The House GOP majority(now lame duck) has their hands all over that.
Specifically they passed those delayed spending cuts then spent almost a year complaining about them as if they had nothing to do with it.
On the tax cuts. The last R lame duck congress minority (mainly the Senate Rs) got those extended getting O to give in (which is what he wanted then) and if this House lame duck gives in to Dems the question will be “Why didn’t they just do it in late 2010 so Obama would NOT have had it as an election issue and the Republicans would?”
If the Dim appeal has been and will be, "Raise taxpayers' taxes so we can give you tax eaters more Free Stuff", then all you can do is fight the bribe the best you can and GOTV among your own.
But that's not an argument for caving as the forehand option. Give up the principle, and you might as well go home; you're not doing anything, and everybody knows it.