Mitchell crosses party line on tax plan. Again.

Link: Mitchell votes against House tax relief package.

Harry Mitchell has just proven himself to be conclusively uninterested in middle class tax relief. He justified his support for making permanent Bush’s massive estate and capital gains tax giveaways to the wealthy by pointing out that some crumbs may fall into middle-class citizens’ pockets. Now he has voted against those same middle-class citizens being protected from the Alternative Minimum Tax, because the package is paid for with a rate hike from 15% to 35% on the massive profits of hedge fund managers.

It is clear that the well-being of the middle class is really the last thing on Harry’s mind. The only reason Harry is supporting permanent cuts in estate and capital gains, and voting to keep the taxes on the billions that hedge fund managers are raking in at an unconscionably low 15% tax rate, is that Harry is sucking up to the money.

If he would just be honest about it I wouldn’t mind so much.

He could say, "Look, the wealthy give me big donations to get re-elected and are big influencers on Republican business-class voters. I need these folks to get re-elected." I could live with that. That’s pragmatism. What Harry’s doing is lying.

I can’t stomach the sanctimonious and hypocritical excuse that he’s pursuing these tax-cuts to help the middle class. No, Harry, we can all see that you are toadying up to the wealthy with these positions.

True, none of is directly hurting Democratic tax policy, or even middle-class citizens yet. Harry doesn’t have the votes, the influence, or support of enough other Democrats to put this regressive program of tax cuts of the wealthiest into place, thankfully.

But these hypocritical lies are the same ones the Republicans use on voters to line the pockets of the wealthy at everyone else’s expense. Harry is keeping powder of the enemies of the middle class dry for another day’s battle. Instead of fighting for the truth, Harry is perpetuating the lie. That is unacceptable.

Harry, just stop it. Stop justifying your pandering to the wealthiest among us with a patina of concern for the middle class. You know these tax cuts have very marginal benefits for those of modest means and massive ones for the moguls.

A Democrat spouting the very same shameless lies about our tax system as Republicans harms the Democratic party far more than losing your seat would. So, if you want to lick the boots of the wealthy, just get down there and do it, and don’t pretend to be doing anything else. No Democrats are buying it outside of your own staff, and that’s only because you’re paying them.