[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

They raise taxes on the rich as a softener to raise taxes on ‘us’, the non-rich

They may or may not raise taxes and "fees" on the middle class. It certainly makes sense, from their evil point of view, to raise taxes on the rich first if they are indeed going to tax the little people, e. g. O'Malley. But in either case it serves their purposes to appear to be a "friend of the lower classes."

Obama, for example, seems to want to keep "payroll taxes" at their current low level (he will be out of office before the true effects become obvious), and if he can couple it with "tax the rich -- take it or leave it," he gives the GOP the dilemma of:

1) Voting against the extension of the lower "Payroll tax" rates and thereby giving him a weapon to use against them

2) Voting for a "tax on the rich," and thereby making them GHWB-style traitors

Neither will work if voters are smart, but.....

[DoughtyOne]

Every time they talk about raising taxes on the rich, people with income down to $30,000 are considered well off, according to the U.S. Congress and Senate.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”They may or may not raise taxes and “fees” on the middle class. It certainly makes sense, from their evil point of view, to raise taxes on the rich first if they are indeed going to tax the little people, e. g. O’Malley. But in either case it serves their purposes to appear to be a “friend of the lower classes.” ....Obama, for example, seems to want to keep “payroll taxes” at their current low level (he will be out of office before the true effects become obvious), and if he can couple it with “tax the rich — take it or leave it,” he gives the GOP the dilemma....”

Obama cannot afford to raise taxes on us before the election as O Malley did and got away with it. The political climate is different.

So yes he's got clueless Republicans in a bind over this FICA tax deal. If Republicans had a vocal articulate and sharp leader he/she could convince voters why Obama's FICA proposal is a scam. But no they just repeat over and over 'taxes are bad' and so Obama trapped them with that and the FICA tax cut scam. Pathetic!

Obama plans on raising our taxes and possibly cutting entitlements AFTER the election IF he gets re-elected. That way he can go out of office claiming he did deficit reduction. I suspect he will really veto tax cut extensions after the election. If he loses we will just be accused of promoting racism because Obama was a 'tax cutter'