Axelrod Denies Tax-Cut Deal

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod said Thursday that President Obama has not caved to Republicans on extending the Bush tax cuts, disputing the Huffington Post’s account of an interview with him. Axelrod told HuffPost: “The administration is ready to accept an across-the-board continuation of steep Bush-era tax cuts, including those for the wealthiest taxpayers.” But he later clarified that Obama is willing to discuss the best way forward, but believes the tax cuts should only be extended for the middle class. The administration, Axelrod said, does not “believe we can afford a permanent extension of tax cuts for the wealthy.”