On Sunday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt touted how President Obama's plan to "propose tax hikes for wealthiest Americans" during Tuesday's State of the Union address would be "potentially putting Congress in the position of appearing to defend the highest income earners over the middle class."
Turning to CNBC chief Washington correspondent John Harwood, Holt wondered: "John, will a Republican Congress go along with any of this?" Harwood seized the opportunity to cheer Obama's political posturing: "It's not likely, Lester. But that doesn't mean they aren't important. These proposals and others from both parties in Congress all mark a turning point in our politics. We've now recovered from recession and financial crisis but we haven't lifted the incomes of average middle class families that have been stagnant for forty years."
Harwood continued to spew liberal talking points: "Now the President wants more spending on education, training, and infrastructure. He also wants to use the tax code to take income from wealthy Americans who've done so well and put it in the pockets of the middle class."
A soundbite ran of Florida Senator Marco Rubio voicing Republican objections: "Raising taxes on people that are successful is not going to make people that are struggling more successful."
Harwood followed up by declaring: "But Republicans have begun to accept that Washington has to do something, and not just cutting top tax rates."
On Sunday's Today, Holt asked Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd: "The President is looking to give the middle class a break at the expense of those who are higher earners. How's that going to go in front of an all-Republican Congress?"
Todd suggested the proposal might just be "an opening bid" to start tax reform negotiations, but he also observed: "...if this were an election year, Lester, I would say this is the President trying to frame the election as he's the defender of the middle class and the Republicans, if they don't go along with him, are the party of the rich."
On ABC's Good Morning America on Monday, White House correspondent Jon Karl proclaimed that Obama "will be doubling down on the economy" in the State of the Union by "proposing a mix of tax increases on the very wealthiest and tax cuts for the middle class."
On Monday's CBS This Morning, White House correspondent Bill Plante hyped the White House effort "to put Republicans on the defensive as the party of the rich."
Here is a full transcript of the January 18 Nightly News segment:
6:41 PM ET
LESTER HOLT: On Tuesday, President Obama delivers his next to last State of the Union address before a Congress now solidly controlled by Republicans. The White House released this picture of the President in casual mode today preparing for the speech, in which he'll propose tax hikes for wealthiest Americans, potentially putting Congress in the position of appearing to defend the highest income earners over the middle class. CNBC's chief Washington correspondent John Hardwood joins us with more on the President's strategy. John, will a Republican Congress go along with any of this?
JOHN HARWOOD: It's not likely, Lester. But that doesn't mean they aren't important. These proposals and others from both parties in Congress all mark a turning point in our politics. We've now recovered from recession and financial crisis but we haven't lifted the incomes of average middle class families that have been stagnant for forty years. That's a big reason why voters are so anxious and unhappy.
Now the President wants more spending on education, training, and infrastructure. He also wants to use the tax code to take income from wealthy Americans who've done so well and put it in the pockets of the middle class. Other Democrats want to push businesses towards sharing profits with employees.
Now we've seen quickly that Republicans won't simply say yes.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO [R-FL]: Raising taxes on people that are successful is not going to make people that are struggling more successful.
HARWOOD: But Republicans have begun to accept that Washington has to do something, and not just cutting top tax rates. What that something is will be at the center of the 2016 presidential campaign. Just consider Mitt Romney's new message as he considers another race, that the rich have gotten richer and the middle class deserves higher wages, Lester.
HOLT: John Harwood in our Washington newsroom tonight, thanks. We will have complete coverage of the President's State of the Union address Tuesday evening at 9:00 Eastern, here on NBC.
