Democrats talking the talk on tax cuts

Okay. If Harry Reid pulls this off, I'll take back every criticism I ever made about him being a hopelessly ineffective Senate leader.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has adopted a hardball strategy for dealing with Republicans on the expiring Bush-era tax cuts.

Reid will force a vote on extending tax cuts for families earning below $250,000 and individuals below $200,000 that would allow tax rates on the wealthy to expire. But it’s not clear whether that vote will be on a permanent or temporary extension because of a split in the Democratic caucus, a notable change since the election.

Yes, if you read the whole piece, it's typically wishy-washy and signals an all too possible "compromise" but he does seem to have a better plan than usual.

Reid will also give senators the option of voting for legislation sponsored by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (D-Ky.) that would extend all of the Bush tax cuts permanently. The bill would permanently extend current tax rates for the nation’s wealthiest families and eliminate the estate tax.

The strategy is designed to draw a sharp contrast between Democrats and Republicans on tax policy. The intent is to portray Democrats as protectors of the middle-class and Republicans as beholden to the wealthy.

Of course, they should have been doing this sort of thing for the last two years and maybe they wouldn't have been beaten up so badly at the ballot box, but power of postive visualization and all that, so I'm going to believe in it unless or until he disappoints me -- again.

As always, the talk in the House is much stronger.

Steny Hoyer, the number two in the House Dem leadership, told Democrats at a caucus meeting this morning that they would get to vote this year on just extending the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, a senior Dem aide tells me, signaling support for a confrontational move towards the GOP that liberals have been pushing.

Asked if Democrats would definitely get a chance to hold this vote, the senior aide responded: "Definitely."

No, I haven't forgotten all the tough talk during the height of the war protests when they told us what we wanted to hear and then caved like a bowl of melting Jello, but I'm an optimist at heart. Maybe they finally decided to listen to the hippies and stand up and fight. There's always hope.

Update: MikeR in comments brings up a very good point that's been largely missed: [W]ould it not be better to call the vote this way, as retaining the tax cuts on the first $200,000 of income for individuals and the first $250,000 for families. Everyone benefits even the top 2%. To not state that everyone retains some tax relief just plays into republican talking points.

[Big thanks to Don Davis sitting in for Mike at the C&L Roundup for the kind link.]