Will tax debate prompt GOP to drop role as protector of rich?
From the piece:
If Capitol Hill Republicans relent in their staunch opposition to raising taxes on the wealthy — as Sen.Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and others have suggested they should — some in the GOP will surely breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
The debate has once again put the GOP in the difficult position of defending the richest Americans, who, as a simple question of math, make up only a sliver of the nation’s voting public. Amid talk of cutting popular entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security, the risk is that Republicans will come off as callous to the needs and concerns of the middle class.
Some Republicans, including those close to House Speaker John Boehner, still feel confident it’s a fight the GOP can win. But for a party desperate to regain popularity after November’s setbacks, this first postelection stand is hazardous.
