthy Without A Deficit Deal,” The Hill, 6/19/12)
• SEN. BEN NELSON (D-NE): “My druthers is to extend the tax cuts for everybody…” (“Senate Dems Balk At Ending Bush-Era Tax Rates On Wealthy Without A Deficit Deal,” The Hill, 6/19/12)

Sen. Kent Conrad: ‘Going To Have To Be Done’

“Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a member of the Gang of Six, said in an interview that it ‘might make some sense’ to extend all the taxes in the short term if lawmakers need more time to fundamentally reform the current corporate and individual tax system. ‘But on a short-term basis … I think something like that is going to have to be done,’ he said of a temporary tax cut extension.” (“Secret Talks Under Way On Fiscal Cliff,” Politico, 6/6/12)

President Clinton: ‘Economy Already Is In A Recession’

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: “I think what it means is they will have to extend… have to put everything off until early next year. That's probably the best thing to do right now… I don't have any problem with extending all of it now.” (CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” 6/5/12)

• CLINTON: “What I think we need to do is to find some way to avoid the fiscal cliff, to avoid doing anything that would contract the economy now, and then deal with what's necessary in the long-term debt reduction plans as soon as they can…” (CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” 6/5/12)

Larry Summers: ‘Gotta Be The Top Priority’

MIKA BRZEZINSKI, MSNBC: “You heard Bill Clinton talking about the tax cuts, obviously we had some pretty terrible unemployment numbers come out late last week. What would you advise the President to do at this point?” LARRY SUMMERS: “Look, the real risk to this economy is on the side of slow down, certainly not on the side of overheating and that means we’ve got to make sure that we don’t take gasoline out of the tank at the end of this year. That’s gotta be the top priority.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 6/6/12)
Source: SRCC - The Leader Board

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