Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., explains to supporters why he cannot back the bipartisan tax deal. The reasons are easy to guess: It's temporary, it's become a Christmas tree (it includes a NASCAR tax credit), and it resurrects the death tax.

I found this rhetorical turning-of-the-tables to be most interesting:

The President called Republicans “hostage takers” this week but he should be pointing his figure squarely at himself. We've known for years that these tax rates were going to expire but he did nothing about it until the last minute. Now Americans are being told they have to accept hundreds of billions in new spending and stimulus gimmicks, an increase the death tax, and a bunch of unnecessary earmarks or their taxes will go up.

I'm not going to be bullied into voting for things that will hurt our country because politicians in Washington ignored the problem until it was a crisis.

Beltway ConfidentialUS