SELLOUT! This is NOT what we voted for! He ran on $250k and now is pushing $450K. Guess who is going

[leveymg]

156. The Grand Deal included SS "reform". That won't happen - the measures will be considered separately

as they should be. Yes, as you put it so succinctly, I will continue to "shit" on any deal that trades SS COLA cuts for revenue - they aren't structurally related, and SS benefits should continue to be treated as the "third rail of American politics." They aren't something to be bargained away. Any SS reform that cuts benefits for the poor is unacceptable, and if there really is a solvency problem, raise the cap - something that needs to be done, anyway.

As for the specifics of where one triggers the old tax rates, $250K or $450K, I personally think that isn't terribly important. I would prefer that another couple of tiers be added for multimillionaires above the 39.5% top rate and that many of the deductions and dodges, such as trusts and exemptions to the inheritance tax, be stripped out of the tax code so that truly wealthy people like Mitt Romney whose incomes are derived from investments really have to pay at least 39.5% and their overpampered children don't inherit all the world's riches.