Tom Cole Again Calls on GOP to Take Obama Tax Deal

     This suggests there could be considerable chink in the armor-Cole usually follows GOP marching orders-he's not known as a moderate or "maverick", normally he sticks with GOP orthodoxy.

      Yet here he goes again:

      "Late Wednesday morning, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) reiterated his call for Republicans to accept President Obama's offer to extend middle income tax cuts in the near-term, and then fight against tax hikes in a broader package."

      "In my view, we all agree that we're not going to raise taxes on people who make less than $250,000," he said on camera, as caught by MSNBC. "We should take them out of this discussion right now and continue to fight against any rate increase, continue to try to work honestly for a much bigger deal."

      http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/tom-cole-reiterates-call-for-gop-to-accept

      So he acknowledges that the tax cuts are Obama's leverage. Boehner says he doesn't agree with Cole.

       "House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) signaled no new willingness to bend on raising taxes for the rich Wednesday after one of his more respected GOP colleagues suggested the party should take President Barack Obama's offer to extend Bush-era tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans."

        "Rep. Tom Cole, a five-term Oklahoma Republican, told others in his party Tuesday that even though he does not want to let the top federal income tax rate rise back to the Clinton-era level of 39.6 percent, his party should take that deal for the time being. He stood by that assessment Wednesday, telling reporters the GOP would be wise to act on his idea "soon."

         "Asked if his proposal would pass the House if it came up for a vote, Cole replied, "My opinion is yes." He said "a lot" of his GOP colleagues agree with his approach. Still, he noted his influence only goes so far. "I'm not the chief whip. I'm just a deputy whip."

     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/john-boehner-fiscal-cliff_n_2204931.html

     Boehner however claims he won't budge:

      "I told Tom earlier in our conference meeting that I disagreed with him," the speaker told reporters Wednesday. "He's a wonderful friend of mine and a great supporter of mine, but raising taxes on the so-called top 2 percent -- half of those taxpayers are small-business owners that pay their taxes through their personal income tax filing every year. The goal here is to grow the economy and control spending. You're not going to grow the economy if you raise tax rates on the top two [percent]. It'll hurt small businesses; it'll hurt our economy."

      Still, it's notable that Cole has supporters on this: the question is how many? It's at least a chink in the armor-what if many follow him over Boehner's objections?

       Brian Beutler over at TalkingPointsMemo thinks this may be the writing on the wall and that taking Obama's deal may make tactical sense-Bill Kristol has also urged them to take it:

       "If you were enjoying your evening last night, you may have missed the day’s biggest development in the fight over the Bush tax cuts. Specifically, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), an influential conservative, is privately and publicly urging House Republicans to do what President Obama wants and extend all of the Bush tax cuts except for those benefiting top earners alone."

        "I’ve argued that the move makes tactical sense for Republicans, and that’s more or less what Cole’s telling his colleagues: The top income tax cuts are Obama’s leverage. Take them out of the equation and the mix of remaining leverage points (the sequester, appropriations, the debt limit) actually favors Republicans."

         "Maybe Cole’s argument will prevail, or maybe it won’t. But here’s an indication that it has appeal among Republicans: a couple of veteran GOP communicators — Ari Fleischer and Brad Dayspring — are already providing House Republicans free framing advice in the event they decide to go this route. Even if the tax cuts for top earners expire, they note, Bush tax rates for 98 percent of Americans will be made permanent. Huge victory for Bush and Republicanism."

         "That’s true as far as it goes. It’s also consolation — the Bush tax cuts for high earners constitute about 20 percent of the Bush tax cuts’ overall revenue cost. Hardly an unalloyed victory for the GOP."

         "So far these are the only two Republican flacks framing the issue this way. And it’s worth keeping in mind that both of them, in different capacities, worked for George W. Bush, whose legislative legacy is at stake. But Dayspring is best known as Eric Cantor’s former adviser and communications director, and currently advises Cantor’s SuperPAC — not exactly someone you’d expect to clear the runway for Obama’s tax plan, unless he knew Republicans were preparing for a (possible) emergency landing."

         http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/11/on_the_wall_the_writing.php?ref=fpblg

         There's some truth in this: why not see it as a victory to keep the tax cuts for all other income groups. Isn't that a kind of backhanded affirmation as no Democrats are actually calling to do away with them all. Yet, as Beutler points out that 2% of tax payers is also 20% of revenue lost. That the GOP has put up so much resistance to letting these tax cuts expire show  something about their attitude to income distribution.