2012 Elections
  • Obama’s Bargain: Lower Rates for Higher Spending

    President Obama intends to make one last pitch for a “grand bargain” of new spending and tax policy on Tuesday that will attempt to marry corporate tax reform with funding for jobs to benefit the...

  • Ominous Signs for the GOP in 2014

    By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

    The conventional wisdom is that Republicans are in good shape going into next year’s congressional elections. Gerrymandering and the enormous benefits of incumbency virtually guarantee them continued...

  • Trading Tax Write-Offs for Real Growth

    By Andrew Fieldhouse, The Fiscal Times

    Overhauling the tax code is a wonky fixation of the D.C. policymaking elite, for good reason — it’s an area loaded with policy nuance, lobbying intrigue and major ramifications for long-term fiscal...

  • IRS Scandal: How the Brouhaha Went Bust

    By Peter Weber, TheWeek.com

    Rep. Darrell Issa is still banging the scandal drum. Is anyone listening anymore?

  • Beer, Burgers, and a Two-Man Blitz on Tax Reform

    By Josh Boak, The Fiscal Times

    Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) are keeping hope alive that the tax code can be rewritten. Both peg the odds of successful reform at more than 50 percent, according to a joint lunch...

  • Municipal Bond Tax Breaks at Risk in Budget

    By Lisa Lambert, Reuters

    President Barack Obama on Monday proposed limiting tax breaks given to high-income earners on the interest paid by municipal bonds, a change that could rock the $3.7 trillion market if approved. In...

  • Election 2012: Obama Is Misplaying the Tax Card

    By Bruce Bartlett, The Fiscal Times

    Barack Obama has a potentially strong hand on the tax issue, but is misplaying it. An enormous opportunity was missed when he ignored the issue of tax reform in his State of the Union address on Jan...

  • Obama’s ‘Buffett Rule’ Fails the Tax Reform Test

    President Obama has a new favorite possession – the “Buffett Rule.” Like a poodle with a new chew-toy, Mr. Obama can’t leave the Buffett Rule alone; he takes it everywhere. For the president, the...

  • Corporate Tax Reform: The Math Gets Even Fuzzier

    By Michelle Hirsch, The Fiscal Times

    Business executives from coast-to-coast have signaled their interest in giving up all their tax preferences in exchange for a 25 percent corporate tax rate. But that formula isn’t politically or...

  • Social Security's One Real Problem

    By Mark Miller, Reuters

    President Obama mentioned Social Security briefly during his State of the Union address last week, but his comments raised more questions than they answered. Its real problem: it's on track to...