More GOPers For Tax Hikes on the Rich

      Of course we previously saw Rep. Tom Cole and Senator Tom Coburn. On Sunday the big news was that Bob Corker admitted it was time to let rates go up-Coburn had actually said he'd prefer to raise rates than loopholes-his reasoning is that this would leave more room for tax reform later.

      "GOP Senator says it’s time to cave on taxes: The key moment from the Sunday Shows: On Fox, Senator Bob Corker admitted that Republicans “don’t have a lot of cards” to play on taxes, and urged fellow Republicans to agree to raising tax rates on the top two percent, because that will enable them to “shift the focus where it needs to be, which is on entitlements.”

        Another House Republican suggests GOP may give in: This is a key quote, from GOP Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio, a top ally of Boehner:

       “I’m willing to stand up against the tax rates unless there’s something on the entitlement side.”
      
       "That’s a backdoor way of saying that if Republicans are given entitlements cuts, they will allow the tax rates to go up. It seems all but certain that Republicans will insist on something that targets Medicare beneficiaries in order to declare victory."

         http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2012/12/10/the-morning-plum-national-dems-not-giving-up-on-michigan-right-to-work-fight/

         All of this jibes with Greg Sargent's idea that Boehner has to let rates rise and knows he does but is waiting for an appropriate drumbeat from his own GOP members to finally allow it.

         "Expect more of this. As I’ve been saying, one likely endgame is for more and more Republicans to come out and say it’s time to acquiesce — as Corker has — allowing Boehner to ultimately give in while telling conservatives he fought the good fight for as long as possible and only gave in when he had no other choice."

          All it would take is a vote as more GOPers have said they think the Senate bill-which renews only the middle class tax cuts would pass the House now. Eventually then you expect Boehner will allow a vote in some way or another. It may be a "nuclear option" where the Democrats vote for it and the GOP members simply say Present rather than vote yeah or nay.

         We have GOPers coming out for tax hikes for the rich all over the place-even ex-Governors are getting into the act. Now even Haley Barbour is going there.

         http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/11/haley-barbour-taxes_n_2276722.html