Obama Plays Middle Class Against the Wealthy on Tax Cuts

Won't you help him target an envied minority?

WASHINGTON — President Obama called again on Congress on Wednesday to extend Bush-era tax cuts for all income under $250,000 and leave a broader restructuring of the tax code to next year, as he pressures Republicans to let tax rates rise for the wealthiest Americans.

Surrounding himself by supporters he presented as typical middle-class taxpayers, Mr. Obama said he hoped to resolve the tax and spending issues now confronting Washington by an end-of-the-year deadline. But he said lawmakers should not wait for such an agreement to pass legislation preserving current tax rates for 98 percent of Americans.