Political Perceptions: Obama Arrives, Bearing Tax Cuts

President-elect Obama has arrived in Washington carrying plans for a giant tax cut–$310 billion worth for “businesses and middle-class workers,” says Mike Allen of Politico. The revelation about the tax-cut portion of the Obama stimulus package, Allen writes, “is part of an intricately orchestrated rollout of the plan that includes an appearance by Obama on Capitol Hill on Monday and a major speech about the economy later in the week. Obama plans to ask Congress for a stimulus package of $675 billion to $775 billion, so the planned tax cuts will total about $270 billion to $310 billion.” The goal, Allen says, is “to get 80 or more votes in the 100-member Senate, and the emphasis on tax cuts is a way to defuse conservative criticism and enlist Republican support….Later in the week, probably Thursday, Obama plans to give a speech in the Washington area taking the case for his package directly to the public, emphasizing the urgency of the crisis and the fact that unemployment could slip over 10 ... (link)