By Conn Carroll

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-Nev. released a
statement today responding to President Obamas call to raise taxes on all Americans making more than $250000 a year:
I agree with President Obama that we should extend tax cuts for all American families up to the first $250000 of income immediately. This will protect middle-class families and allow us to reduce our deficit in a responsible manner. Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree that protecting the middle class is the most important priority so Republicans should stop holding these middle-class tax cuts hostage to extract more reckless giveaways for millionaires and billionaires.
I will be discussing the next steps in the Senate with my caucus in the coming days. Republicans have claimed they want to reduce our deficit; in the weeks ahead they will have a chance to do so by joining Democrats to vote to extend tax cuts for all middle class American families on the first $250000 of their income.
Notice that Reid did not promise to bring Obamas tax hike to the Senate floor only to discuss" it with his caucus. No doubt Democrats facing elections in swing states
like Missouri and Florida are desperate to avoid voting for a tax hike.
Sen. Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. is also
on record that families making $250000 a year were firmly in the middle class."