Expert: President Obama’s tax-break plan for middle class is ‘no-lose’ for him

PHOENIX — A Valley-based political expert said President Obama’s move to help the middle class was a no-lose situation.

The president was expected to share, among several items, a proposal to tax wealthier Americans to the benefit of the middle class during his State of the Union speech Tuesday evening.

KTAR’s Mike O’Neil said it was “strategically a good move” by the president to close loopholes on the wealthiest Americans.

O’Neil said the newly Republican-controlled Congress will oppose the plan.

“If it goes down to defeat in Congress then you’re setting up the next election (2016 presidential race) and the Democrats as protectors of the middle class.

“”…the Republicans will be viewed as trying to protect the upper one percent. The Republicans will say he’s trying to increase taxes but what he will say, and I think correctly, he’s trying to redistribute the tax burden,” O’Neil said.

Top Republicans in the House and Senate are indicating they’ll oppose the president’s plan.

New tax breaks for the middle class already have
been dismissed by House Speaker John Boehner’s office as the same old
tax-and-spend “approach we’ve come to expect from President Obama that hasn’t
worked.”

KTAR will carry the president’s State of the Union live, starting at 7 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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