Is Obama going to raise taxes on the middle class?

[bascule]

I watched quite a bit of cable news for the first time in ages yesterday (in the midst of traveling), and the top story was that two of Obama's top economic advisers (including Geithner) had "left the door open" for a middle class tax hike. This despite Obama's resounding and oft-repeated promise that he would not raise taxes on those households making less than $250,000/year.

 

The general conclusion was that Geithner was simply being realistic: in order to afford a public option in healthcare, taxes will need to be raised.

 

Perhaps this is why Obama is opposed to a single-payer healthcare system. It would undoubtably require a tax hike on middle-class Americans, however this would take the place of money going to private insurers. The net result would be effectively $0 change in take home pay (or even save money, according to Kucinich), but it would technically require a tax hike.

 

I watched the White House press conference, and was absolutely amazed by the reporters being frustrated that Obama's staff weren't all "on point". Perhaps they were used to the Republican approach of disseminating talking points memos and having everyone parroting the administration's lines. It was amazingly effective in controlling the media. The Democrats aren't doing that. Where there is not consensus different people are disseminating their own opinions. Personally I love this, but the media's reaction is quite the opposite. They just want a talking points memo regurgitated to them and having everyone on point. That's terrible, and what lead to mass manipulation of the media by the Bush Administration. Reporters just seem to suck.

[Pangloss]

It's routine political hay-making, and I agree with your assessment.