Obama to Democrats: Let the Bush Tax Cuts Expire

President Obama intends to take a clear stand against extending the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% of earners in a speech today, sending a message to Congressional Democrats who are leaning toward a compromise with Republicans. Obama won’t actually threaten to veto a bill that extends the tax cuts fully, administration officials tell the Washington Post, but he won’t mince words, either.

“President Obama will make a strong case for permanently extending tax cuts for the middle class,” said a White House spokesman. “But the president will make clear that he opposes the Republican plan to extend tax cuts for the top 2%, which would add $700 billion to the deficits over the next decade.” (More Barack Obama stories.)