"..if the President begins the discussion by saying we must increase taxes on the American people -- as his budget does -- my response will be clear: tax increases are unacceptable and are a nonstarter," said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) in a statement.

Worst of all, this is a vision that says even though America can’t afford to invest in education or clean energy; even though we can’t afford to care for seniors and poor children, we can somehow afford more than $1 trillion in new tax breaks for the wealthy. Think about it. In the last decade, the average income of the bottom 90% of all working Americans actually declined. The top 1% saw their income rise by an average of more than a quarter of a million dollars each. And that’s who needs to pay less taxes? They want to give people like me a two hundred thousand dollar tax cut that’s paid for by asking thirty three seniors to each pay six thousand dollars more in health costs? That’s not right, and it’s not going to happen as long as I’m President.

(snip)
Of course, there will be those who disagree with my approach. Some will argue we shouldn’t even consider raising taxes, even if only on the wealthiest Americans. It’s just an article of faith for them. I say that at a time when the tax burden on the wealthy is at its lowest level in half a century, the most fortunate among us can afford to pay a little more. I don’t need another tax cut. Warren Buffett doesn’t need another tax cut. Not if we have to pay for it by making seniors pay more for Medicare. Or by cutting kids from Head Start. Or by taking away college scholarships that I wouldn’t be here without. That some of you wouldn’t be here without. And I believe that most wealthy Americans would agree with me. They want to give back to the country that’s done so much for them. Washington just hasn’t asked them to.

The Congressional Budget Office estimate shows that compared with current spending rates the spending bill due for a House vote Thursday would pare just $352 million from the deficit through Sept. 30. About $8 billion in cuts to domestic programs and foreign aid are offset by nearly equal increases in defense spending.

The House began preliminary debate on the measure Wednesday with it easily advancing over a procedural hurdle by a 241-179 vote. The measure appears on track to pass the House and Senate this week before a stopgap spending measure expires Friday at midnight despite opposition from some of the GOP's most ardent budget cutters.

If you're black and still basking in the afterglow of Obama's election, stop. If you're Latino and think that immigration reform is overdue, pace yourself. If you're under 30, forget you've ever heard of Medicare. If you're a worker still holding out for union "card check" legislation, one word: Wisconsin. And if you're a suburbanite who thought "change" was the new order of the day in Washington, guess again: It was only a mission statement.

People will be disappointed if they don't get that there's not a lot that Obama can deliver at this point if he can't find a big enough constituency to support it.