Obama concedes tax increases hurt economy

The Bush tax cuts expire in 2010.

FOX News is reporting that Barack Obama is promising to temporarily extend the Bush tax cuts if the US economy is in a recession as of their expiration date. Ultimately, he intends to let the tax cuts expire, but not while the economy is "fragile."

This is a blunt admission that a tax increase would be harmful to the economy - yet that is precisely what he's going to do. He says he won't do it unless he feels the economy is strong enough to absorb the blow he intends to inflict. How comforting.