Legal Commentary

When "Tax Enthusiasts" Endorse The Bush/Obama Tax Cuts

By Big Tent Democrat

A few days ago, Matt Yglesias wrote:

I’m surprised so many liberals are being so stinty in their praise of the recent tax deal.

I explained why in this post. Today, Yglesias writes:

I’m a tax enthusiast, [. . .] you help the poor by raising taxes and handing money over to poor people[.]

Perhaps Yglesias is just a "tax enthusiast" in the abstract, because it is hard to square the claim that one is a tax enthusiast while at the same time strongly supporting the Bush/Obama tax cuts and the spending cuts in programs for the poor that this will almost certainly entail.

Then again, maybe Yglesias believes that the Bush/Obama tax cuts will expire in 2012 and not be extended further. I do not.

From Obama's perspective, the Bush/Obama tax cuts may be defensible, There is an argument that this helps his 2012 reelection chances. I do not agree but the argument is not unreasonable. (Remember that the most important policy consideration for any pol is what effect does a policy have on their reelection chances.)

But as a matter of policy, for a "tax enthusiast," the Bush/Obama tax cuts are indefensible.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 17, 2010 (boomark / email).