Dems Postpone Tax-Cut Vote

Cancel the pre-election tax-cut face-off: Senate Democrats have decided to delay a vote on the high-voltage issue until after the midterms, avoiding a political showdown that had the potential to paint the two parties as starkly different just as voters head to the polls. Democrats have proposed extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class, while letting cuts on the rich expire; Republicans want extensions for all. Yet neither side has the votes to seal the deal. “There’s no evidence of any bipartisan spirit,” said Dick Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. Majority Leader Harry Reid has instead scheduled a vote on a bill meant to prevent jobs from going overseas. The House could still hold a vote on tax cuts before the election, should Speaker Nancy Pelosi choose to take advantage of the issue to paint the GOP as hypocritical on reining in deficits.