President Obama on the phone in his private study. Photo: wiki commons.

Politico – President Barack Obama called Monday for Congress to pass an extension of Bush-era tax cuts for household incomes less than $250,000 in the coming weeks, and to leave a debate on whether to extend the cuts to the rich until after the presidential election in November.

“The Republicans say they don’t want to raise taxes on the middle class, and I don’t want to raise taxes on the middle class, so we should all agree to extend the tax cut for the middle class. Let’s agree to do what we agree on,” he said in the East Room of the White House, flanked by people who would benefit from the extension. “Let’s not hold the vast majority of the Americans and the entire economy hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the wealthy.”