Why punting the vote on tax cuts is good politics.

[harun]

Think about the scenarios. The Republicans have vowed all or nothing on the income tax cuts. Meaning they want all the Bush income tax cuts renewed. So if the Republicans gain control of the House, a possible scenario, they would vote to extend all the income tax cuts. However, no way the Republicans gain 60+ votes in the Senate. They may get a majority there, albeit even that is unlikely. So say the Senate sits at 51 Dem's. The Senate will not take up the legislation and all the tax cuts will expire and blame the Republicans in the House. They will tell the House to pass a bill that extends tax cuts for the middle class and expires the upper earners. The Republicans won't do it, all the income tax cuts may expire.

Of course they can vote on things in the lame duck session after the elections but I don't think it would be much different. They would then pass in the House an extension on the middle class income tax cuts, then the Republican's in the Senate will keep the bill from coming to the floor (virtual filibuster), and hence all tax cuts would expire, and they would blame the Republicans. Check mate, the Senate Republicans would have to cave and let the bill come up for a vote otherwise it would be their fault THAT ALL of the income tax cuts would expire.

Whatcha think?

Of course the other scenario is the Dem's cave and extend all the cuts. Which I think they would likely do if forced to vote before the election. But if it was after the election and most of them have been voted out of office anyway, why would they care if they expired. It would be a big F U to the people who voted them out and the new Republicans coming in to office.