Money in should equal money out

[VV Note: The country was doing quite well, thank you, before the Bush II era tax cuts. In fact, those tax cut led to many of the problems that afflict the country today — perhaps even most. Blame aside — hey, Democrats are just as guilty as Republicans on this issue — it's time to go back to a very simple policy: revenues in should equal expenditures out. — LP]

Dems to play hardball in tax fight?

By Greg Sargent, WashPost

There’s a lot of chatter about Senator Patty Murray’s big speech today, in which she is claiming that Dems hold the leverage in the coming “fiscal cliff” talks over the Bush tax cuts, and that they will let all the tax cuts expire if necessary, in order to force the GOP’s hand.

The idea is that if all the cuts expire, Dems can come back and renew just the middle class cuts, and dare Republicans to vote against it:

“If we can’t get a good deal, a balanced deal that calls on the wealthy to pay their fair share, then I will absolutely continue this debate into 2013,” Murray plans to say, according to excerpts of the speech provided to The Washington Post.

If the tax cuts from the George W. Bush era expire and taxes go up for everyone, the debate will be reset, Murray is expected to say. “Every proposal will be a tax-cut proposal,” according to the excerpts, and Republicans would no longer be “boxed in” by their pledge not to raise taxes.

(More here.)