Tax Fight Ahead:

At the end of this year, three major elements of President Bush's tax cuts expire: the 10% bracket, the marriage penalty relief, and the $1,000 per child tax credit. Last week, Republican congressional leaders were reportedly ready to make a deal to vote to extend these three tax cuts for two years, so that they would come up again for a vote right before the 2006 elections. President Bush, however, wants to extend them for five years, more closely approaching his goal of making them permanent, and also removing them from the table through his second term if he is reelected. The White House, according to the Washington Post, hopes to force the issue in September, making Democrats choose to vote for or against tax relief for families and lower income brackets immediately before the election.