Obama calls in Clinton to help with tax fight

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama  yesterday called on a battle-scarred dealmaker, former  President Bill Clinton, to help convince reluctant Democrats to  back a compromise tax plan before rates rise for most Americans  in January.

As Democrats in the House of Representatives sought to  toughen provisions targeted at the wealthiest, Clinton urged  them to pass the plan in its current form before they hand over  control of the chamber to Republicans next month.

“This is a much, much better agreement than would be  reached were we to wait until January,” Clinton said at a White  House news conference with Obama by his side.

Democrats have closely studied Clinton’s 1990s tenure in  the White House as they seek to recover from a devastating  defeat in November’s congressional elections. The voluble  former president, legendary for his political skills, remained  at the podium even after Obama left for a Christmas party.

Obama’s $856 billion tax deal, struck with the Republicans  who will soon wield greater clout in Washington, is viewed with  alarm by many Democrats who worry that he will give away too  much at the bargaining table in the next two years.

“We have got to do a lot better than this agreement  provides,” said Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, who  inveighed against the deal on the Senate floor for more than  six hours on Friday without a bathroom break or a chance to sit  down.

The Senate is expected to pass the bill as soon as Tuesday,  but its prospects are less certain in the House. Democrats  there want to toughen estate-tax provisions that they say are  too generous for the wealthiest Americans, but it will be  difficult for them to see those changes become law.